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| On Sunday, December, 15, the 15km mass-start race ended the mens WC programme in Ostersund, Sweden. The 32-year old Sergei Rozhkov was the second followed by the 24-year old Russian team novice Ivan Tcherezov. The oe only one they yielded to was the French WC holder Raphael Poiree. Remembering that the WC1 in Beitostolen was two times medal-giving to the 23-year old Nikolai Krouglov, we can say that even at the beginning of the season our mens team has become a very promising alloy of youth and experience for the coming Olympic victories. |
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Alexander Tikhonov: We are waiting for Pavel Rostovtsev to start at WC in January |
| Alexander Tikhonov, the Russian Biathlon Union President and 4 times Olympic Champion, speaks about the Russian mens team: |
| - Did you expect such an outstanding result from Tcherezov and Krouglov? |
| - Krouglov has been in biathlon for 5 years already. It was his father, the two times Olympic champion Nikolai Krouglov, who brought him to me once. He only came for a piece of advice: whether to keep his son in cross country skiing or not. And I suggested he should continue the biathlon dynasty. I helped Krouglov Jr. to get the visa and took him to Austria with me. I had no choice as formally Nikolai didnt belong to the team. It was last season when he first made us all pay serious attention to him, and this season he was twice the second at WC stages. And his progress seems to be quite natural. |
| Tcherezov was a member of the junior team, but he had serious health problems. Sometimes we had to fetch him unconscious from the track. Finally I said that we had either to cure him or to make his parents sigh a paper that we were not responsible for his health. So we found the reason for his illness. His 4th place in the individual race and the mass-start result became a great surprise. These guys together with Filipp Shulman and Maxim Tchudov are able not only help the team at the Olympics in Torino, but also become the team leaders for the next 4 years. |
| - And what can you say about the team veterans? |
| - We are not used to paying attention to the age if an athlete shows good results. I think that we made a mistake when we obliged our veterans to leave the team pretending to rejuvenate it. Athletes like Rozhkov, Tchepikov are necessary. Our approach to these athletes must be different. The very Tchepikov has always been a fine example of discipline and hardworkingness. Im sure hell take his result. |
| Im very glad that Pavel Rostovtsev has recovered after his trauma. The other days he won two EC races and will take part in the relay during the January WC stage in Oberhof. A lot of our athletes take part in the EC starts and some of them are quite a success and it allows us to take more athletes to the pre-Olympic stage in the Italian Cesana at the beginning of February. We suppose Maxim Tchudov to start at the Ruhpolding WC stage. In other words, even now the team seems to be a not bad one, you know. |
| - Will it be the first time to explore the Olympic track? |
| - Last spring I came to Italy to have a look at it, made a video record. The only problem I see here is connected with the lack of comfortable hotels situated close to the stadium. |
| - And what do you think of the track, the distance itself? |
| - Nothing special. The areas close to the shooting range are quite difficult, but its normal. Everyone will be in equal positions. |
Sergei Rozhkov: My winning tactics is a top secret
| The Russian team leader Sergei Rozhkov seems to be in the best season of his career, the Sunday race made him the 4th in the Total score. |
| - Congratulations from Sport-Express. Are you content? |
| - Thank you. It was really good, exciting. Poiree outstrippeb Vania Tcherezov and me only at the last shooting. Its a pity, but its sport. |
| - You seem to be in better shape than ever in your career. Do you have any explanation? |
| - Its really so, Ive improved my performances lately. I must have change my preparation system in time. |
| - and whats the basis if this winning tactics? |
| - Its a top secret! Well, lets not put the evil eye. The season has only begun and we cant speak about the final standings yet. Frankly speaking I even dont pay attention to my Total score and please dont tell me about it, its easier to prepare for the races. Theres no tension, no pressure of responsibility. |
| - Well, you dont want to speak about the training system, but its known that you changed your coach. It must be one of the keys to the success. Who is your new coach? |
| -Its true, now Victor Alferiev, a good friend of mine, helps me with my skiing preparation. |
| - What are your plans for this year? |
| - Ill consider this season to be a successful one if I manage to win any medal in World Championship individual races. |
| - Lets speak about changes in your life. Youve recently moved from Murmansk to Moscow. What was the reason? |
| -The answer is very simple. Before the Torino Olympic Games the Moscow region sport administration asked me to represent this region. Local authorities of the town of Reutov gave me an apartment and provided with conditions necessary for training. Still I havent moved definitely, Im planning to do it by spring. |
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Lina Kholina, Rovshan Askerov |
Ivan TCHEREZOV:
I could only dream of standing at the pedestal near Poiree before
| The Sunday bronze was the first WC medal for Ivan Tcherezov. |
| - Congratulations with the first pedestal in your career. And the first question: Who are you, the unexpected Ostersund hero? Biathlon fans know very little: born in November 1980, were the medal winner of Junior WCh&EChs the last year University Games Champion |
| - Tanks for the congratulations, but it was not the first victory after the Junior starts. I won the National Championship sprint las year. And my biography is quite simple: I was born in Izhevsk, have been in biathlon since I was 9 years old. My first coach was Victor Tchurin, and we continue working together. Other achievements lie ahead, I hope. |
| - What do you think of the race that brought you the first WC prize? |
| -Frankly speaking, at the start I didnt have any special aims. The only goal was to run and to shoot as well as I can do it. There was no psychological pressure, no fear for the great rivals. And during the race itself I understood I was doing it well and realized that was getting pleasure of competing with the best biathletes of the world. It was an euphoric feeling. |
| -There was no anxiety at all? |
| -Absolutely. There was a certain fear before the first WC stage in my life. But later I got used to it and got rid of all worries. In Ostersund mass-start the only thought was how to go ahead starting from the third row. And here I should say my great thanks to our service team, cause I almost flew at the track. And after shooting clear at the first range I even became the leader. |
| - We know that both Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Raphael Poiree are among your sport idols. The Norwegian missed the stage because of participation in cross country WC stage in Ramsau (where he finished with the 7th result) and the French outstripped you here. What is the feeling of competing with an idol up to the last shooting? |
| - Its absolutely normal. Moreover, this race made me confident of my future possibility to fight Poiree without any fear. Theres still a sort of magi of his name, but hes a human, so he can also be defeated. |
| - Then tell us, please, what you didnt have and needed to defeat him at this stage? |
| - I still make many mistakes. But I need some time to correct them all. Shooting used to fail me earlier, but this season I managed to prepare it far better and the most important thing is to get rid of non-confidence before the important races. I used to do everything perfectly at the trainings and make a lot of errors during the races. |
| - In Holmenkollen you were the leader for a long time, but fell right before the finish which prevented you from rising to the pedestal. Valeri Polkhovski, the chief coach was very disappointed then, saying that but for that episode you could try to achieve the first place. What happened? |
| - It was really a very unpleasant episode, but it was all my fault. I hurried a lot, believed in success and forgot about that hillock. It was my punishment. Well, lets hope, my shining hour will come. |
| - Can you describe the feeling you had at rising to the first WC pedestal? |
| - I dont think, Im able to. Simply very glad. And I even cant compare it, its a new feeling for me. And the very first feeling I had when I learnt that I was the third was a great surprise. I couldnt believe that it was me, Vania Tcherezov, who was to come up to the pedestal and receive the medal and that Raphael Poiree will stand side by side. It seemed a dream, something fantastic! |
| - Who was the first to congratulate you? |
| -My friends. As soon as I turned on my cell phone, it was overflooded with SMS. |
| - How does a novice feel in a company of our great biathletes, members of the team? |
| - I wouldnt call myself a novice. Last year I already started in the team. But after a failure at the WC2 was sent to the EC. So, I had chances to get acquainted with our team. And at the beginning of this season the coaches invited me to the WC again. I hope to fulfill their expectations. |
| - Who is your best friend among the teammates, with whom do you usually share the hotel room at the WC? |
| - I think, Sergei Bashkirov. He helped me a lot when I had psychological problems, a sort of non-confidence. He supported me and convinced that I couldnt give in. |
| - By the way, about psychological firmness. You are now at the 16th position in the WC Total score. Such a result is an unexpected on although it is pleasant. Dont you feel any sort of discomfort being always obliged to prove your right to be among the world biathlon elite. |
| - Are you afraid of a psychological break off? I dont think so. Im not obsessed with it and have no superambicious aim for this season. I only dreamt of strengthening my position in the basic team before the New Year. I seem to have done it. |
| - Its thought that biathlon is a difficult sport for the novices.Those who come from the Junior championships need 3 or 4 seasons to run and shoot in to achieve any serious results. You seem to have skipped that difficult period. |
| - Oh, no, its not really so. Last season I couldnt do anything in the WC. At the same time Nikolai Krouglov and Filipp Shulman that are of the same age that I, managed to stay in the national team. They are great athletes and this year the must show great results as theve been keeping experience for a lon time. |
| -What was the most difficult thing during this first half of your WC season in the national team? |
| - I think, being apart from my family. But its not only for me, its difficult for everyone, even for the veterans. Now we take a bus to Oslo, then a ferry to Copenhagen and only then a plane to Moscow. Its the most difficult distance. We are really very tired. |
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Rovshan Askerov, Lina Kholina |
Translated by Wilhelmina.
