“First you need to defeat the epidemic, and then think about sports”: how Russia reacted to the postponement of the Olympics to 2021

“There is an upset, we prepared so much, we worked”

The postponement of the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year caused an emotional reaction from existing athletes. Many noted that this decision did not please them, although they agreed that the IOC had no other choice. For example, such a point of view was expressed by the athlete Sergey Shubenkov, who in Japan could well compete for the gold medal.

“Of course, I did not want the Olympic Games to be rescheduled. But, apparently, this is the right decision. Will be working. There is still a season ahead, there is something to prepare for. Tasks are set, nobody canceled them. The most unpleasant thing about all this is that I will age a year. But still I plan to play and fight, ”Shubenkova quotes the“ Championship ”.

Agreed with him, two-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Roman Vlasov. He emphasized that the transfer of the Games became known just ten days before the start of the tournament for Olympic licenses.

“There is an upset, we prepared so much and worked. I was in the mood to take a license and calmly go to the Games. But, given the circumstances, nothing depends on us. But this time can be spent with benefit. Now the task is to react normally, not to become discouraged, no one will take this Olympics from us. It is necessary to prepare for a new selection within the country, a new regulation. The wife of Violetta Kolobova (fencer. - RT ) has already arrived at the Olympics, she is more upset than me, ”Sport-Express quotes Vlasova.

The problem of qualification for the Olympics was also voiced by the famous pentathlete, champion of the 2016 Olympic Games Alexander Lesun.

“This is probably the most optimal solution, the question is how the qualifying tournaments will be held. And this applies to all sports. In any case, the transfer of the Olympics is not very pleasant for athletes, ”R-Sport quotes the athlete.

But the prize-winner of the Olympic Games and the world champion in cycling on the track Denis Dmitriev, on the contrary, emphasized that he was even happy with the decision of the IOC, because this season did not work out for him.

“I did not expect the transfer and was sure that the rumors would not be confirmed. But the games suffered - this is not a dream. Speaking specifically about myself, I’m even a little happy. The season turned out to be “mowing,” and now you can get ready for the next. The main thing is that at least minimal support from our sponsor and the Ministry of Sports remains. If all this is valid, we are ready to win medals. But here the question is whether all quotas will remain in force, so far nothing is clear, ”said Dmitriev.

In this situation, the former Olympic champion Elena Isinbaeva tried to reassure and encourage. She stated that the decision to transfer was made primarily in the interests of the participants themselves.

“I know exactly what you are feeling and how you are experiencing this news. To wait another year before speaking at the Olympics seems endlessly long and even painful, but let's try to extract positive points from this difficult situation. Firstly, there was clarity. Secondly, you and your trainers have time to review your training and work out a new training plan. And thirdly, the Games will definitely be there, no one has canceled them, a matter of time. It is important to understand that athletes all over the world today are on an equal footing, equally difficult and no one has any advantages over anyone, ”Isinbayeva wrote on Instagram.

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Posted by Yelena Isinbaeva (@isinbaevayelena) Mar 24, 2020 at 7:40 am PDT

She was supported by the Olympic champion in fencing, Sophia the Great, who recalled that the Olympics was always considered a holiday of sports.

“We all wanted her to remain this holiday. In this situation, this is impossible, and there can’t even be any talk of the tragedy of a missed result or the collapse of hope. It is about the life of people, ”the Great said.

“I understood and knew for a long time that the Olympics will be postponed”

Coaches also hold different points of view regarding what happened, but for the most part they are sympathetic to the IOC verdict. For example, the mentor of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team Irina Viner-Usmanova called him “100 percent correct.”

“In the world now there are, to put it mildly,“ miracles ”with all the ensuing consequences: illness and death. For a long time I understood and knew that the Olympics would be postponed, so for me the incident did not become news. Of course, there were no qualifiers, how can the Games go? ” - said Wiener-Usmanova.

She also called another plus for Russian athletes from transferring games. According to her, after a year, sanctions against domestic athletes can be reviewed.

“I think that we have not yet decided everything on this issue. This moment can affect in the opposite direction, so Russian athletes will be able to compete under their own flag. We cannot say anything about this yet. In any case, the rhythmic gymnastics team will perform. I think it’s under the Russian flag, ”added Wiener-Usmanova.

Yevgeny Trefilov, the former head coach of the Russian women's handball team, agreed with her.

“I hope that in a year we will somehow settle issues with doping and will be able to appear under our flag. This is a normal decision for Russia, I don’t know for the sports community, ”RBC quotes Trefilova.

But the coach of the Russian men's national basketball team, Sergei Bazarevich, admitted that he was upset when he learned about the IOC decree, but at the same time noted that the world was not up to the Olympics at the moment.

“It’s a pity, actually ... I won’t say that I was tuned to the transfer, but I was ready for any scenarios. Recent years have brought us so much that we can only adapt. Perhaps now, in the face of uncertainty, this is really the best solution. I don’t even know, there is so much conflicting information about everything. The world needs to first defeat the epidemic, and then think about sports, ”said Bazarevich.

And the general manager of the national national volleyball team Sergey Tetyukhin emphasized that in the current realities it was simply impossible to hold the Olympics without risking the health of athletes and fans.

“The main goal is to keep participants healthy and not exposed to the threat of infection. I perfectly understand the IOC and the NOC of different countries that worry about their athletes. That's the right decision. Such a major event cannot be held with restrictions. The Olympics should be held as positive as possible. Athletes and fans should not think about an infection that may lie in wait for them, ”Tetyukhin said.

The head coach of the modern pentathlon team Andrei Moiseev noted that the transfer of the Olympics will benefit the athletes themselves.

“In connection with the current situation, this decision seems correct and obvious to me. Athletes do not essentially train, but sit at home. We can’t show really good results at the Olympics without training. Now a dangerous story is happening, which is unclear how it will end, ”said Moses.

But in the most difficult situation were athletes who, after the Olympics, were going to end their careers. Now they will have to wait for the competition for another year, or even more. For example, this problem touched the well-known synchronist Svetlana Romashin, for whom the Games in Tokyo were to become the fourth.

“Only she can say for sure what she is thinking and feeling. It seems to me, first of all, a bummer. After all, we were sure that in five months we would perform and be able to exhale. And now she will have to plow incredibly for another whole year. Ten hours a day. Therefore, I don’t think she will be happy, ”Tatyana Danchenko, the athlete’s trainer, explained.

She admitted that she was worried about age-related athletes and the head coach of the diving team Svetlana Moiseeva.

“I hope they have the strength and courage to stay in the elite. While there is confusion in my head, but now we at least roughly understand what to expect. We look forward to hearing from FINA which tournament we will qualify for. So far, everything is looming so that there are stages of the World Series, the European Championships in the fall, then some transitional period, and then how FINA decides with the World Championships in Fukuoka, with qualifications and everything else, ”said Moiseeva.