The guest of the show “In Two Words” was the President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation Elena Vyalbe. In an interview, the three-time Olympic champion said that Alexander Bolshunov would not want to go to the Olympics with a “white rag”, advised Elena Isinbaeva to shut her mouth, called Sergei Lavrov “a very cool guy”, also told how she gave a State Duma deputy a drink of vodka and how Estonians will run to Russia , if they are attacked.
— Elena Valerievna, before an interview with you I was always incredibly scared. All because of the image of a very strict and harsh person. Does this help with your work?
— I don’t consider myself serious and strict at all. It seems to me that this is being exaggerated. We have known each other for many, many years, and it seems to me that you know: in moments when you need to be strict, I am so. But in general I am very kind. Sometimes even too kind. But, thank God, I’m still not being manipulated out of kindness. It’s bad if they take advantage of it.
— Do they often try to manipulate kindness?
— Now, probably not anymore. When I was young, yes, I was a fairly open person, many took advantage of this. But with age you gain experience.
— And when you were young, —what was it? Did they take the money and not give it back?
— Actually, this is such bullshit! Money, as my grandparents used to say, is manure: today it’s gone, but tomorrow it’s a load.
— Now you have filtered your surroundings, it turns out?
— Thank you God, this husk gradually disappears on its own, only loyal people remain. In which you believe. And when you are young, you often open your soul to a person, and then it turns out that he is a complete “g”. I already feel and see more people. And I don’t let it into my soul like that.
— Recently, Artem Dzyuba threatened a journalist with putting his phone in one place. Have you ever had similar scandals with media representatives?
I don’t remember anything like this at all. Maybe I just wasn’t asked such bad questions? To be honest, I missed this moment. I read about football players from time to time, but I missed this moment. Maybe they already got the man? But I don’t remember being so rude to journalists.
— Outside the mixed zone, modern journalists run after speakers with a camera and ask provocative questions. Have you encountered this?
— Of course. But, I repeat, I haven’t grown up to that yet. Or maybe the journalists didn’t bother me enough to answer like that. These are already some offensive words addressed to a person. It would be better if he just sent him.
— How do you generally feel about Dziuba’s figure?
— Over the past four years, many incidents have happened to him. In many ways he himself is to blame. Due to the fact that there is too much of this terrible Internet web now, people can immediately forget that just recently he was our best football player. Many almost prayed to God for him. I really liked him as an athlete. I don’t like it when, because of some oversight or stupidity, a person is trampled into the dirt. Everyone must, of course, look after themselves, but people should not stoop to such baseness. Excite the topic even more. It's psychologically difficult. As great an athlete as he is, he is also a human being. I don’t think it’s pleasant when the whole country is discussing such nonsense. And as an athlete, he is one of the best. After Akinfeev, of course!
— Dziuba and Slutsky are filming a show where they simulate the environment of a locker room. Both sit and swear. If, say, Bolshunov and Borodavko organized such a show, how would you feel about it?
— Firstly, Alexander doesn’t swear. And he has a very negative attitude towards this. This show definitely wouldn't have worked with him. We have guys and girls on the team who can, but this is not Sasha. Yuri Viktorovich and I can swear and do so periodically. And Sasha not only does not swear, but also has a very negative attitude towards it.
— They gave an unsuccessful example.
— Why is it unsuccessful? Vice versa. Even I, in the presence of Alexander, after some time realized that there was no need to use such words.
— Sasha even influenced you, it turns out?
— It’s great when a coach learns from athletes in such situations.
— Such shows are shocking and PR, even in such ways. Is it still possible in sports now without him?
— In these ways — no, it's all bullshit. If Dzyuba scores 15 goals during the championship, he will have much more fans than after this show. Moreover, he has children. Why is this even necessary? There is no need to sink to the bottom, this is already the bottom.
“Stepanova is not a fool”— In recent years, within your national team, you have encountered more than once the desire of both athletes and headquarters representatives to promote themselves on social networks and write blogs. Have you come to terms with this yet? You tried to stop it somehow at first?
— No, I didn’t try. This is impossible because the world is like this now. But there is a time when there should be no time to do this. At certain moments we must abstract ourselves from social networks and TV. God forbid I answer someone in the comments and, instead of sleeping peacefully, turn it all over in my head. Everyone has social networks, yes. I can't say that I like everything. But I don’t want to be like a parrot: “I said no, I said no.” I’ll say it three times, and if a person doesn’t understand, then let him prove it later.
—Are you a vindictive person? If you said no three times, but the person didn’t understand, remember this for a long time?
— Forever. I'm not vindictive. I just have a good memory. I'm not evil, but I'm not very kind either; you don't need to be a kind person in your work. It will get in the way. But since I work with adults, I believe that they should listen to the leader. Moreover, I don’t wish harm on anyone, on the contrary.
— Veronica Stepanova is often at the center of such discussions. Was this topic dismissed?
— Of course, I don’t pay attention to it anymore. Of course, I understand that she doesn’t write all of this. They are helping her. Nevertheless, she spends a lot of time there. And basically only about her in this regard we are talking about.
— There were moments when, after reading, you said: “Well done, what smart thoughts!”
— I haven’t read for a very long time. A long time ago. If I didn’t know who was writing this, I might have told her that she was great. Since she doesn’t write herself, it’s easier for me to call another person and say: “You’re great.”
—Did you call and talk?
—No, I didn’t and I don’t think so necessary.
— Don’t you think that she could have grown in this regard and is already writing herself?
— Well, I’m not such a fool as not to understand. I just know both people, and I know better. It often happened that “she” would write, then they would ask her questions on this topic, and she, standing in front of journalists, could no longer answer. Can't understand what is being said.
— Maybe that’s why the scandal arose when she refused to communicate with writing journalists? And in continuation, one more question: whose side were you on in that situation?
— In that situation, I was 100% on the side of the journalists. It was all very strange for me. She didn’t write it, and you know very well, Sergei, who writes it. And it’s doubly strange, because this is a man who is a journalist himself. I had thoughts that maybe I should pay for every interview with her? The fact that it was written there that you are all almost stupid and you have to rewrite everything… Yes, it is great happiness for me if a journalist sends me what he wants to publish in my words! And there is an opportunity to read and correct it together. The best thing for our journalistic fraternity would be to simply ignore the person and not approach her even in the mixed zone.
— This is what it all came to in the end.
— This is the most offensive thing when you become useless to anyone.
— It turns out that she is a follower?
—Love is evil. You understand.
— How does she lose an athlete because of media activity?
— When you are 19-20 years old, you still have enough strength to spend four or five extra hours instead of switching off, sleeping, stretching your legs. But every year your strength will dry up and you need more to recover. And she needs time to blog. Plus, its instability suggests that we still need to build a sports foundation! Don't do this bullshit. But they didn’t hear me, and I’m not going to run after anyone. It's a shame when talent is thrown away like that.
— Could this end sadly?
— I really wouldn't want to. She herself is not a stupid girl, not a fool.
— As a skier, is she a rare talent?
— Yes.
— You once said that she is great, but not Nepryaeva.
— Yes, she is 100% not Nepryaeva. If she had trained as well as she can for the last three years, then she could have become Nepryaeva. Now she is very, very far from Natasha.
“We have no friends in the West”— Moving on to more global topics. Vladimir Putin said the other day that the degradation of world sports and the Olympic movement will entail the creation of parallel structures in the field of international sports. Maybe it's time to finally say goodbye to the IOC?
“I am opposed to immediately closing doors everywhere and everywhere.” Taking into account the fact that we do not yet have a serious alternative. Can you imagine what galaxy of athletes could now be left with nothing? I’m not talking about those who have already become Olympic champions, but about those who should come after them. Besides being the greatest title for any athlete, it also pays dividends. Not only money and cars, but also a lifetime scholarship and the title of ZMS. Now there is no way you can earn it anywhere else.
It is my deep conviction that the IOC is no longer quite a sports organization, but more of a political one. Of course, you need to look for other formats. Perhaps even together with the IOC. As we see, even the Olympics are already difficult for countries, almost forced upon them. This is very expensive and economically unjustified. In rare countries, all this remains and people use the objects as a legacy of the Olympic movement. In our situation, we need a serious alternative organization. Now through the SCO and BRICS it is possible to combine, but winter does not gain anything from this, it is a shame.
— Still, the Olympic Games cannot be replaced?
“But for some reason it seems to me that if not now, then something else will happen.” A terrible revolution is taking place in everything. There will be a different vector. The bar is set so high that people simply won't cope. Hold the Games to spend billions for show.
— Well, the same States or Saudi Arabia.
— Yeah, winter and Saudi Arabia.
— They have a whole the project
— May God grant us to live until that time. I understand that nothing is impossible, but they won’t hold the Olympics there every four years. This is a serious problem. WADA must also change somehow. After all, there are so many situations when “if I want it this way, it will be this way; I want it differently, it will be different.” There is corruption, and money, and there is no justice at all in this organization. No one apologized to us when they came up with three boxes. But WADA did not find the strength to say: “To everyone who was acquitted by the court, we apologize for the heart attacks and humiliation caused.” But we won the trial globally.
— Among the possible next IOC presidents are Samaranch Jr., Lalovich, also our friend.
“I don’t see any friends there now.” Maybe I don’t see any enemies there either. But I don’t see anyone who would really root for Russia and say: “What are you doing anyway?” How many wars are there in the world now? How long have Palestine and Israel been on the warpath? For some reason no one humiliates them. And this is a stupid humiliation of an entire country! And to us again: “Go, renounce the anthem and flag, sign the declaration, betray your own mother.” My deep conviction: go to hell with your Olympics in this case.
Now is not the moment when we can afford to travel without the flag and anthem. We shouldn't say we are boycotting. We are not boycotting, but simply will not go in such a situation. We cannot create discord between people in the country. Some will say: “Yes, guys, we understand you, you have a short sports life.” And others, whose children are in the Northern Military District zone, will say: “You are there with a white flag, traitors, just to earn money and fame.”
— It seems to me that the people will understand.
“The people won’t understand.” I am absolutely telling you this. Why should we perform under a white flag? Either you allow us in, as expected, without any declarations with a flag and anthem. Or say that's it, no. There is no need to pull the cat in one place all the time. As now, they should say something in March, then in the fall, and then they will send three invitations for the very last issues.
— And if Bolshunov comes to you and says: “Elena Valerievna, I’m ready to win three more Olympic gold medals.” medals.»
— I can find words that Sasha will understand.
— So you will still put pressure on him?
— The words “press” and “convince” are completely different things.
— Well, you are an authority for him?
— And he is an authority for me too.
— But when they listen to you, they perceive you as an instruction, and not as an opinion President of the Federation
— This is a mistaken opinion. This is not an indication. But I will find accessible words for any person.
— And if it doesn’t work out and Bolshunov decides to travel under a neutral flag, will you accept his decision?
— For some reason, all our interviews are only “Bolshunov.” You know, Sasha Bolshunov’s parents have periodic “arrivals” in their garden. And I’m not sure that Sasha will just say that he is ready to go with a white rag, just to earn some money and some other medals. I'm not sure that I have such athletes. And I want me not to be mistaken.
“You can’t find your homeland abroad”— At the same time, in other sports there is a large outflow of athletes who change citizenship.
— Small.
— Has anyone expressed such a desire in cross-country skiing?
— At the national team level, they can’t say for sure. I won't allow it. All members of the team know my opinion. That I won’t give my consent.
— What’s in the minds of people who take such a step?
— Don't know. I don't want to discuss or judge them. There are different situations. Maybe we won’t lump everyone with the same brush? There are really different situations. If the child’s parents took him away, that’s one thing, but if an adult who has already gone to the Games wants to compete for another country just because of the SVO… We don’t have such skiers. It’s not easy for athletes to say such words, don’t think that I’m some kind of iron woman. For me, they are, perhaps, sometimes more valuable than my own children. And I really want them to be great. But this situation does not give me any right to say that we are going, no matter what. From childhood, sports should instill love for the Motherland. No one chooses their homeland, like their mother. And they won’t find their homeland there, believe me.
— But they’re not looking for it there, they just want to perform.
— We have excellent competitions in the country in all sports. Who's stopping? We must make sure that our athletes do not feel disadvantaged now. Regulatory documents must be urgently revised. And there is no urgent need to invite any foreign athletes. I cannot invite an athlete from Venezuela, he is alone there and will not help me in any way.
— Is your strong opinion supported in other federations, in the ROC or the Ministry of Sports?
— Maybe maybe not so vehemently… Some people support it, while others don’t support it at all. I know that both the Minister of Sports and the head of the ROC are against violating the Olympic Charter. But they are politicians, and I am a simple Russian person. If I can’t express it beautifully, then I tell it like it is.
— Both Matytsin and Pozdnyakov constantly declare discrimination against Russian sports. But their rhetoric is different. If Oleg Vasilyevich chooses his words and wording as carefully as possible, then Stanislav Alekseevich took out his saber, with which he won four Olympic golds, and goes everywhere with it, aggressive rhetoric, in the spirit of the Cold War.
— So Stas and I are somewhat similar. Due to the fact that we are not ministers and can afford a little more, it is a little easier for us in this regard. Whatever one may say, we still head public organizations. But this all depends on temperament, and we are Olympic champions and can afford some emotions. Not only positive ones.
— And yet, is it correct to use terms such as, for example, “Anglo-Saxons”?
— Who are they? Anglo-Saxons — they are Anglo-Saxons.
— By the way, I have often heard from relatives or colleagues: “What if everything suddenly turns out not in our favor, how will you then renege on your words?”— Fuck you, I won’t go back on my words. Under no circumstances will I! In my circle of friends, no one says this, everyone supports me. And those colleagues who have a completely opposite opinion will not tell me anything. They are silent.
— Afraid?
— Undoubtedly. I can talk differently with my colleagues than with you. I can just send a person and that’s it. I could never imagine that I could live in a time like now. Not just SVO, but everyone’s eyes were 100% opened, and we saw the real “love” of the so-called West for us. Who at one time opened a crack for us, and we thought that the gates had been opened to us. And they decided that this was the gates of heaven. Now we must be united into one whole, so that in the future our children will never encounter anything like this. No countries understand anything other than force. It always has been and always will be.
And we must show our strength in all directions — in the Northwestern Military District, in the economy, and in sports, without whining and crying, without getting into any cracks — just to perform. You need to survive all this with dignity. To be honest, I don’t understand why Matytsin has not yet brought us, the leaders of the federations, together and proposed to develop one strategy. In the same way, Stanislav Alekseevich did not gather us and did not say: “I understand that we are being discriminated against, but let’s either be quieter in our expressions, or — whoever is in charge.” It would be better that way.
— Is such a meeting necessary?
— Yes, now everyone has already said everything, who wanted what. But at the beginning, SVO was needed.
— We thought that all this would quickly end and everything would be the same as before.
— It will never be like before. One hundred percent. It will only get better.
“Let Isinbayeva shut her mouth”— After the collapse of the USSR, did you also think that “it will never be the same as before, but it will only get better”?
— I didn’t think about “better.” I loved the Soviet Union so much, I had no complaints about the Union at all! Everything was so cool, everyone was equal. Maybe I was living some kind of illusion. We lived poorly when I was little, but this did not infringe or oppress me in any way. I came to the children's sports school, they dressed me, put on shoes, gave me skis, and bought tickets. They never said that my mother had to buy a ticket for me to go to the competition. Everything was great. This is the best time for me.
The USSR collapsed, there were those terrible 90s, I didn’t think at all that it would be better. I was abroad and didn’t see anything so “super” there. Yes, I could buy something in the store, but I didn’t go there, I saved up for a house, I struggled in competitions. I liked the Soviet Union, its structure. Everyone was equal, there was no such thing at school where I felt ashamed because I came in with jeans that weren’t the same as another child’s. And in some countries I said: “Lord, how do they, the poor, live here?” Again I heard: “Oh God, Davos!” I arrived — and there was one street, a village, my Magadan is three times larger.
— But it’s so beautiful!
— Do you know how beautiful it is here in Magadan? Nature is beautiful everywhere in the world. But not everywhere there are beautiful and good people. Everything that is made by God, not counting people, is all beautiful. Yes, I love other countries too. And my first abroad was Romania. How do they live there, I wondered! It's just doom and gloom. It was just tough. The only thing I brought for my mother was a bunch of mohair. They exchanged 500 rubles each, but there was nowhere to spend it, there was nothing to buy at all. And my mother loved to knit, she brought her a whole suitcase.
— Returning to the present. We have an honored person, Elena Isinbayeva, to whom, for no apparent reason, another country suddenly turned out to be closer. You spoke quite harshly towards her. Did you try to understand her?
— No. I haven't tried and will never understand. Yes, it's her choice, but I don't understand her. Especially because she abandoned CSKA. For me this is even more unpleasant.
— Maybe not yet renounced?
—Yes, I renounced, I renounced.
— Is it possible to be a major nominally? She said that it was a nominal title.
— Is it possible to be a nominal Olympic champion? Then let her shut her mouth and live in her own Spain or wherever she lives there. And she enjoys life there now.
— What if she, being a member of the IOC, does something for Russia?
— Don’t even hope. She won't do anything. Just don’t get your hopes up.
—What is all this for then? Just to live well? So she lived well here too.
— You need to ask her that. Call, maybe she’ll answer?
— She doesn’t answer.
— Well, write to her.
— She doesn’t answer anywhere.
— Well, write: “If you don’t answer, I’ll pick you up in the next village!”
— Again, is this line between moving for objective reasons and betrayal quite clear?
— It’s like cheese here rode in oil. She will never live there like that. Unless, of course, she has some kind of business there or accumulated billions. Still melts very quickly.
— Maybe she doesn’t agree with Russia’s policies?
— Then why the hell did she write such a thing, she was one of those who wrote the new Constitution. I would refuse, I would say: “I won’t, I don’t agree with you at all!” Either she's a fool, or she's pretending, that's all.
— Perhaps she thinks that her eyes have now been opened?
— Well, thank God that she left from here with such open eyes.
— But can you, even if purely hypothetically, imagine leaving like this and not seeing your beloved Magadan for ten years?
— Well, you went nuts, honestly! I have no words! Yes, I cannot live abroad for more than one month at all. I just can not! I love some countries, I won’t lie. I love Italy very much. I have been going on vacation to the same village, where, by the way, Isinbaeva trained, for more than thirty years. But 20 days and I can’t do it anymore. And when I went with small children for a month, I realized that this was all, such a mess, I was sick of everything. These are wonderful places and cool people, the whole village knows me, but I can’t live there. Not because there is no vodka there, I can buy vodka there in the store. Not because I can’t fry potatoes there. It's just not my thing. I don’t condemn if a person cannot live without some country, let him leave, but quietly and peacefully. And she just made a terrible mistake. Why the hell did she write all this?
— So she was silent before that, and then she was simply photographed.
— And that’s it, it burst. “I’ve done my best with Bach, but the major is all nominal.” Guys, this is not possible. First you cry on the president’s chest, and then you betray your Motherland. We need to decide somehow, she is no longer a little girl. She is already raising her own children.
— Didn’t you go to the Vyalbe family meeting this year?
— Unfortunately, no, it didn’t work out. There was a meeting on August 5th.
— But there is contact, are you communicating?
— Certainly. Moreover, I am sure that 90 percent of the entire world who communicated before continue to communicate now. Nothing has changed in our family. My son went, my daughter-in-law went.
— You just don’t touch on politics during communication?
— Why, we talk about these topics too. There are some points of agreement, and some disagreements. But in case of disagreement, we stop the conversation, because, thank God, this family remains a family with us.
— In a recent interview, Yuri Anatolyevich Charkovsky said that he was already trying to besiege his wife so that she would not be deprived of Estonian citizenship for her political position. Do you think there are many people left in the Baltics who can still think soberly?
“The most important thing is not to give in to emotions, not to go out anywhere and not to talk about it officially anywhere.” Because you can't say anything there at all. In reality, they will close it, no one will ask who you are, what you are and how old you are. They have real toughness. But they have a lot of simple, ordinary people who do not agree with the policies of their countries. In Estonia there was a survey among the population. If Russia attacks Estonia, who will go where and who will stay in Estonia. Eighty-six percent of Estonians said they would travel to Russia. It's not 8% or 18%. People are really afraid, and I understand them well. Now no one listens to anyone, and France was an example of this. Even if you all kill each other and destroy everything, it will be as we decided.
«Lavrov is a very cool guy»— Nowadays there is a very noticeable drop in audience interest in the sports component. Where we started: Dziuba’s video evokes more interest and resonance than the sport itself. In the foreground are scandalous topics, given the lack of international competitions.
— We’ll survive. We are doomed to success anyway. People will understand that it was in vain to watch, for example, not the Russian Football Cup, but the Italian league. We didn’t watch the Russian Cup in cross-country skiing, but we still watched the World Cup. They will repent and regret it.
— And they weren’t expecting the Stanley Cup.
— When they first brought it and took it to children’s sports schools, I was terribly indignant. Why do kids need to show the Stanley Cup and tell them how cool it is? Why not take the Gagarin Cup and say: “Guys, this is cool!”
— But now they don’t allow the Stanley Cup to be brought to Russia.
— God bless. This again means that children need to be taught from childhood to love their homeland. I am not against the Stanley Cup in general, but there is no need to bring it to our children so that from the age of ten they are already thinking about how they can get out of the border.
— How do you feel about populist deputies? Talking heads from the State Duma. Deputy Sergei Mironov, for example, said that the Olympic movement is a farce and it’s time to end it. When deputies give advice, how do you react?
— Yes, I don’t really listen. Let them give it, they get paid for it. Why are you picking on them, he’s already old, especially this grandfather.
— At the same time, Pozdnyakov became sharply excited and said that it would be good for some stupid deputies not to give, as Bulgakov’s professor Preobrazhensky said, advice on a cosmic scale and cosmic stupidity in matters in which they are completely incompetent.
— Don’t give advice in matters in which they are incompetent — on this I agree with Stanislav Alekseevich. Everything else is very harsh words to a person who is much older than him, this is a little overkill.
— Mironov answered that sport is not your personal plot, not a private shop.
— I don’t even have anything to answer. This is not our personal plot, I don’t agree with Mr. Mironov here. I also don’t agree with the idea that we should slam the door. We will completely ruin a whole galaxy of athletes. And then they even offer to leave the UN. In general, as far as international affairs are concerned, maybe Lavrov, whom I simply adore, will tell me something. Where do you really need to leave, and where, on the contrary, should you go?
— Why do you adore Lavrov?
“It seems to me that there is no other foreign minister like him in the world.” He is so erudite, sparkling humor, I admire him. And for so many years he, poor thing, has been pulling this difficult burden. Very cool dude! It’s a pity that I don’t know him.
— Don’t you have Mikey with his famous phrase about morons?
— No! Although I have seen these T-shirts. By the way, he only vacations in Russia, you know? They go boating, live in tents, play the guitar. Bliss! Fantastic. It is clear that with his work he wants to relax in Mother Russia. I understand him very much. Therefore, tomorrow — to Magadan!
— Haven't been there for a long time? Where will you go first?
— I haven’t been since April. If you're lucky, then, of course, go fishing in the sea. It's just a state of mind. Flounder, navaga, cod, of course, we’ll catch it anyway. If you're lucky — halibut.
— What's your record for catching fish?
— 8.6 kilograms — small halibut. I was just in Khanty, we went out on a boat to the junction of the Irtysh and Ob, such beauty! We were with a guide, there are serious catches there, more than 20 kilograms.
— Do you think we can still fish in the lower reaches of the Dnieper and how soon?
— By the way, I’ve never been to these parts. I was in Ukraine once, when Franz was taken to Simferopol from Tallinn for a month and a half. Simferopol did not accept us, and we were imprisoned in Kyiv. It was mid-January 1988. While I was making arrangements to board another flight, I left my son in the mother and child room and asked some aunt to keep an eye on the child. I left a Czechoslovak washable diaper there and came and the baby was lying there, there was no diaper. And aunties too. So I wasn't there anywhere. Because of this dam, everything there is tragic, as I understand it, but we’ll make a new one? Look what Mariupol is becoming, it’s simply fantastic. You need to quickly buy an apartment there before the price tag goes up.
— That is, in a couple of hours spent in Ukraine, they managed to rob you.
— And to hell with it. Back then, such diapers were exotic for ordinary people.
— Are we in for a great season?
— Yes. I think yes. Despite the fact that because of the stupid FIS we had to introduce these new gender stupid distances for women. I fought, fought, they agreed with me, but then the Ministry of Sports said that we need to work in new formats. I hope that there will be a very cool final of the Russian Cup.
— New formats, new trends.
— The formats are not new, but the volumes are new. The men have fewer and fewer, the relay is smaller, there are no thirty. For women, there is a 7.5 kilometer relay race, instead of a tag there is a twenty and instead of a thirty there is a fifty. Tell me what this Swedish lady was thinking when she decided that she wanted to run like a man.
About transgender people and “people from the forest”— Maybe they are preparing the way for transgender people?
— So we will soon “get to the mice.” I really hope that transgender people will not be allowed into cycling sports. Let the converted men go to figure skating so that people will make fun of them there. In rhythmic gymnastics. It will probably be a lot of fun too. But in cyclic sports — no. In general, I would now propose to the greatest athlete and great leader of the entire sports movement, Thomas Bach, to urgently open a new International Olympic Committee and call it gender-regender, I don’t know how. And let all these people, whose brains for some reason stopped working normally, who, apparently, were born not from mom and dad, but from something else, let them compete there. And they will even have fans. Let him lead it all. Let them not touch us, normal people.
—You won’t let anyone in?
—Who? Do you think that in Russia there will be a man who will come out and say that he wants to run around with women?
— What if a girl comes? And he will say that he wants to run with the men because he feels like a boy.
— Uuuu… Let's not make anyone laugh. But she will run among the girls.
— Not in our country and not in our time?
— What kind of n… are transgender people in our country? And even in such a courageous sport as cross-country skiing!
— Skiers were often called “people from the forest.” Has this ever offended you?
— They always said about us: “What are you doing? Ski racing?! It’s such a horse sport!” No. It was just funny to me. First of all, it doesn't look like a horse. Very handsome, beautiful men, beautiful women, all muscles are developed. And the fact that we came out of the forest — you simply envy us. Especially those sports that are always in the same room. And everywhere we have different terrain, different nature, fresh air. Ski racing is one of the most harmonious and beautiful sports. Having said that, I don't want to offend other sports. If he is in love with chess, figure skating or swimming, then God grant that everything works out for him. Swimming in general. If they told me that they would pay me every day for training, I still would not agree. This is the most punishing sport, I bow to them.
— Why do you think so?
— I saw them train several times. I have never sympathized with anyone so much. The water is the same temperature all the time and goes back and forth for kilometers. If I want to drive 70 kilometers, I can do a 15-kilometer loop. And they have a side here and a side here. There should be ropes, not people's nerves.
— On the topic of other sports. The Olympic Games in Pyeongchang come to mind. You somehow managed to convince Natalia Garth that ski racing is more interesting than figure skating.
— Yes, it’s just out of friendship! She told Natasha that she had never been to a ski race. “You can’t even imagine what a drive this is!” In figure skating you won’t get that kind of drive, it’s 100%.
— There is a drive of expectation of grades, anger.
— Ten to fifteen seconds.
— And the approach to jumping?
— That’s not it. I have been to figure skating many times.
— There’s more drive there than in skiing.
— No. One hundred percent. I understand that Natalia is such a sophisticated girl, but at the same time she is the president of the federation of a sport that is not the most gentle and feminine.
— She is also a serious businesswoman.
— Thank God that everything is fine it worked out and everything works out. And I also taught her to swear and I won’t deny it.
— Didn’t you teach her to drink vodka?
— It seems to me that we drank vodka with her. But in general, she drinks wine, and this is a mistake.
— Why?
— Wine makes you drunk quickly.
— But not from vodka?
— From vodka, no. Of course not.
— You just need to be able to drink vodka?
— In general, you need to be able to drink everything.
—Who is the coolest drinking buddy?
— Don't even know. And the word is “drinking buddy”… You know, we get together from time to time—winter workers, presidents of federations. And there are those who, coming to a restaurant, say: “No, I’ll have wine.” And then: “Although I will support Lenuska, I will also drink vodka.” But these are not drinking buddies; none of us gets drunk until a pig squeals. This is just a normal company. With the arrival of the 2014 Olympic Games, we became so united. Yes, now some managers have changed, but the new ones are already communicating with us.
— And everyone knows how to drink?
— I wouldn’t say that we’re just “thumping” like that! There are people like deputy Svishchev, president of the curling federation, he doesn’t drink. But it’s okay, he communicates with us normally without it. It's OK. Although once after the bath we forced him to drink half a glass. But this is after the bath, sell your trousers, but have a drink!
— You can drink tea with chamomile.
— Why also have tea with chamomile after the bath, you’re already relaxed. We don't have violence, it's more of a joke. “Dim, well, after the bath!” — “Okay, let’s go!”
“I’m praying for Kostomarov”— Will you continue to follow figure skating?
— Last season I watched what was broadcast. There are new formats, girls compete with boys, perform somersaults. I'm happy to see that we have a good figure. I was invited to the Grand Prix, and I always have competitions at the same time. If they show the sleds, I’ll watch them too. In general, it seems to me that winter sports are more attractive. People are not on vacation in winter.
— Which figure skater fan group would you join?
— I? What are you talking about, I’m a neutral person, I don’t care at all, I don’t root for anyone separately. I’m just praying now for Kostomarov, so that he can return to society as much as possible. I can imagine how hard it is for him and his family. He is a very strong person. Probably, he conquered even more people with his inner core. God willing.
— As Sasha Enbert said, this is already a story about inspiration.
— Yes, 100%. A film should definitely be made about him. And now, right away.
— Do you know him?
— We crossed paths, but that’s just the case. Even at the Olympics, if at all, we were practically not close to the skaters. In Nagano, for example, we skiers did not live in the Olympic village. I lived in the Olympic village in Albertville and Lillehammer. But in Lillehammer it was as if we were alone; there was a strange village of iron trailers. There were hockey players next to us, and Tikhonov was constantly covering everything with some kind of papers from the category “Do not walk on the stairs!” The audibility was terrible, they played in the evening, and we came when they were resting. And he hung up ropes and signs. And we didn’t see any skaters at all. In general, everything is fine, life is good, glory to the CPSU! Comrade Lieutenant, did you hear?
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