35-year-old biathlete of the Ukrainian national team Artem Prima commented on the 6th place in the mixed relay at the seventh stage of the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.
– You showed quite competitive speed. How did you feel on the track today?
– Yes, the state of health was better than in the sprint or in the pursuit, but this is far from the same. But due to the fact that the distance is short, only 6 km, it was possible to be patient, to compete somewhere, to keep pace. I’m not in the condition yet to enjoy the race when you’re 100% ready. Yes, I got a lot of good emotions today, because the race was very contact. When we fought for the top 3, then for the top 6. Cool emotions remained, but my readiness is far from the same. I can’t say yet about the reasons, we will already finish the season and we will solve the problems that we have.
– For an athlete, his inner self-confidence and his strength mean a lot. For a while, you seemed to be somewhat confused. What is now with the mood, the internal state?
– The concentration and inner mood of an athlete is the most important thing when you are preparing for the start. I always try to concentrate as much as possible on any race, whether it be a personal or relay race. But we live in such realities that our morning starts not with coffee, but with telegram channels. You watch the news, how the night went in your native country, what happened to your relatives and friends, how it was at the front. First of all, I woke up, and all these questions need to be reviewed, then take a breath, and only after that we do exercises and drink coffee. I try to concentrate on every race and go out to fight, to give myself to the maximum – as much as my health allows.
– What is the mood in the team now, because the podium was one shot away?
– Good mood, and the podium was not so far away, but the girls, the guys, and the coaches – we all understand what biathlon is now, and how fast it has become, and the top 6 is a very good result in the relay. I am also happy with this result, because the race was very, very competitive. One or two extra cartridges – and everything can change. So the race was very competitive, and also very good in terms of emotions and positive feelings.
#concentrate #race
2023-03-06 08:30:00
