“Raise the general level of the team”: Korolkevich and Kabukov approved by the coaches of the women's and men's biathlon teams

The Board of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) has approved the new coaching staff of the Russian team for the 2020/21 season. Robert Kabukov was appointed as the head coach of the male team, and Vladimir Korolkevich as the female coach. Their assistants will be Maxim Maximov, Artyom Istomin, as well as Nikolai Zagursky. All candidates were sent for approval by the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation.

In addition, during the week, the vice president of the RBU Valery Polkhovsky will present an expanded list of athletes who will take part in pre-season training. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, April team-wide gatherings will not be held, so the coaching staff will assign an individual training plan to each athlete.

According to Polkhovsky, the new mentors are faced with a specific task, but there is no talk of medal prospects yet.

“Today we need to raise the overall level of the team. Yes, we have a leader - Alexander Loginov, who at the moment can fight for any medal at the most prestigious competitions, but then there are difficulties. Therefore, we and all athletes, including Alexander, will need to find ways to solve how to add to the skill and maximize the results as much as possible, ”Polkhovsky quoted TASS.

Vladimir Korolkevich, who replaced Vitaly Noritsyn, is well known to Russian fans. From 2013 to 2015, he worked in the coaching staff of the women's team, and from 2014 to 2015 he was the senior coach of the Russian team.

The track record of Robert Belozerov's successor, Robert Kabukov, is not so rich. Over the years, he worked with the national teams of Belarus and Ukraine. In Russia, from 2011 to 2012, he led the men's youth team.

Moreover, the specialist already has a general idea of ​​how his work should be based on a new position.

“About the first year of work, they can say that he will go to the formation of the team, but the Olympics will already show everything. It will be clear there whether we work further or not ... I have not given myself 10 or even five years. There is only the next year, and after preparation for the season some results should be mandatory. They, like beacons, will show what works and what doesn’t, ”RIA Novosti quotes Kabukova.

It is worth noting that the biathlete Alexei Volkov, who recently spoke at the World Cup stages, unexpectedly entered the new coaching staff. Together with Nikolai Knyazev and Dmitry Shukalovich, he will train reservists. The chairman of the coaching council of the RBU Yevgeny Redkin explained that the athlete decided to end his career.

“I recommended him to the coaching staff, in a conversation with Valery Polkhovsky said that he needed to take a closer look. He is very talented in terms of shooting, and if he was approved for the national team, this is only a plus, I’m sure that shooting training will grow, ”Redkin explained.

The fact that Kabukov and Korolkevich can enter the updated coaching staff was reported back in mid-April. Even then, many expressed dissatisfaction with the possible presence of specialists whose work in Russia can hardly be called successful. The president of the RBU, Vladimir Drachev, also opposed their invitation.

Now also the criticism of the decision of the board members of the organization has not been without criticism. So, two-time Olympic champion Sergei Chepikov admitted that he voted against their candidacies, but did not specify his position, and the ex-head of the RBU, Alexander Tikhonov, expressed bewilderment at the inaction of Drachev, who did not prevent their appointment.

Former coach of the Russian men's national team, Vladimir Alikin, also expressed doubt that new mentors will be able to improve the situation of the Russian biathlon.

“It seems that this is the decision of Valery Nikolaevich. He is recruiting a team for himself and is ready to answer for it. So let him answer. He got down to business, but with this coaching team it will be difficult for him to achieve any results, ”Alikin is sure.

But not everyone is so pessimistic. Two-time world champion Dmitry Yaroshenko noted that he was well acquainted with Korolkevich’s methods.

“I know Korolkevich. When we trained in the team of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, he helped us with practical training tips that we had not applied before. The specialist discovered something new for us, and it was interesting for us to cooperate with him. He has an interesting look at the OFP, not as traditional as ours, ”said Yaroshenko.

At the same time, Polkhovsky said that athletes who disagree with the decision of the RRF board will have the opportunity to train on their own.

“We will provide maximum conditions, selection criteria - join and work, but only at your own expense or at the expense of the territory, the sponsor. We will give every athlete the opportunity to prove himself. I do not think that there will be contradictions if we unite to achieve one goal - winning medals. And with those who are not with us, we are not on the way, ”said Polkhovsky.