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The most titled swimmer in Russia, Yulia Efimova, in an interview with Sport, told why she changed her mind about ending her career, how things are going things in her personal life and why she is not afraid to receive neutral status and go to the Olympics in Paris.
— You came to the Russian Championships in Kazan with a dog, it’s her first time here. Is it difficult to travel with your pet to competitions in different cities and countries?
— It’s very difficult, if only I knew. Especially when I'm at competitions, he gets very offended because I don't have much time. Now he is with the nanny. It’s good when someone can help, but usually my dad and I are alone, then he and I run. Recently I was recommended an application where you can find a dog sitter and now it has become a little easier.
— Would you like to stage a performance with your dog and swim together?
— We swam with him. He doesn't like to swim. I don’t mind, but he won’t forgive me for this.
— You said that you haven’t decided yet whether to swim 200 meters in Kazan or not. Is it hard yet? Does this long break have this effect?
“Heavy is not the right word.” I trained for two months before the Russian Short Course Championships in St. Petersburg, and I had training for two months before this championship, I was alone without a coach, he only wrote me a plan. I was then in Hawaii. And before Kazan I got sick, first I sprained my leg, then I had a cold, sinusitis and everything else. I still can't understand what's wrong with me. I used to have completely different emotions at the Russian championships. Now everyone is walking around asking “what’s wrong with you?” I usually bring energy and joy to everyone around me, but this time I’m something different. On the fourth day of the competition I felt more or less myself and felt excited. Perhaps because of this, my starts are difficult, but at the same time I still swim quite well. I am improving my results from start to start, and this cannot but please me. I’m slowly getting into shape, I remember what it’s like.
— Did you consider retiring during the break?
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— Initially, I had the idea of returning to finish my career gracefully, I didn’t think that I would want to go to the Olympics and there would be results. And when I returned, saw the results and felt that I was quickly regaining shape, then the motivation appeared to continue.
— Do you admit that after the Olympic gold you can end your career?
— That would be ideal. But in general, I still have a desire to train and perform, I don’t know how long this will last. Nobody knows what will happen in four years.
“Olympic gold is the main reason to go to Paris”
— What competitions do you plan to compete in in the near future?
— At the competitions in Banja Luka it will be possible to fulfill the Olympic standard. Do you prioritize this task?
— The start in Kazan turns out to be more of a passing event for me for a number of objective reasons. I hope I can swim faster there. I will try to fulfill the Olympic standard there, I always try to get the maximum and believe in miracles.
— You are the most titled Russian swimmer, but you don’t have an Olympic gold medal. Is there a gestalt with Olympic gold?
— Yes, there is a gestalt. This is a difficult topic for me, especially when they ask “why do you have six gold medals from the World Championships, but no gold medal from the Olympics?” For me personally this is very difficult. Well, somehow it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. Maybe I’m burning out, the Olympics are very difficult emotionally. It turns out that every time someone new comes, takes gold and disappears after the Olympics.
— And it turns out they don’t let you just win gold and leave.
— Yes. And it turns out that every competition is some kind of drama — both emotional and physical. Something was constantly happening and getting in the way, especially in Rio de Janeiro. But after everything that happened, analyzing all the factors, you understand that you did the maximum.
— The lack of a gold medal became a reason to think about neutral status and the Olympics?
— Yes, that was the reason. And I just want to go to the fifth Olympic Games in my career. But I don’t think you have to go against everything just to get to the finals, although this is also a good result. Of course, I want to fight for a medal. The decision to go or not to go will depend only on the results in the summer.
“Statements about the homeless do not hurt in any way”
— It’s scary that they will be condemned because of the neutral status and then because of participation in the Olympics?
“There have been so many condemnations in my life that I’m no longer afraid. I’m constantly either the press or just people lifting me to the skies and dropping me below the baseboard. I can't do anything about it. No matter how good you try to be, you will still be bad for some, good for others. I do what I feel, what I need, what I would like. Olympic gold is my dream, and I will never give up, and if I give up, it won’t be me anymore. I could also have given up in Rio, and that would have been the easiest decision, but again, it wouldn’t have been me. On the contrary, difficulties motivate me. When everything is simple, I am not interested.
— Nowadays there is especially a lot of discussion on the topic of the neutral status of Russian athletes. Some people see nothing wrong with this, while others compare neutral athletes to homeless people. Do such statements not offend you?
— They don’t hurt. In the future, of course, I will monitor the situation; naturally, if everything is really bad, I will not cross the line, I will not go against the country. But if there is an opportunity and I am allowed to go, I will gladly take part in the Olympics.
—You understand those who refuse from the Olympics? Can pride and principles really be more valuable than an Olympic medal?
— Perhaps they think that it is not worth such nerves, they are afraid of condemnation, but they can be understood, because it will be very difficult morally. I’ve already gone through everything, endured it, performed.
— The wording from international organizations and the IOC was that they did not admit Russian athletes only from a safety point of view. Do you believe that our athletes were and are in danger, those who are going to the Olympics? After all, many athletes say that they calmly communicate with swimmers from other countries and everyone is friendly.
“Unfortunately, we now live in such a world that danger can lurk everywhere. But I don’t think there will be any security issues. The only thing is that they can bully, shout something.
“It’s not possible to create a family yet”
—Your parents and relatives are not asking you to calm down and are already think about the family?
— In different ways, it happens and they press. But at the same time, they understand that everything is not so simple. If there was an opportunity, we would take up this matter, but so far there is no such opportunity. Dad has already started talking to me about family life. But it turned out that all my life I was raised this way: no boys, nothing like that, just sports, sports, sports. And now I can’t just switch over like that. Of course, I tried, but it didn’t work. There are reasons and injuries for this. But I take it calmly.
— It turns out that the heart of the most titled swimmer in Russia is occupied only with sports?
— And Jasper (the dog) .
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