The pandemic strongly crumpled one of the best trainers in Russia an anniversary and minimized communication with the press, which was mandatory in such cases. Although Pokrovskaya herself was not upset about this. She noted philosophically: “Jubilees are holidays for superiors. Call everyone, do not forget anyone. Duty phrases, officialdom. And for complete happiness, what do I need? Only the opportunity to work. ”

- You accepted the Russian team when you were not 50. Do you feel your age as the number increases? And if so, in what way is this manifested?

- Age ... No. I feel that my intuition and experience have become more. If earlier I ran along the side and waved my hands, now, as they say, I work more with my head. And I make athletes also work with their heads, develop abstract thinking. Of course, one cannot compare what health was before and what is now, but coaches have nothing to do with it. And in fact, there is a desire to work, or it is not. When I have no desire to work, when I feel that my brains are not able to produce products that would meet the requirements of the time, then, of course, I must leave. And I was never afraid of work. This is my life.

- At least something in your life during your self-isolation rethought?

- But what about! I discovered a lot of completely unexpected qualities. It turns out that I can plant trees, and it fascinates me. Tell me who used to be able to enjoy living in nature for two months, collecting branches in the forest, putting things in order around the house, and laughed. It turned out to be so cool!

- How now to push yourself into the previous working framework?

- I didn’t just return to work, but returned to the team to the coaches, who over the years of work have actually become my family for me. I see the faces of girls who are eager to work - this is also encouraging. Yes, they have gone astray, but no one is to blame for this.

- How much did your forebodings coincide with what you saw at the first training?

- Did not match. I immediately realized that I had to adjust work plans. Many of us used to leave for a year or two, then come back, and I always warned that they were ready for the loads, so that they would melt beforehand. Now the situation is completely different. Alla Shishkina was sitting for two months in a one-room apartment with a total area of ​​38 square meters, but here you are not particularly moving. Not even everyone had the basic ability to run. What really surprised me was that none of the girls broke up, did not lose their external conditions, although before many had come from vacation so tidy.

- Admit it, we were jealous of the gymnasts, artists, who all this time continued to train as usual in Novogorsk?

- They envied, of course. But they are at home, in a separate building, and we are just guests. We trained for three days, and we were asked from the base. It was a pity to leave, but there was no choice.

- Are you aware that one of the coaches of the swimming team after arrival at Krugloy at the request of Rospotrebnadzor was sent from the base for violation of the isolation regime?

- I heard about that. We once encountered Rospotrebnadzor at Krugly, when fencers massively got sick with some kind of intestinal infection. With difficulty, they won the right to stay at the base, but went to a different place for some time.

- Before the current race you were very scared of punitive measures?

“We are not very scared, because we are disciplined.” We sit in the dining room one at a time and cannot get used to it at all, that we have to eat alone. But we understand that if necessary, then it is necessary. They agree on everything, if only they would not expel us.

- The extra year that you have formed after the transfer of the Olympics is a gift, or a headache?

- In a sense, this has become a problem for us. I had already planned out in detail how to bring the group to the Games, so there was a stop, misunderstanding, even to some extent fear. The same Romashina returned to the pool after the birth of a child for the sake of the Games, as Sasha Patskevich and Alla Shishkina returned for a very specific time. Now all of them need to tighten all belts and straps for one more year and begin to prepare for the next season. It's not so easy. Therefore, before starting work, I talked with everyone. I asked to decide on the shore whether they could survive this year. All answered the same way: that they returned for the Olympics, and are not going to give up this chance. May God give you health and more strength now.

- I heard that while the whole world was sitting in isolation, not having the opportunity to go out, the Chinese athletes continued to train.

- Willingly I believe in it.

- How much advantage can you get thanks to this?

- Of course, there are pluses. More time to set up, to work out the same technical program, more opportunities to come up with something. The Chinese are so secretive that you never know what to expect from them. They are very tenacious, cunning, moreover, rely on our technology, and indeed use the achievements of the whole world. And traditionally they hide, are not shown anywhere.

At the Games in London, Tatyana Danchenko and I, too, until the last day were afraid that we would see Chinese women and it turned out that everything was bad with us, and they were fine. They were afraid, they were afraid, then all the same they secretly came to training, looked, exhaled, and calmly went on to prepare further. Now it seems that the Chinese have invited Ana Tarres, who, after leaving the Spanish national team, works on a free schedule.

- It is a sin to refuse the services of a specialist of a food grade level.

- Agree. Still, Ana has great authority, her girls were silver medalists of the Olympics. Before the Rio Games, she collaborated with the Ukrainian team, although in my opinion, they had very good compositions without a Spanish woman. Then she worked in Israel and strongly raised the team, made everyone work. After that, I know, she was strongly persuaded to go to China, but no one can really tell with whom and how she worked, with which of the specialists the locals worked in general. In terms of rivalry with this country, we seem to go with our eyes closed, by touch, but the main thing for us now is to seriously begin to train ourselves, to rise to the previous level. And then think about whether we are afraid of someone or not.

- Already have assumptions, what kind of start might be your first?

- We do not know anything about this. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) does not publish a competition schedule. Yes, and it’s too early to say that we are preparing for something specifically. You need to get into shape, return to your previous rut, and then dance further from this. Why run ahead of the engine to hide behind the skin of an unkilled bear? What for?

- You and Tarres have been implacable and equal rivals for many years. And the work of which of the young coaches attracts you with the seriousness of the approach today?

- For example, the Spanish Andrea Fuentes. She played for her country for many years, worked mainly in a duet, and now she headed the US team. I like the way she thinks, the views on the composition of the programs. Another question is that the American team is now selecting athletes and there is still a lot of work ahead. In Spain, work is also resuming, which slowed down a bit after the departure of Tarres. There, a Spanish-Japanese-born group, who previously worked under the direction of Ana, is engaged in the group. In general, experts in our sport so actively walk from one country to another that you won’t understand who trains where. Only we are sitting in our nest.

- About Russian girls they always and everywhere said they can do absolutely everything. Could you compare the current team with the one that was preparing for the Games in Sydney at the dawn of your career?

- I would say that if anyone could do anything, it was those girls. In Sydney, we had a terrific group, super-interesting, vibrant. It’s just that the time has not come for those ideas that are being used now, and a little technology was not enough. If you earn everything, the team would be no worse than the current one.

Although, you know, just the other day we recalled those times with Gana Maximova, and she said: they say, I watched the speeches, it even became funny - they worked so far from each other. Beautiful, but very slow. Can you imagine how far synchronized swimming has gone? Although it turns out that we are moving it. And we set the tone for everything: complexity, rhythm, flow speed.

- You have no other choice; you are leaders.

- It is clear that no. Although I can say that Ukraine itself has a lot to learn. Their high supports, for example. Interesting support is now in America and Italy. And perhaps the whole point is that I constantly look around, looking for what else I can learn. Even in a weak team, sometimes I find a highlight.

- At least once in such situations, you had to catch yourself thinking: “Why did they come up with this, and not us?”

“It always does.” When the Canadian Julie Sauve was alive, I remember looking at her compositions and thinking: “Well, how could I not think of myself, to make such a spectacular place out of such a trifle!” I always watch with pleasure how Ukrainian girls work on land, I am delighted with many foreign support - this is such a serious link that shows how not only trainers, but also acrobats work in a team. Our juniors work very well - they made a big technical leap.

- Coaches of your level usually live not for years, but in Olympic cycles.

- It turns out that life is really being built from the Olympics to the Olympics.

- And every time after winning gold medals, any coach inevitably asks himself the question: is he ready to harness himself to work for another four years? You are ready?

- I do not ask myself such questions. Fair.

“Just harness yourself to tighten your belts?”

- Well, what does it mean to harness? I have been working in this mode for many years. When new girls come to the team after the next Olympics, even if not as strong as those that were before them, I will regret a little, but I will not build any tragedies as to whether I can or cannot. Inwardly, I am ready for the fact that every athlete and every coach in our team is free even in the middle of the cycle for some reason to say: “That's it, I'm done.” Therefore, I have a philosophical attitude to many things, it's just my job. It's hard for me to talk about this: when the time comes, it will come. Now we have new tasks, the team is the same, we will overcome difficulties together.

- I would say that you have only one task for many years: to win.

- This is speaking globally. But in fact, much has changed: the season has moved, the Games have moved, in the preparation of the hole, and with all the desire not to call it a vacation, because the girls returned to the pool, who were not just relaxing, swimming in the sea, but sitting in small apartments, jerking legs. I have not had such work experience yet.

- You yourself at least did some physical education in isolation to maintain physical fitness?

“Sometimes she made herself jump to stretch her legs, at least, but physical training is too much for me.” I do not like this business, and I can’t force myself to study alone. I need someone to control me, to be in a group, to have classes go to the music ...

- What is the problem? You just need to ask your girls for help.

“I'm afraid they drive me in such a way that I can’t move either my foot or my arm.” But the idea is good. Imagine how happy everyone will be!