"I'm trying to show seconds like I did at the World Cup."

Last weekend the biathlon tournament "Cup of the Strongest" started in Belarusian Raubichi, which will last until the end of this week. The best Russian and Belarusian athletes gathered there. This competition is held in parallel with the World Championships in Lencerheide, Switzerland, where our biathletes were not allowed, as well as in other international competitions after February 2022.

Among the participants of the Cup of the strongest is double medalist of the Olympic Games 2022 in Beijing Kristina Reztsova. In Raubichi she has so far noted only fifth place in the pursuit race.

In an interview with Izvestia, the biathlete assessed her form, compared the current level of the Russians and Belarusians with the level of the world championship participants, as well as speculated on the chances of biathletes to participate in the Olympics-2026, commented on the end of the career of the star Norwegian brothers Johannes and Tairey Bøe and complained about the inability to see her two children regularly during the season.

- What result at the Strongest Cup will you consider a success for you?

- I would like to win at least one victory at this tournament, and how many more medals we can win in addition to that is up to God.

- Can you compare the performance of the Strongest Cup participants with the World Championship, which is taking place in the same days? Would the current form of the Russian and Belarusian biathletes allow them to fight for medals at the World Cup?

- It's hard to say. I watched the first races of the World Championships and it is difficult to compare, because there in Lenzerheide is a little bit different track, it is different from the tracks in Raubichi or in Russia. During the mixed relay they also had water on the track, like we had at the Commonwealth Cup in Dyomino in January. Nevertheless, the speeds at the World Championships are simply furious even in the presence of water. And on the other day, when they ran the sprint, it was snowing - the track was tight, and it didn't seem that the participants were in some space relative to us. Again, it is difficult to assess this, because we perform in different weather conditions every time. All the January stages in Ryazan and Dyomino were held at plus temperature. And now in Raubichi it is minus five and below. And this has a great effect on speed and shooting at any level. Although at the World Championships the speeds are different in principle anyway, if we take the total mass. But the leaders among Russians and Belarusians could compete for something serious.

- By the way, what weather conditions are more pleasant for you to run and shoot - like at the January stages, when there were puddles on the track in Demino, or like now in Raubichi, when there is normal snow?

- I wouldn't say that the conditions are very different from each other. The track in Raubichi is hard and fast now. No water. But in general it's warm, no problems. It was comfortable to run both then and now.

- Are our biathletes far behind in speed from the participants of the World Championships and World Cup?

- It's hard to compare, not running next to them for three years and not seeing what they do, how they prepare.

- Many people think that after returning to the international arena, almost all of you will need to improve your speed.

- Yes, that's one of the key things that a lot of leaders on the international stage are good at right now. But we have guys and girls trying to improve it. Personally, I am equal to the World Cup in terms of shooting speed - I try to show the same seconds. And judging by what I'm doing this season in terms of shooting speed, it seems to me that I wouldn't get lost at international starts. At least, speaking for myself, I'm not far behind.

- Not so long ago, skier Alexander Bolshunov successfully performed at one of the starts in Italy. The fact that he managed to get to Europe at all gives reason for optimism that soon biathletes may be allowed to go there as well?

- After all, the race that Alexander ran was a commercial start. And we will be able to talk about something serious only when one of our athletes starts to compete in official competitions. So I can't say anything about the admissions. I have the same information as everyone else - what is available in the public domain. And it is still difficult to understand how the situation around us can move forward in the near future.

- Many biathletes say that they are training this season in order to reach peak form by the same dates as the Olympics in a year. Are you modeling the situation in a similar way in case you do get admission to the Olympics?

- No, unfortunately, in my case it probably can't be said that way. Not enough mountain training. And it is necessary, because everyone will have to run at the Olympics in the mountains. But as for the terrain, I understand roughly what I will have to face. I know the track in Antholz, where the Games will be held, very well. I understand what the terrain is like there and what the speeds will be like. It's not difficult to predict all of this also because the weather there is almost always the same because the course is in a gorge where the snow almost never melts. In this respect I try to simulate how to walk on the track, but next season I will do more mountain training so that my body will be adapted to the terrain.

- Have you been more optimistic lately about your chances of going to the Olympics?

- I haven't lost it. But still it's all at the level of talk, nothing more than that. It's just that the closer the Olympics get, the more you think about it. And still you try to be ready for it. In general, I hope that everything will be fine.

- Anton Babikov believes that biathletes will be the last to be admitted to international starts, as there will be difficulties with the permission to carry weapons across the border. Will it really prevent you from participating in competitions?

- In any case, once we are admitted, there will be no questions. But to just leave on our own, as skiers and Bolshunov can do, then yes, there may be big problems.

- Can this year's Cup of the Strongest be considered a peak for you this season? Or do you expect to add more in March at the last stages of the Russian Cup and the Commonwealth Cup?

- I planned to run at a high level all this season. But, unfortunately, the beginning did not turn out to be the way I wanted it to be. I couldn't do anything about it. Now I already have a feeling that I am starting to improve. I hope that in March the form will be at its maximum.

- How did you react to the January news about the Bø brothers' career ending?

- As soon as I saw the news, I forgot about it right away. It is clear that my age (29 years old. - Ed.), as well as the age of the Bø brothers (37 and 32 years old. - Ed.), is one era. And it is slowly coming to an end. Just as Bjorndalen or Fourcade finished in their time, so now the brothers are finishing. But new names are emerging. So there's nothing wrong with someone finishing.

- Why did you put yourself in the same age group as the Bø brothers?

- After all, the age of an athlete is short. I can't say that I'm going to finish. But the closer you get to 30, the more you think about what to do next.

- Does the continuation of your career depend on the situation with the next Olympics? If they don't allow you to compete, will you try to make it through the next four-year cycle at any cost?

- I don't want to make loud statements. For me, it all depends not on admission or non-admission to the Olympics, but on my patience. The patience of the situation when I have to leave my children who live in Syktyvkar. This is the most difficult thing for me - to overcome myself every time and to tune in that everything I do is not in vain.

- Is it very hard to make yourself leave them?

- It is. And the further away they get, the older they get, the less I want to leave them. And this season, as soon as it began, after the roll-in, I came to my children only recently, before the trip to Raubichi for the Cup of the strongest. And so from November to the end of January I did not see them.