The winner of the sprint race of the World Biathlon Championships in Anterselva, Alexander Loginov, briskly walked past a group of journalists in the mixed zone in the same way as he did two days earlier after the mixed relay, and threw, without turning his head: “Not yet time!”.
One on one in an empty sub-tribune corridor, Alexander was not much talkative. He answered me with a handshake and said: “Understand me correctly: I am doing what my inner state tells me. A year ago, to be honest, I was a little offended to read in one of your reports that there are rules of the game, and that an athlete should not ignore the press. But I also play by the rules. In his own way. Of course, I’ll come to the press conference and answer questions. But that’s all. ”
In anticipation of the same press conference, at which it was possible to find out at least some details, I talked with one of the national team coaches.
“Probably, his personal trainer Alexander Kasperovich should tell about Loginov, first of all, it’s not right for me to do this,” the source said, but, having received a promise that his name would not appear in the media, he continued.
“Sasha is a unique athlete. He, as we trainers say, is always alright with his head. He feels his condition well, he has what is called a sports “chuyka” in everything that relates to speed dynamics and shooting dynamics. In the sprint, he took a good pace right from the start, very right, did not rush after the leaders headlong, that is, he fully maintained his own tactics, unlike Johannes Boe, who rushed forward from the start and immediately drowned at his own speed. Loginov worked out the entire distance very clearly, walked up and down, and most importantly, he withstood the entire race psychologically. It was not easy. ”
According to the expert, there are a lot of reasons why the newly made world champion does not give interviews during the competition.
“The athletes are all different, and Loginov is one of those who communicate with everyone very openly, including journalists. He is not closed. But this frankness very strongly sucks energy from him. Energy is spent during such competitions anyway: each athlete is constantly in a rather large team, where one way or another there is continuous communication: with each other, with coaches, with doctors, with servicemen ... It's like a beehive that constantly buzzes around you , there’s absolutely nowhere to get away from this buzz, but you have to keep yourself in any way until the start, ”the trainer continued.
According to the expert, at the last training camp on Loginov’s movements on the track, on the behavior at the turn and on the shooting itself, it was clear that he was approaching the peak of his form.
“In the race, he demonstrated that he has an amazing ability to concentrate at the right time. In my opinion, it was this ability that our girls did not have enough in the first personal race of the World Cup. After all, they are capable of shooting no worse than Loginov’s did. The same Katya Yurlova is no less professional than Alexander. To perform at such a high level at 34, having not the most amazing data for biathlon, is great professionalism, ”the expert added.
He also noted that Yurlova can only take off her hat for how she brought herself to this championship, practicing independently for almost the entire season, having a family and a child.
“But concentration, the ability to abstract at the turn of everything except myself, my rifle and target, failed not only her. Well, what four misses could be predicted from Larisa Kuklina? Wind? Yes, she should have been happy with this wind, because she belongs to a very small circle of sportswomen who can shoot at zero in such conditions. And it turned out very carelessly, I can’t even find another word for the girls’s performances. If Loginov needs to declare a vow of silence in order to win ... Well, are you ready to blame him for this? ”The mentor finished his discussion with a question.
The answer was obvious. The press conference of the champion made it possible to feel what kind of pressure Alexander was subjected even in his inner circle, which would seem to have long digested the well-known history of disqualification. As it turned out, the feeling was misleading: the Boe brothers ’irritation, and above all Johannes, after the unsuccessful race was so great that they both attacked Loginov publicly, without even leaving the mixed zone - despising any decency.
But even if this did not happen, it is hardly worth blaming the athlete for not being ready to communicate with the outside world and so carefully emphasizes every drop of his own energy. You can, by the way, recall the previous World Cup in Ostersund and the old friend of Russian fans Wolfgang Pichler - a friendly, always open-minded German who never before denied journalists access to his wards.
That tournament was the last career for Pichler the coach. In addition, home - a specialist led the Swedish team. And first of all, he completely isolated the team in Ostersund from anyone else. When I jokingly asked Wolfgang whether it was true that during the championship he had turned the location of the Swedish team into prison, the German objected.
“I would not call prison the only five-star hotel in the entire district. Yes, there are certain restrictions that relate to unplanned communication with the press and activity in social networks, but this is normal. You have to be an idiot to get ready for this start for several years and to screw everything up because the energy has gone the wrong way ... ”, Pichler smiled.
Sweden won its gold medal at that championship - the Olympic champion Hannah Eberg became its owner, and in conclusion, the Swedish women still took the silver in the relay.
Although it’s better not to recall last year’s World Cup with respect to Loginov: starting second in the pursuit race, the athlete finished only 14th, making five misses. It is hoped that the shell will not fall twice in the same funnel.