"I didn't want anything but gold": Vyakhireva about defeat in the final of the Olympics, returning home and complaints of Norwegians

- You have returned home after a long absence.

What emotions does an athlete experience when he comes from major tournaments?

- Incredibly happy.

We may not be at home yet, but at least at home - in Moscow and in Russia.

This is an unreal feeling.

I had no idea how everything would be.

We were greeted so that goose bumps ran all the way to the center of the capital.

Thank you very much to the people who came and waited in this heat.

- Many athletes saw their families for the first time in a long time right on Red Square.

Who came to you?

- Parents, brothers and sisters and, of course, beloved husband.

- Can we say that now the emotions are still not the same as five years ago, after winning the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro?

- I didn’t want anything but gold.

It was not easy to survive the defeat at the hands of France.

But I am still proud of what we have achieved.

I am proud that, despite such a terrible start, we pulled ourselves together and reached the final.

This is a great achievement.

After a draw with Brazil and defeat from Sweden, we just got together with the girls with courage and realized: we have no turning back, there is nowhere to retreat and we need to squeeze out the gas to the fullest.

- The long-term mentor of the Russian national team Evgeny Trefilov at the Games in Tokyo no longer led the team, but was constantly present in the stands.

Could he afford to give you any directions?

- With someone from the team Trefilov was definitely in touch.

Evgeny Vasilyevich definitely did not communicate with me, except that they exchanged a couple of phrases.

At least I haven't seen him start the national team.

The only thing is that they read his harsh comments in the media.

But I'm not a fan of reading news during major tournaments.

- Now that emotions have subsided, do you understand why Russia lost in the final?

It seemed that finding an antidote against the reliable defense of rivals did not work out.

- Honestly, I haven't reviewed the decisive match with France yet, and I don't really want to.

In my opinion, the main reason for the defeat was that they were able to impose their own pace of play on us.

This is a rather viscous handball that we are simply not used to and which we do not like.

But our rivals imposed it on us, and we were unable to turn the tide of the fight and dictate our own conditions.

- But in the semifinals at the second Games in a row, we managed to beat Norway.

After the match, opponents even complained about the refereeing.

How did you react to this?

- It was a little unpleasant.

The behavior of the Norwegians is an elementary lack of respect for the opponent.

I think the Russian team won deservedly.

We did everything for this, and the rest is their business.

If you like to show dissatisfaction and make scandals - please.

- Can we say that the Russian national team has put Norway in its place again?

- On the one hand, we put them in place at two Olympic Games in a row.

On the other hand, I think that in Paris, if the meeting takes place, everyone will consider the Scandinavians as favorites.

There is nothing surprising here, because this is the most stable team that demonstrates good results at all major tournaments.

But, you see, they also have recessions, and that's okay.

And there they treat such things with understanding.

I hope that our misfire will be treated calmly in Russia.

We are not machines, but living people.

Everyone has bad days.

- How hard was it in general to live in Japan for almost a month with the most severe restrictions, when there is no way to even see the city?

- You need to understand: at the Olympics, you basically don't have enough time for anything and the days fly by very quickly.

Including failed to go to competitions in other sports.

You just don't have time to do anything, except for some medical procedures.

Fortunately, the third floor from the FMBA was equipped, where they helped us to recover.

Therefore, we mainly lived in the "room - dining room - gym" mode.

It remained only to entertain each other in the rooms, to bring bright colors to gray everyday life.

- After the end of the Olympic Games, you said that you want to take a break in your career.

What is the reason for this?

- First of all, with the need for rest.

I don’t know yet for how long it will last and in what status I will stay.

I just believe that such an opportunity will be provided to me.

- In Tokyo, sometimes it became frankly scary for you, your opponents fouled so hard.

How do you feel now?

- I was beaten a lot, but there were no serious injuries.

On the other hand, the sores with which I came to Tokyo have not yet completely gone.

Frankly, I had to endure a lot.

But it was worth it.

Now, I hope, it will be possible to heal everything thoroughly.

- Do you want to pause in your career, but admit that you will go to the third Olympic Games in Paris?

- When I saw the fans who met us, everything that was happening around and the emotions of people ... Incredibly kind, they had fun with us.

It was very gratifying.

To be honest, I thought that I want to go to France as well.