Darya Virolainen’s participation in the Finnish summer championship and his possibility of playing for another country resonated widely in the Russian media, where the speakers had different opinions about it. Some said the ex-Russian national team biathlete, who has lived in Finland for six years, had every right to do so, while others called the possibility of changing teams a betrayal.
Roman Virolainen, a former soldier of the Russian national team and husband of Daria, in an interview with , recalled how the opportunity to move to Finland arose, explained why his wife was more comfortable there down and also shared how the return to sport happened. .
– What are Daria’s goals in biathlon after the birth of her third child?
– After the birth of a third child, while having a three-year-old son, it is wrong to set goals. Only in the available time is it possible to train on your own. When the kids allow it, she trains – one workout a day. Sometimes it happens that there is no such possibility.
The first goal is to get the child on his feet so he can start to walk, and Dasha is still breastfeeding him and will continue to do so for about six months. Next, we will start from the form. We will see this after the New Year, it is difficult to talk about it earlier.
That is, she will participate in internal competitions, but there are no specific tasks – children come first.
– Did Daria have a moment in the last few years when she wanted to end her career?
– After the birth of the second, there was a period when she began to prepare, even took part in Russian competitions. But health and covid restrictions did not allow it to be done in full. With that, competitive practice ended and she went on maternity leave. It was the period when she had already stopped thinking about sports. There was no idea of resuming a career.
– The absence of admission to the Pyeongchang Olympics did not make you think of the end?
– Yes, she was on the national team roster and was scheduled to compete in the Olympics. At that time, she also had the desire to end it. It was the first time. She was killed by it.
Well, now what happened is what happened. After the birth of her third child, she needed to move like a woman to get back in shape. Daria walked a lot with a stroller, spent time on the street, and she wanted something for herself. For an hour and a half, I took the children so that she could practice a little. And only in the last month she gradually began to skate, after which she spoke for the club at the Finnish Championship.
– It turns out that if she hadn’t had to get back into shape after giving birth, no comeback would have happened?
– Professional athletes should not end their career abruptly, this is detrimental to health. It’s like an engine overheating. Before cooling it, you must let it act. Similarly, the body of athletes should receive loads.
For Dasha, this process was gradual, only a desire to keep running appeared. It is clear that there was no question of entering the Russian national team. Many factors opposed it, mainly children. If she started traveling on the collections of the regions, she would start to be responsible to those people who pay you money. She couldn’t complete her homework 100%, because children come first. And here in Finland she has no responsibilities to anyone, she is a free person, and all this is like a hobby for her.
I wanted – I went to practice, I didn’t want – I didn’t go. She is also not tied to the weapons licensing system: she does not need to obtain a permit to transport weapons, since she has a Finnish permit, she keeps the weapons at home in a safe. strong. If in Russia you are forced to keep everything in the armory, then you must follow certain rules, then here she has a simplified regime, where everything is more individual.
Yes, Daria could train and travel to Russia at her own expense. Nobody would forbid her, but, again, she has to represent a region, which is contrary to her abilities. Well, Dasha has been living in Finland for six and a half years.
Why did you decide to settle there?
– The eldest child went to CP in 2014 at a suburban school. Mom and Dad are constantly on the road to training camp – that’s their job. During his first and second years, he spent most of his time with a nanny. In 2016, it had already been decided to move to my parents in Finland so that the child would be taken care of. In the third year, he already went to school in Finland.
— During these six years, how did you settle in Finland?
“At the moment, everything is fine with us. We immediately started to learn the language, took lessons. It is the responsibility of anyone who moves to live here.
– How long ago did Daria obtain citizenship?
– About two years to be exact. Maybe a little more.
– The head of the Finnish federation said that Virolainen does not have a passport. Does he just not know?
I think he just doesn’t have the information. Maybe someone got out of bed in the morning, but they weren’t conscious at all.
– How did the family react to the statements of experts of all kinds who called Daria almost a traitor to their country?
– Very simple. Those who know us, who have information, have given adequate comments. Those who know the situation superficially have simply grasped the hype, not giving quite, from my point of view, correct assessments.
– What is the level of girls playing in the Finnish Championship if Daria, without full-fledged summer training, goes out and enters the awards?
The thing is, there weren’t a lot of leaders there. For example, Marie Eder did not participate in the tournament at all. To evaluate all the opponents, it is enough to open the protocol of the last IBU Cup season.
We have our own tasks: it was important for her to feel. We were of course satisfied. Just one performance is already a victory. When you are a professional athlete, you set the same goals. With us, everything is different: the day before the child slept well, so Dasha felt good in the morning. I’m already happy with the start. She felt the struggle, and that’s good.
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.
