If the situation suddenly changes and Russian biathletes go to the Olympic Games, you need to be prepared for any weather conditions and track conditions. The leader of the overall standings of the Russian Biathlon Cup, Eduard Latypov, stated this in an interview with RT. According to him, from this point of view, the start of the National Cup in Ryazan is useful, although a lot of effort had to be wasted in the sprint race. At the same time, the athlete noted that the terrain is so difficult that almost everyone’s heart rate here is the highest of the season.
For the first time this season, Eduard Latypov failed to win a medal in the sprint race. At the fourth stage of the Russian Biathlon Cup in Ryazan, he missed once on prone and took sixth place, only 6.7 seconds behind the bronze medal winner Anton Babikov. At the same time, in the overall standings of the tournament, the three-time Olympic medalist reduced the gap from the leaders, who performed worse, and the gap from the leader Kirill Barin to 33 points.
— Dmitry Lazovsky a few minutes ago called the topography of the route in Ryazan unique. What do you say: is a race with such a profile a pleasure for a biathlete or is it still a torment?
– Yesterday it was much better, because a slight frost hit, the snow set, a little ice formed, and it became comfortable to ride, pleasant to run. Today it got warmer, the track crashed and turned into mush. Accordingly, coordination has become very difficult: the skis fail when pushing, you immediately lose your usual sensations and technique. A lot of effort has to be wasted.
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— There was no desire to give up the start in order to take care and preserve these same strengths?
— Each athlete chooses for himself whether to run or not. I decided for myself that I was ready to fight in any situation and in any weather. Let’s assume that the situation suddenly changes, we go to the Olympic Games in Italy and the weather there turns out to be the same. It is clear that the probability is not so high, but still… That’s why I think that I should be prepared for any weather conditions and the condition of the track. Therefore, in any case, you need to keep yourself in good shape.
— How do you explain that today there are quite a lot of misses in seemingly favorable weather?
— I wouldn’t say that overall it was a bad shooting. If you look at the race leaders, all five people shot zero, and the others also did without misfires (ten of the first 16. – RT ). Maybe while shooting, some were caught in the wind, while others were calm, because everyone was training on different shields. Let’s say I took aim at the first one, it was calm there. Therefore, everything worked out comfortably for me, both in the race and during the shooting.
— If we compare the “Race of Champions”, which took place last weekend, and today’s start due to the snow conditions…
– …then I will say that the track five days ago was definitely better, just reinforced concrete.
— It turns out that the program for athletes, truncated due to the weather, is a blessing?
— The decision to shorten the distance and, accordingly, the race time is very correct. I think it will be even more interesting for spectators to watch more dynamic showdowns, since they will not have to wait for the athletes.
— Does it make sense to include stages with such routes as in Ryazan in the biathlon calendar?
— Of course, the local profile is very unique. In my opinion, it is more suitable for younger ages. For adult biathletes, it seems to me, they need more difficult terrain and significant elevation changes. On the other hand, the route is not as simple as it seems. She is insidious in her own way. With easy terrain, you subconsciously prepare yourself for the fact that it will be easy to run. But in fact it turns out quite the opposite.
— So it’s difficult to answer unequivocally?
– Why? If you look at the analysis of the race, almost everyone’s heart rate here is the highest of the season, simply the maximum. Even on hard climbs, no one has such a pulse. Well, and, among other things, Ryazan is close to Moscow, there are more fans who can come to the races. It’s also great when you run with the stands full.
Source: russian.rt.com
