Winner of the Spartakiad of the strongest in speed skating Alexandra Sayutine rested in Vietnam, waiting for good news from the ISU and preparing with all her might for next season. We talked to Alexandra about rest, preparation, foot size and stereotypes.
— This year we resumed training on the 20th, there was the first training camp of [команды] Moscow to Turkey. The season was dragging on, I had planned to leave early on vacation, but finally I left at the end of April. So everything moved a bit.
— I saw you went on vacation to Asia. Tell me.
— Yes, we flew with Stepan (Chistov) to Vietnam in early April. This is my first vacation in Asia, it was a discovery. As a child, we always went to Europe, I am more inclined to Europe, I resisted vacations in Asia, but Styopa convinced me.
“Our female cyclists took part in a race in Vietnam and praised the sea a lot.
– Yes! The sea is beautiful. Dad said that the sea in Vietnam is the cleanest he has ever seen, and he has seen a lot. I also liked the sea. The shore is large, the beach is sandy.
— What did you do during the training camp in Türkiye?
— These were trainings with a set of works from the minimum, so that through the centralized training camp the entire load could be properly digested. We rode bikes, there were training sessions of a solidarity nature – abs, stretching, jumping a little, etc.
– You are from Moscow. Where do you train in the off-season? Where do you go to train for cycling?
— I train at home in New Moscow. I have a small gym at home – I can do strength training. I can go out on my bike – there is a circle about 40 km long. You can calmly go for a ride and work. A new road has been built, there are not many cars yet. If I need to go on the ice, I go to Krylatskoye, but this does not happen very often.
— There was a time when you were just starting your career in the speed skating team, now your first successes have arrived, is it now time to move on to the next step?
— I don’t have an individual gold medal at the Russian Championships in individual distances yet. This is the goal of the season. I will do my best to achieve it. But unfortunately, I recently got injured – I fell while training on roller skates. I continued training immediately after the fall, but the pain was limited.
– What kind of injury?
— I fell unsuccessfully and severely tore the skin – most of the surface was damaged. Discomfort when walking, I can’t stand – my leg is numb.
— Do you like roller skates? Some skaters do not like them and feel uncomfortable, others, on the contrary, actually come from roller skates.
— Everyone has a different attitude to videos. You can even visually see what the athlete feels on roller skates. The feeling is really different from skating. We know many examples where it works both on roller skates and on ice. And there are those who feel uncomfortable on roller skates, but on ice the situation is completely different. I like roller skates, I learned a technique close to ice – after all, we do not skate for speed and endurance, but only for technique. I have fun, I am good with them. But I do not like the feeling that you get when you go out on the ice after skating. It seems that the blades of the skates are blunt. It is good that it lasts only about twenty minutes.
— I read your message in response to Veronica Stepanova that you do not see the need to buy very expensive videos.
– Yes, I think it is not necessary. I do not compete in roller skating, I do not even skate like a roller skater, because in principle I do not need it. Besides, I was the only one who had a five-wheel roller system. The fewer wheels, the faster the rollers. The Dutch ride on three-wheelers. Our guys ride mainly on four-wheelers, they can even remove one wheel. I do not care, I do not attach any importance to it, I ride with my father’s system. Skates – yes, they must be the best, but roller skates are an auxiliary thing. It’s the same with bikes. The team produced a pretty good bike, but there are those that are cooler, more expensive, and maybe when I’m done with this sport and want to ride at an amateur level, I’ll buy myself a better bike. Now I just need a good bike.
— I also saw how you were measuring your legs with Veronica. How did it all start?
— It all started with SPIEF. Nikolai Alekseevich Gulyaev and Veronika Stepanova took part in it. The conversation, as I understand it – I have only seen a fragment of it myself – turned to the development of the body. Veronica said that cross-country skiing develops the whole body. Nikolai Alekseevich said that speed skating also develops the whole body. Veronica then replied that we have big feet. Word for word, she decided to measure herself. I like this exchange of opinions between athletes, some kind of media collaborations. Maybe even someone does not know what speed skating or another sport is, but thanks to such communication, the audience develops. I am for such movements.
– More importantly, did you find out who has the biggest legs?
– We have! But according to the survey, it was the skiers who won. I don’t know why, honestly! I failed to defend the honor of speed skating!
— I remember the legendary interview with Fatkulina about how she wants to end her career because of her big legs. Is the battle now about big legs? By the way, it seems to me that they are not big at all.
— Speed skaters’ long legs are a big stereotype, haha.
Speed skating is no longer the purely strength sport it was in ancient times. Today, rinks, boots, equipment and suits allow you to run fast, even if your leg muscles are not as powerfully developed. Track runners even have longer legs!
– But that’s also only for sprinters, yes, some even have to sew pants to order.
“They have impressive legs, our sprinters have smaller ones.” Besides, I have nothing against big legs. Let there be different legs!
— Are you expecting good news from the ISU?
— It seems that information has already appeared that the question of admission could be considered by the council in September. I would like to believe that they will already make decisions, hopefully positive ones.
“It seems to me that everyone is already waiting for information on this subject.”
“Everything is pointing in the direction that there will be movements, it seems to me.” I don’t know what the chances are of being admitted. I would like to believe in the best. I would like to take a new step, to perform on the international stage. While I had only participated in the junior competitions in Inzell, that was it.
— You moved from figure skating to skating, would you like to add short track speed skating for a complete package?
– It will be difficult for me in short track speed skating – I love that feeling in a straight line – rolling, rolling. In short track speed skating there are two steps, you are already in the turn, and I don’t like turns too much.
— And in short track speed skating, there are desperate guys, there is contact wrestling!
– Yes! I just started organizing the mass start. I don’t remember at which competitions, during the mass start I just thought: “Let me pass, please. Haha. It’s clear that no one should let anyone pass. You have to be quite arrogant, punchy and not afraid of anything. This kind of contact fight is not my thing.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
