World athletics champion Olesya Zykina summed up the results of the world championship in Doha (Qatar) for the “Olympic Reserve”, assessed the prospects of Russian athletes and explained how playing the piano helps to run fast.
- The season turned out to be long with the main start in October. I had to go through two peaks. It was a very difficult championship. It was hard in Doha because of the climate and a long-distance flight. But the leaders that were counted upon did a great job. There were victories of Maria Lasitskene and Angelika Sidorova, strong performances by Ilya Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko. The race walker Vasily Mizinov deserves applause - in such difficult climatic conditions to reach the finish line ... Many participants could not do this, ” Zykina began the conversation.
Olesya Zykina - two-time world champion, four-time indoor world champion, European champion, bronze and silver Olympic medalist in athletics
- This championship caused a lot of questions. Athletes complained about poor nutrition, severe weather conditions, and low attendance rate. Was it worth to hold a tournament in Qatar?
- Hard to say. If the International Federation decided to hold, then it was probably worth it. Judging by the picture, everything was quite spectacular. I would like to appreciate the innovations, elements of the show, a vivid representation of athletes.
- Many athletes were made indignant by being filmed from a low angle.
- I didn't really like that either. I did not see anything interesting in it, any “explosion” from the start. It is always exciting to watch and listen from the upper camera as the stadium braces before the shot. But the organizers had their own ideas.
- Your distance is 400 meters. Did the victory of the representative of Bahrain Salva Nasser with the third result in history surprise you?
- I was very surprised by this result, and the champion herself was surprised. In appearance, she did not look like an athlete. She ran perfectly, especially the last hundred-meter race. Aesthetically, I enjoyed it. If we talk about the results, then this season my twenty-year record was broken. Thanks to Pauline Miller. I am very happy for her.
Information: Polina Miller broke the Russian 400m record (51.00) in August 2019 at the competitions in Madrid. The previous achievement of Olesya Zykina was established 20 years ago (51.31).
- In speed skating, world records are broken regularly. In track and field, some achievements are held for decades. What is the reason for this?
- As for the equipment – brand companies are working on it making it more light-weight, airy, and seamless. It helps, but not very much. I can’t say that the records are standing still. Some are coming close to Bolt's record. Young athletes are jumping for six meters. Now young people are showing the results that were previously demonstrated by adult athletes. Of course, we are a little lagging behind swimming, but I would not say that there is no progress.
- The Chinese women made a blunder in Doha when passing the relay baton, although they claimed to be on the podium. How is this possible at the world championship?
- Yes, they did a very funny pass. This is the first time I have encountered such a story in the championship. Usually in training, we bring this skill to automatism. Perhaps they did not have enough practice in this situation. Chinese women in the 4x400 m relay did not often get in the top 16. But they still got through. Although it was very funny. Of course, this is impermissible.
- The American athlete Crystal Cox admitted using a doping, and according to logic the gold medal of the US national team at the 2004 Games in the relay of 4 x 400 meters in Athens should have gone to Russia. But the IAAF did not make that decision. You ran in that team. Was it insulting?
- The medals we have are dear to us. It would not have been insulting if in other situations they were not allowed to re-run distances due to their mistakes.
Reference: At the Rio Games in 2016, Allison Felix was unable to pass the relay baton to English Gardner during the 4x 100m relay. The Brazilian athlete ran very close to the edge of the track and touched Felix with her hand, and the American dropped the baton. As a result, the United States came to the finish line last. The Americans lodged a complaint and brought about the disqualification of the Brazilian national team. The USA were allowed to re-run the relay, and they made it to the finals, in which they won a gold medal.
- Why did the Federation do this?
- Perhaps they have strong lawyers. Maybe it was politics.
- Now a whole constellation of young athletes has appeared in Russia. What has to be done to avoid unfair decisions towards Russian athletes?
- I think you just need to be the first. To be a cut above the rest.
- Now you are working as a senior specialist in Moscow athletics teams. Are you comfortable in this position?
- I like helping the team, advising something, prompting. We always have strong athletes.
- Which regions occupy leading positions in Russian athletics?
- Moscow, Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, Siberia, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Chuvashia, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous district, Tatarstan, cities on the Volga. All metropolitan cities are competitive.
- Can a star grow in a small town?
- Small towns are talent foundries of those stars who then move to larger cities. There is a different ecology, not so many temptations. There is an opportunity to concentrate on your activities. Sports ground, school, home - everything is nearby. There are good trainers who love children. When I travel to small towns, I always say: “You are a talent foundry. Take care of the children. "
- Are there any problems with the conditions for training athletes?
- The problem of lack of bases always exists. In Europe, they can be in every educational institution. We have enough sports grounds now, but there are not so many stadiums for athletics.
- Is this question being solved somehow?
- A reconstruction of the Moskvich stadium is being held, there are plans for Lefortovo, the Avangard stadium. We need to deal with the building of bases. We have coaches, but where will we invite the children?
- That is, everything is in order with the coaching staff?
- Many of my friends and colleagues after completing a professional career remained in athletics. Young coaches are inquisitive, are interested in everyone, do not stand still. Today the children are different, and all the time we need to interact with them. It is necessary to invite specialists from different sports. Not to get hung up only on athletics. We need master classes from swimmers, wrestlers, fitness trainers - we need to exchange experiences. Such synergy can help. Young coaches are open to new knowledge, and I like it.
- How do you evaluate the performances of track and field athletes of the Olympic CollegeNo. 1?
- We have our own selection criteria, and talented children are already here. And the fact that they can study, train and take nourishment here is very good.
- Can you single out someone?
- Graduate Kristina Sivkova, pole vaulters Dmitry Kachanov, Ilya Dolbin, Victor Pintusov. Yana Melnikova participated in the European Youth championship. Now it is a difficult time for athletics, but the young are not discouraged.
- Why is it a difficult time?
- They can’t participate under the Russian flag. Their motivation is falling.
- When can this situation change, in your opinion?
- I think this situation will be settled soon. The Russian Olympic Committee must make its decision, disclose all the information. I have no authority to speak on this subject.
- How can we increase the motivation for young athletes?
- If there is a result, we cheer up. When you are young, you always want to show what you can. For adults motivation is harder to reach. We are given neutral statuses, and the young in this regard are a priority. Russian youth is more trusted.
- Is there a chance to reset?
- There is. It is today's guys who will be the new beginning of the Russian team.
- On November 5, your mentor, Sergei Reutov, Honored Coach of Russia, would have turned 69 years old. What are your memories of him?
- Sergey Sergeyevich has long been gone out of my life. As always happens with an athlete and a coach, I had a difficult relationship with him. We broke each other, we proved something to each other, but I always believed him. I did not always believe in myself. But when he came up and said: “Olesya, everything will be fine,” I calmed down. He was the accumulator of all my results. He was talented, complex, brilliant and productive.
- Do you remember the day you came to athletics?
- I came after graduating from the music school. I am very grateful to my PE teacher. If not for his boring: "Olesya, go running!" - I would not have come.
- How old were you?
- 14. Before, I wouldn’t have time to do music, school and sports together. Music helped me in sports. I graduated from a piano class. The motility of the fingers has a good effect on the speed in legs, therefore, while training the fingers, I also trained the legs. My first coach was Alexander Panteleevich Laskutkin. We practised in an ordinary gym, then we ran in an asphalt stadium where it was impossible to train in spikes. Twice a week we went to the arena. In general, the conditions weren’t easy.
- Your first success at the highest level was the bronze of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Then the team in the relay managed to jump above their heads, or was there a chance to win the award of a higher standard?
- I got to my first Olympiad because the coach really wanted to. I did not believe, but he believed. I just did what he said. I was scared and excited during the selection for the Games. Strong, experienced girls ran there.
At the Games, I only ran in the race. We did not go through acclimatization in Australia, it was very difficult to run. In the finals, Privalova already ran as an Olympic champion. Because of my young age, they were frightened of putting me in the main race. Of those young, besides me, there were only Isinbayeva and Borzakovsky.
- Are you upset that you weren’t put in the finals?
- I really wanted to run, but understanding came later. I am very grateful to my older girls who took me under their wing.
- Can you name the most valuable medal for you?
- The medals are all different. Olympic medals are especially dear. There are medals that were hard to get. They come from different championships and from Birmingham, the European Championship. I have always brought medals from international starts and did not see the point of coming without a medal.
- 400 meters is a hard distance. What’s the way to run it right, and is it still a sprint?
- This is a sprint. I’m generally a type of sprinter girl. Endurance came to me later. Initially, it was very hard for me. I wanted to do everything quickly. How did I choose 400 meters? My PE teacher offered me to run for my school at the city championship. “There are 100, 200 and 400 metres - what do you choose? You have to run 100 metres fast right away, and 400 metres you can start slower. ” So, he cheated me (laughs)! Since then I have been running this distance.
At 400 meters, it is important to properly expand your sprinter’s potential. You need to train speed endurance. It is not given for nothing. We ran a lot of cross-country races in the preparatory period. Then we switched to long distances.
- Which lane did you like to run on?
- I ran on all lanes. The first one, of course, is not very convenient. I loved the last very much, I did not always want to see the rivals. If you know how to expand strength, then rivals are not necessary to see. At the last hundred meters you will still see everyone.
- Imagine a most important start. There is a minute left before the pistol shoots. What are the thoughts in your head?
- At this moment it is better not to think, but to focus on yourself. An athlete has an internal energy. At my first Olympiad, the senior girls on the national team said: "Never look at the stands." They understood that I was young and could be confused. We are like batteries that are ready to give out the maximum. I tried to calm myself before the start, to breathe so that there was no hysterical tremor. Say a few encouraging words to yourself. When you put your foot onto the starting blocks, it’s no longer scary. It’s scary when you are introduced. I always advise to smile at this moment - there are a lot of facial muscles on the face, and this helps to relax. You can laugh a little.
- But in the day when you found out with whom you were running, what helped to relax?
- Thoughts seethe madly in my brain; I was trying to run in my thoughts. A book, classical music, just chatting with someone not about sports. The girls brought embroidery, just had a walk. You mustn’t think about the start. You mustn’t visualize that you’re on the pedestal. You just mustn’t think about it.
Quick round of questions:
Tea or coffee? - Coffee.
Holidays at sea or in the mountains? - I like both. Now at sea.
For a short distance - drive a car or walk? - Walk.
Office work or free schedule? - Free schedule.
World Championship: indoor or outdoor? - I liked both, it has its own peculiarities: 400 meters make up 2 laps.
Usain Bolt or Carl Lewis? - Usain Bolt.
Weight training or running? - Running.