The participant of the Olympics Daria Kachanova was also supposed to go to the World Sprint Multipheus Championship in early March, along with other athletes. However, the sanctions imposed on Russian athletes made participation in the tournament impossible.

Sport is not a closed party! Skate about removal from the World Cup

In February, we followed the performance Nizhny Novgorod Daria Kachanova At the Olympic Games. In Beijing, a 24-year-old athlete failed to get to the medals.

But there was another most important start of the season ahead – the world championship in the sprint all -around, to which Daria and our other athletes were supposed to go in early March. However, the sanctions imposed on Russian athletes made participation in the tournament impossible.

Now Daria is preparing for the Russian championship in Irkutsk, where the season will end at the end of March.

Do not surprise us with anything

Alexey Rokotov, AiF-NN:-Daria, you play for the main composition of the Russian national team for four seasons. How many times during this time were they convinced that sport is politics?

Daria Kachanova: – For the past four years I am convinced (smiling). The ban on the use of the Russian flag and anthem at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang … difficulties with entering a series of countries where the Russian vaccine from Covid has not been approved … Since 2018, we have been observing the chain of events that show: world sport is part of the political games.

– The decision to remove Russian athletes from international starts for many has become a shock. Surprised that the International Skating Union (ISU) joined sanctions?

– We do not surprise us. After a series of sanctions, which then followed, to expect from world sports organizations it was possible to do anything. It immediately became very exciting. I understood that Russian athletes do not want to see anywhere.

– None of the foreign skaters officially spoke about the removal of Russians. Personally, did one of the foreign colleagues say anything about this?

– In other teams, I do not communicate with anyone. Therefore, I did not have any correspondence with our rivals.

In social networks, I saw a lot of comments on foreign fans about our detachment, and the statements there are very different. Someone writes: So you need. Someone, on the contrary, tries to support.

– At the Beijing Olympics, you lived side by side with foreigners for two weeks. The indifference of colleagues, who did not say a word of support now, is upset?

– In speed skating, starts are calm. I do not remember cases when we or our rivals rushed into each other with some accusations, etc. Therefore, no high -profile statements from skaters from other countries should not be expected.

I understand why none of the foreigners speaks about our removal.It's not their problem that we can't go to international competitions. I think most opponents just don't care.

“Not allowed to the World Cup is a hard blow”

– Did you consider the World Championship in sprint all-around as a revenge for not the most successful performance at the Olympics?

– There was no mood that it was necessary to recoup. Psychologically speaking at the World Championships immediately after the Olympics would be very difficult. After all, we have been going to the Games for four long years, and finding the right emotions for another big start is not an easy task.

But the exclusion from the World Championships in Hamar is an even more severe emotional blow. I tuned in to this start as the second most important of the season …

In recent weeks, however, I have managed to switch. I went home to Nizhny Novgorod, rested a little. Then she left to train in Kolomna. And now in Irkutsk, I'm getting ready for the Russian Championship – the final start of this season.

– Has the maximum task been set for the national championship?

– Yes, I'm going to set a skating rink record! If I do this, then I will have a gold medal (smiles).

There is a way out – to hold alternative starts, which in their importance will not be inferior to the championship or the World Cup.

– Due to all sorts of bans from the IOC, WADA, and so on, Russian sports have been storming for the past six years. Is there a risk that the patience of our athletes is about to burst, and we will see a massive withdrawal from the sport?

– Now there is a feeling that the winter season 2022/23 may simply not be. What will happen to summer sports is also unclear. But if a person feels that he has not realized himself, he will look for different options for how to continue his career.

What can our state do in such a situation?

– There is a way out – to hold alternative starts, which in their importance will not be inferior to the championship or the World Cup.

Of course, organizing such a tournament is very difficult. But a couple of years ago we saw how the Russian-Chinese Games project was being implemented. Moreover, Belarusian athletes are now under sanctions. I think it is possible to find people willing to take part in the tournament in Russia in other countries.

Sports should not turn into a closed party where only those who please are allowed!

Need homemade ice

– Now the question is being discussed that the funds previously allocated for the trips of our athletes abroad can be redirected to solving internal problems. Do you believe that the money will be transferred to the construction, for example, of a new ice skating stadium in Nizhny Novgorod?

– I don't see how it can be done. Who will undertake the construction of large sports facilities at the moment ?! I can't even begin renovations at home! I specifically waited for the end of the season to start. And now I understand that I will not pull.

– In addition to the skating rink, does the Nizhny Novgorod speed skating sport have any more problems?

– The skating rink is a key issue. A skater without ice is like a swimmer without water.In Nizhny with the ridge stadium, problems exist a long time ago. You just can't train normally on such ice.

By the way, a year ago we were promised that refrigeration units will be repaired at the labor stadium, this should improve the quality of ice. In March 2021, there was a meeting of several Nizhny Novgorod athletes (except for Daria Kachanova, the meeting, in particular, was attended by future participants in the Olympic Games-2022 Sergey Trofimov and Artyom Maltsev.-Ed.) With representatives of the regional government. We were then told that it would not be possible to completely rebuild the “labor” to the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod, but the issue will be resolved with refrigerators. But nothing has changed …

– And our city definitely needs a new huge stadium such as “labor”?

– It’s just that such a large -scale object is not necessary. And I spoke about this at that meeting with the regional authorities. She asked: “Why can’t you build a“ tin can ” – a roof, walls and a rink so that we can train in our city?”

They answered me that there is a project for the construction of the skating stadium by 2030. In fact, 2030 is not around the corner. But did someone see the approved construction plan? And who will now give guarantees for at least a year in advance?