Big experiment: how the Russian women's biathlon team will prepare for the next season

New names

Throughout the Olympic biathlon season, conversations around the head coach of the Russian women's team, Mikhail Shashilov, did not subside.

Some of them sharply criticized him for the lack of high results among the girls, others, on the contrary, supported and paid attention to the fact that with the existing composition, the specialist won a medal at the Beijing Games - silver in the relay.

Four-time world champion Nikolai Kruglov, in particular, considers it absurd to demand prizes if there are no special prerequisites for this yet.

“Agree, it’s naive to expect from an athlete who, at best, a couple of times in the top 15 during the season, places on the podium at the main start.

Occasionally it's possible, but 99% of the time it's not.

The saddest thing is that with our unjustified expectations, we are simply psychologically killing biathletes.

Girls begin to lose confidence in themselves, in the preparation strategy, lose confidence in coaches and dig themselves deeper into a psychological hole, ”Kruglov explained in an interview with RT.

Positively evaluates the work of the mentor of the women's team and the current head of the Russian Biathlon Union Viktor Maigurov.

Therefore, the appearance of Shashilov's name in the coaching staff of the national team for the next season is quite logical.

True, as the head of one of the centralized training groups.

The second will be headed by 26-year-old specialist Artyom Istomin.

At the same time, the RBU has so far abolished the position of head coach, since international competitions are not expected in the near future, but the union did not take a more radical step - to abandon the national team.

According to Maigurov, the strongest should work together.

“I have my own experience when I trained alone.

I won’t say that this experience is sad or bad, but training among the strongest is much better, more correct.

At least periodically, such sparring should be mandatory, ”the specialist emphasized at a press conference.

The composition of the groups is still being approved by the Ministry of Sports - it is planned to be announced on May 11.

However, it is already known that Ulyana Nigmatullina and Evgenia Burtasova asked the RRF for permission to engage in an individual program.

Kristina Reztsova, who previously trained on her own, on the contrary, is likely to start the season with Istomin.

This is due to the fact that the specialist wants to invite Vitaly Noritsyn as an assistant, who last season coached the Muscovite remotely.

By the way, he is also quite young - only 38 years old, but already has experience in the Bulgarian national team.

As noted by two-time Olympic champion Olga Zaitseva, it is also necessary to invite new people to the national team, as they are able to bring fresh ideas to the team.

“If the SBR decided so, it means that Istomin is trusted, they believe in him.

Sometime you need to start and invite young specialists to the national team, you need to try.

I don't see any problems.

Artyom was an assistant, he has experience, he knows everything.

You don’t need to be afraid and intimidate, you have to try, ”the Championship quotes the words of the athlete.

The former head coach of the Russian biathlon team Anatoly Khovantsev, on the contrary, is afraid to trust the whole group to Istomin.

According to the expert, this is an unjustified risk on the part of the SBR.

“I don’t even know why they decided to choose Artyom as the coach of the women’s team.

When I invited him to work with the team, it was an experiment.

The women's team is, apparently, the next experiment with him.

It can be said that the SBI abruptly throws him into the storm.

Istomin's candidacy raises concerns.

There was an opinion that it was right to give Shashilov a group of girls whom he coached and try to pick up another coaching team.

It would be a more justified experiment on the part of the RRF,” Khovantsev said.

Experiment with skiers

It is worth waiting for surprises from Shashilov.

This season, in addition to Irina Kazakevich, former skier Natalya Mekryukova will definitely be training with him.

The girl switched to biathlon largely because of her husband Alexei Shevchenko, who works as an assistant coach in the national team.

However, the matter does not seem to be limited to one representative of another sport.

“The transition from skiing to biathlon is normal.

I'm thinking of creating such a group, perhaps in the future or now.

My opinion is that it is necessary to conduct such an experiment and find personnel among skiers.

The skis have a good bench, but we, unfortunately, have so far - that is.

All people will be covered, all people will be watched, ”Shashilov said in a comment to Match TV.

Supported the idea of ​​creating a group of athletes who switched to biathlon from cross-country skiing, and the former head coach of the Russian national team Alexander Kasperovich, now working in St. Petersburg.

The specialist noted that earlier there was a similar experience in the national team.

“This is both Ishmuratova and Pyleva.

Groups of strong skiers have already been created, which later showed excellent results.

Especially now in biathlon we are losing in speed.

And for other girls, such sparring with a skier will be useful.

There are many advantages in this, I really liked this idea, ”Kasperovich emphasized.

Despite a fairly democratic approach in the formation of the coaching staff, not everyone appreciated Maigurov's choice.

Two-time Olympic champion Dmitry Vasilyev considers the appointment of Shashilov and Istomin a big mistake.

“It's just a disaster.

I don't remember a worse coach than Shashilov.

There is simply no better coach.

They leave him and also give him help to a person who himself has never been a biathlete, has not prepared anyone and went to the national team.

I don't expect anything good from this.

I regard this as a tragedy of the Russian women's biathlon.

Istomin is just a scientist.

A scientific worker cannot be a trainer a priori, because he is a theorist, not a practitioner.

In my understanding, this is absolutely wrong, ”the expert believes.

At the same time, Andrei Padin will not be involved in the women's team.

As Maigurov explained, negotiations were also held with him, but the coach preferred to take a break and devote time to his family.

“Perhaps we will return to this issue.

If he is ready to work, then we can always apply his skills to one degree or another.

He also said that he is not waiting for proposals from other countries or teams, honestly answering that he is taking a break for now, ”the official added.

However, it is possible that after the election of the President of the RBU, which will take place at the end of June, the composition of the coaching staff will change.

So far, in addition to Maygurov, Aleksey Nuzhdov, who sees the system of team formation in a different way, is applying for the post of head of the organization.

“He should be brought together by the head coach, he should have an understanding of what goals and objectives he wants to achieve, and he should explain his choice.

I was the only one who opposed the proposed design, ”TASS quoted Nuzhdov as saying.

In the current structure, on the contrary, there is no head coach.

His role, by analogy with ski racing, will be taken over by Maygurov if he remains at the helm of the organization.

“A good example of this is our neighbors, where Elena Valerievna Vyalbe, being both the president and the head coach, effectively manages the teams.

My position is to absolutely not interfere in the work of coaches, to whom we have given authority and placed a certain responsibility.

But they still understand that the president, not the head coach, will still be responsible for the result of the work of the federation and athletes, ”the specialist explained.

As for the Russian men's biathlon team, everything is unchanged here.

The team will be prepared for the season by Yury Kaminsky and Sergey Bashkirov.