"The main hopes are connected with the relay races": Lopukhov about the chances of the Russian national team at the World Cup, Loginov's problems and Garanichev's challenge

"Loginov -" micro Be "or" micro Fourcade "

- Is the composition of the Russian biathlon team for the World Championship optimal?

- There can be no questions about this.

In principle, all experts are in solidarity on this issue.

In my opinion, those people who deserved it went to Pokljuka.

The coaching staff made an objective choice.

I don't see who could replace the main biathletes in the roster.

- Many have criticized the coaching staff for challenging Evgeny Garanichev, who did not perform well at the European Championship ...

- I would not be so categorical.

I remember very well the 2013/14 season, when I worked with the Russian men's team.

At that time, Garanichev did not do much, in winter he was not in the best condition, but at the home Olympic Games in Sochi he won bronze in the "individual".

He tends to accumulate negative, and then shoot at major tournaments.

The youth are not yet ready to take part in the World Cup, although Karim Khalili was taken to Pokljuka.

- Was it even worth taking Garanichev and Larisa Kuklina to the continental championship?

- We talk a lot about individual biathletes, but this is not really the question.

It is necessary to raise the general level of the athletes' skill.

Look, men today have no reserve at all.

The girls' situation is a little better, they have to "grind diamonds" there.

Previously, our guys created competition for the Norwegians at the IBU Cup, but now the level has dropped.

- But

Daniil Serokhvostov and Anastasia Shevchenko show themselves

at the European Championship and the

IBU

Cup

this season.

They were not included in the main team.

The coaching staff said that they should be "taken care of".

Why aren't they afraid to trust young people in other countries?

- There is too much competition in Russia.

In other leading national teams, as a rule, several people stand out.

Another thing is that our biathletes are mostly average, we cannot bring up outstanding ones.

The whole system is to blame for this: managers, coaches and the biathletes themselves.

Performers of extra class do not grow with us.

And the same Serokhvostov and Shevchenko do not deserve a place in the national team right now.

They still have a lot of work to do.

Look, for example, in what masters the Norwegians grew up in the current season Sturla Holm Legrade and Johannes Dale.

They made candy out of nothing.

The system of training biathletes works there as well as the system of training figure skaters in Russia.

And the level of their skills can be raised, first of all, by the athletes themselves.

They should sit down and wonder why this is happening.

- In what form will Alexander Loginov appear at the World Cup, we can only guess?

- Let's hope he succeeds.

What cannot be taken away from Sasha - he always knew how to lead himself to major tournaments.

Self-study?

In fact, I don't think it matters much.

First of all, there must be a system.

You can train alone and do it well, or you can work poorly in a team.

It all depends on the athlete's desire to improve.

But again, I repeat, if we train the youth correctly, we will not have to rely on Loginov alone, since several biathletes of his level will appear.

There is no such thing yet.

Sasha is a big personality, but he can be called "micro Bo" or "micro Fourcade".

- Is he able to fight for medals in personal World Cup races?

- We can only dream.

In the current season, Alexander seemed to have some difficulties, but at the KM stage in Anterselva, he took gold in the "individual".

However, this is his only medal in a personal race.

Unfortunately, so far Sasha's level is not as high as that of the same Norwegians.

Loginov is able to give a separate strong start, but cannot be enchanting all the time.

On the other hand, I am reminded of the example of Dmitry Malyshko, who came to the KM stage in Oberhof in 2013 and won three gold medals there.

Everything is possible.

So our four women's relay race took and won in Anterselva, although no one thought or wondered.

- But one medal of the Russian national team in the individual race in the current season of the Planet Cup hardly inspires optimism ...

- Sure.

Let's hope someone manages to shoot unexpectedly.

This happens periodically at the World Cup, the same Czechs can be cited as an example.

But no one will give guarantees.

In any case, you need to tune in to the positive.

Negativeness even before the start of the World Cup will definitely not benefit the guys.

The athlete should always dream.

There is still hope that Loginov and, probably, Svetlana Mironova will compete for medals in personal races.

"Russia has two excellent relay teams"

- Do you have the feeling that everything is going according to plan, and the results of domestic biathletes are systematically improving?

- I hope so.

The team has worked on the positive training camp ahead of the tournament.

After all, they specially arrived in Pokljuka in advance at the same height at which the World Cup will be held.

In fact, the final touch was applied.

From now on, much will depend on psychology.

Some gather before major tournaments, while others, on the contrary, burn out and start to worry.

I will classify Anton Shipulin in the first category.

He might not feel well, but he performed well.

To the second - Malyshko, who 10-15 days before the start felt like a plus, and then fell apart.

Fortunately, Loginov also knows how to get together for the main competitions.

- Was it possible to significantly improve the functional state in three weeks of collection in the mountains?

- Theoretically anything is possible, but practically anything can happen.

After all, we must not forget: we are preparing for the championship of the planet, not only we, but also our rivals, and they, for sure, will approach the tournament fully armed, super-motivated.

But again, I will note the decision of the coaching staff of the Russian national team to go to the mountains in advance.

- Will it help to avoid acclimatization during the tournament?

- It is no coincidence that most of the teams also climbed the mountains: Anterselva, Obertilliach and other cities.

All went to the same height where the championship of the planet will take place.

There was a mid-mountain training.

It also inspires optimism that our guys have not yet demonstrated their maximum.

Last season, they fought for medals in the first stages of the WC, and at the World Cup, Loginov took the rap for everyone.

- Is the Russian national team able to take medals in all three relay races?

- We can only say that potentially both female and male fours should be in the prizes.

Naturally, the team cannot but count on this.

The performance at the KM stage in Anterselva set in a positive mood.

But at the World Cup itself, everything will be unpredictable.

Little things affect the result.

Someone may simply not shoot on the day of the start, or they will make a mistake with preparing the skis.

- Due to what did the domestic team manage to improve so much in the relay races?

- In other countries, there are often simply no four strong men or women.

This even applies to Norwegians.

They have Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, Tiril Eckhoff and Martha Olsbu-Roiseland, and a fourth really high-level biathlete is missing.

As a result, in the current KM season, they only got into the top three once.

In Russia, there are two excellent teams that compete for medals in every race.

The main thing is that everyone in Pokljuka works not even for the "five", but for the "seven".

Unfortunately, it remains to be stated that our main hopes for the World Cup are connected precisely with the relay races.

- Eduard Latypov perfectly closed the “finisher” position for men.

But why doesn't he shine at all in personal races yet?

- Until he is corny, he is not ready psychologically.

In fact, he only added this season.

Edward looked worse in the past.

Now he got a taste.

Let's hope that in Pokljuka he will compete for getting into the top 10, or even the “flowers”.

I will say more, I expect a breakthrough from Latypov in the near future.

- Matvey Eliseev, who was previously considered the second number of the men's team after Loginov, is spending a not too successful season.

In his case, could it be related to self-preparation?

- Again, this is not the point.

As far as I know, even in the Russian national team, the coaches do not have a unified organizational and methodological system for training, technique, strength work as in Norway.

Everyone has different views.

The senior coach of the men's team, Yuri Kaminsky, actually spoke about this.

- Svetlana Mironova, who fought for medals at the WC stages last season, also slowed down, but this one does not demonstrate those speeds ...

- In her case, things are not so bad.

She is already next to the strongest biathletes.

Do not forget that before the start of the season, she contracted the coronavirus.

Therefore, Mironova has not yet fully revealed herself.

But she's already done a good job of shooting.

Svetlana performs very stable.

She and her stage in the relay races now passes competently, does not rush anywhere and calmly works on the firing lines.

Let's hope that he will add more to the World Cup.

- That is, accurate shooting should come to the fore in Pokljuka?

- Don't forget that biathlon is a combination of shooting and running.

There is no one without the other.

It is necessary to achieve harmony between these two components.