“Common sense triumphed”: RBU sent to the Ministry of Sports a new list of candidates for the coaching staff of the Russian national team

“These coaches can help the team win rewards.”

The Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) sent to the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation a new list of candidates for the coaching staff of the national team. This information was confirmed by the president of the organization Vladimir Drachev.

Approval of candidates took place on the eve of a meeting of the Board of Directors of the SBR. Yuri Kaminsky, well-known for working with skiers Nikita Kryukov, Alexander Panzhinsky and Alexei Petukhov, was appointed the head coach of the men's team. The women's team should be led by personal mentor Svetlana Mironova, Mikhail Shashilov.

It is worth noting that at the end of April it was a question of other names. Then the board of the RBU approved Robert Kabukov and Vladimir Korolkevich. However, Drachev sharply opposed their appointment. He noted that earlier their names appeared in doping scandals and this could negatively affect the reputation of the Russian biathlon, still not restored to rights in the International Biathlon Union (IBU). As a result, sending lists to the Ministry of Sports was postponed.

Candidates Kaminsky and Shashilov were proposed by the head of the RRF. According to him, negotiations with them were conducted in March and both experts expressed their readiness to leave their previous posts and lead the male and female team. In addition, Drachev expressed confidence that the results of biathletes will improve.

“I don’t think it is advisable to make any changes before the Olympics. Common sense has triumphed; Russian professionals of the highest level will work with the team. Both I, and Sergey Chepikov, and Sergey Tarasov are convinced that these coaches are able to help the team win awards, ”TASS quotes Dracheva.

The changes will affect the position of head coach of the Russian national team. Initially, it was assumed that she would be occupied by the vice-president of the SBR Valery Polkhovsky, but his name was not on the new lists.

Drachev noted that the appointment of a head coach is not the primary task for the leadership of the RRF, and also explained that he sees a person in this place who will be more involved in organizational and administrative matters. At the same time, he admitted that he himself would gladly have taken upon himself such a duty.

“Sergey Chepikov proposed my candidacy, but at the moment we are not promoting this idea. In my opinion, power should be in the same hands. There must be a vertical. Changes are needed in what is happening now, ”Drachev added.

At the same time, the prospects for the head of the federation are rather vague. The special election of the President of the SBR is scheduled for July 11. 

"Political games are already tired"

The appointment of Kaminsky and Shashilov provoked a new wave of discussions within the Russian biathlon. At the same time, the opinions of experts were divided.

The President of the Biathlon Federation of St. Petersburg Dmitry Vasiliev criticized the invitation to the biathlon team of a ski specialist. He expressed doubt that Kaminsky will be able to competently manage the process. At the same time, the functionary emphasized that Shashilov earned a place in the national team, although not in the position of head coach.

“I feel bad about Kaminsky’s candidacy for the post of head coach. He generally has no experience in biathlon. It is as if a ski coach had been put on the ski team. The general thing is that in both sports there are poles and skis, but otherwise they are completely different disciplines, ”Izvestia quotes Vasiliev as saying.

A similar position is held by the former coach of the men's team Vladimir Alikin, who initially opposed the candidatures of Kabukov and Korolkevich.

“This mess is already tired, the SBR itself is confused in what he wants. I do not think that new candidates are a good option. None of this will work. There will be a lot of criticism. I don’t know how Shashilov agreed to this position, apparently they persuaded. He had a lot of work in Yekaterinburg, ”Alikin said.

Guberniev adheres to a different point of view. He noted that both specialists are professionals in their field and will be able to help improve various aspects of biathlon training.

“Shashilov from the Sverdlovsk region has long matured for the national team. Will be responsible for women, personal mentor Svetlana Mironova, who trained last season the repeated world champion among juniors Anastasia Shevchenko! He knows everything about mountain training and knows a lot! Kaminsky, the great coach of sprint skiers who created Kryukov, Panzhinsky, Petukhov, a whole galaxy of grandiose skiers! ” - summarized Guberniev.

In turn, Sergey Chepikov, a member of the SBR board, suggested that the appointment of these particular mentors would have a positive effect on the atmosphere inside the SBR.

“All these political games are already tired. Now it is important that for the remaining year and a half the teams are well prepared for the Games. There is such an opportunity. (Regarding the invitation of Kaminsky. - RT ) the men's team needs to increase the level of functional and ski training. There are many short, sprint distances in biathlon, ”explained Chepikov.