Gerbulova: “I love the Ufa stadium, there are few like it in Russia. But where the renovation work is underway, athletes should not live.”

Russian national team biathlete Natalia Gerbulova She said that she really likes the Ufa stadium, but athletes should not live in a place where renovations are taking place, because construction dust greatly affects their health.

Gerbulova finished third in the big group start of the Commonwealth Cup stage in Ufa on Sunday after making two errors. Before the start of the competition, the biathlete was outraged by the living conditions in the stadium hotel, after which the director of the complex, Viktor Nikitin, told that the athlete was promoting himself over the situation.

— Why did the Shashilovskys dominate the first two days of the competition, and today the Istominskys won?

— After the stage in Tyumen was canceled, we went to the training camp in St. Petersburg. And we trained hard there. We weren’t able to recover afterwards: we do cross country in the evening and we don’t do intense work. I hope we overcome all this and in the main competitions the Istominskys will dominate.

— Did you want to prove that you are the best?

— Today was a difficult race: there were a lot of people, the track was quite narrow, so we drove very quietly during the first two laps, and I actually had to come out of number 25. Today, the race was calm and balanced. Thank you very much to my loved ones for making me such a person.

— Tell us, how did the last step go?

— It was difficult because it was windy around the bend. Well, when Vika Slivko stands in front of you, you get excited (laughs). In those early days, what happened, you know what the situation was. I’m not the type of person who says, “Oh, never mind. » No, I’m still worried. I’m like my mother: quite compassionate.

— So the situation affected your performance during the first races?

– Certainly. It will be unpleasant for everyone to listen to negative reviews about you. Although I didn’t blame anyone. And when you are presented as someone you don’t understand, then, of course, it’s unpleasant.

— This season there will be another stage in Ufa. Do you hope things change here?

– I thought you would ask: “Do I hope they will put me here?” (laughs) First of all, I hope the renovations are finished here. I have loved this place, this complex since my childhood. So I left the hotel, put on my boots and went for a walk – great. There are very few such complexes in Russia. And it’s great that they’re doing reconstruction here. But I repeat again: people should not live in a hotel under renovation. Construction dust has a very harmful effect on our lungs. We are all professional athletes and health is the main thing we must protect.

—Have you managed to make peace with everyone?

“And I didn’t argue with anyone.” They were arguing with me, so to speak. It’s a shame that our men are more emotional than women (laughs). I hope the base director has calmed down. “I apologize once again and thank you very much for organizing the Commonwealth Cup,” reports correspondent, reporting Gerbulova’s words.

Watch the races of the stages of the Alfa-Bank Commonwealth Cup and the Russian Cup live on the channel, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.

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