"Sebastian Coe reminds me of the character Okhlobystin from DMB

At the Russian Indoor Athletics Championships held in Moscow over the weekend, the most famous of the participants, the 2015 world champion in the 110 m hurdles, Sergey Shubenkov— performed unsuccessfully. He finished only fourth in the 60 m hurdles (which is the distance athletes run in the gym in winter). In an interview with Izvestia, the 34-year-old athlete explained the reasons for his failures, told why he showed up for the winter season many years later, and also spoke about World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, an IOC presidential candidate who said in February that he did not rule out the return of Russian athletes to competitions, but was considered one of the the main Russophobes in world sports — it was with the disqualification of our athletes initiated by him in 2015 that the practice of banning Russians began.

"Bad decisions are like If it wasn't for him. And good decisions are me—me-me!"

— How do you like Sebastian Coe's recent statements about Russian athletes? Have you read it?

— Let's just say I got acquainted.

— In your opinion, is he sincere?

— Have you watched the movie "DMB"? There was a special character there, a counterintelligence agent. He was also played by Ivan Okhlobystin. Everyone went to his office one at a time, and then they came out of it and looked like this (he depicts a surprised face with his mouth open) the frustrations remained. And there's a man who comes out of his room — I think it was a Hare Krishna...

- and says, "What a cunning man."

— Yes, yes. That's about my attitude towards Sebastian Coe. I read his statements and it was as if I went to that special counterintelligence officer's office (smiles). I met Kou back in 2014. It was in Doha, where a campaign was underway to attract the World Athletics Championships to this glorious city, which eventually took place there in 2019.

— At the time of our acquaintance, there were no mass doping allegations against Russian athletics?

— No, no. The first bell rang in December 2014, when Hajo Seppelt (a journalist for the German channel ARD, who released a film about doping in Russian athletics. — Ed.) showed his film, which started it all. I had crossed paths with Kou in Doha a few months earlier. And either then or a little later, not from him, but from someone who moves in these circles, I heard that he really wants to become president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which was then called IAAF, and is now called World Athletics.

Just in 2015, elections were held, where Coe had a difficult struggle with Sergey Bubka. And after becoming head of the Athletics Federation, he no longer hid that he wanted to take a place on the IOC executive committee first, and then why not run for president. Therefore, the person is specifically single-minded. He announced his career ambitions 10 years ago. He worked systematically for the sake of his highest goal. And now, in fact, he is at the finish line. He is one of the most realistic candidates for the IOC presidency. I'm sure he knows 100% everything he says. And Coe is a great guy. In the sense that he is a very cunning politician and somehow manages to sneak up on everyone, sorry for the expression. With whom it is not necessary — not to quarrel, with whom it is necessary — to quarrel a little, shake a finger, and then say that we treat these people well.

— At that meeting in 2014, Coe gave the impression of a man who could do this to Russian athletes, what did he do in the end?

— No, what are you doing?! Even remember 2015 — the VFL decided to vote for him, not for Bubka. He looked like his boyfriend.

Is such a calculating person?

— Yes. You know, I've just remembered another story. It was 2018, and we went to international competitions in a neutral status. And I won one of the stages of the Diamond League. We are standing, waiting for the award. There was a fun ceremony when all the winners in their disciplines stand on one big pedestal, wave their cups, and then they are put on cars, convertibles, and do a lap of honor around the stadium. Kou presents these cups. And suddenly he came up to me and started talking (and we already know each other, he knows who I am) that he and his team are making great efforts to bring us back to the international stage (laughs).

— And he explained who is preventing this?

— I know who's stopping this. But that was not the time to talk about it. There was a festive moment, and I didn't tell Coe, "Why bring us back to the international arena if you yourself removed us from the international arena three years ago?" And he did it! Not someone else out there. And so Sebastian tells us how he's working to get us back. Well, what about me? He smiled at him, nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, thank you, thank you!"

"I don't feel any lack of attention from the audience."

Ilya Ivanyuk, bronze medalist of the World High Jump Championships, on the level of Russian competitions, return to the international arena and the geography of tournaments

— Maybe he likes to create problems himself and then solve them?

— Yes, yes! See how he does it! Bad decisions are kind of not his. And good decisions are me-me-me! In general, probably all politicians do this. And he is, as I said, a very cunning man. Therefore, what Coe is saying and what he is doing now, of course, sounds very beautiful and beautiful out of context. But if you remember where we started and where we've been these 10 years, then, to be honest, it takes me aback. Moreover, besides him, there are alternatives among the IOC presidential candidates… Well, there are alternatives, of course, but I'm afraid that Kou is heading for success.

— There is no sense of deadlock, given that in case of a victory, Coe, as president of the IOC, can slow down the disbandment of Russians, and in case of defeat, remain at the head of the World Athletics and there to put a stick in your wheels?

— Yes, I do not know. I have not yet fully understood this situation for myself. After all, I evaluate my prospects first of all. When all this concerned me directly, when it specifically affected my career, yes, it was a shame. I was thinking something, reflecting. And now I have a concern about how to fulfill the standards for the world and Europe. I'm not doing that right now either. Therefore, when you ask me about the World and European Championships, I won't even be able to answer something, because I'm dealing with other issues - now and here. As soon as I'm fit enough to participate in the World Cup, then I'll think about what you asked.

"I don't have time to run over the summer"

— Do I understand correctly that in this regard you do not follow international competitions, do not compare your starts with the results of, for example, last year's Olympics in Paris?

— Just looking out of the corner of my eye. I'm in such a slump right now.… It's been hard for me to compete in the last two years. Not much happens. I'm still trying to poke around, to cling. Because I want to, but for now, that's it. I hope this year, 2025, will be better. Actually, that's why we made the winter.

— Yes, you've been missing the winter seasons for quite a few years.

— And now I decided to change it. And it should be beneficial. I don't have time to run over the summer. I don't have time to reach the peak in six starts. We used to do 11 starts in the summer — it was comfortable. 11-13 starts is normal. And now there is no international season — we are doing six starts in the summer. Sometimes it's five because I get sick, break my collarbone, or whatever the hell happens. Therefore, it seems that there are not enough starts. And this winter is exactly what we need. Even taking into account my unsuccessful performance at the Russian Indoor Championships. This is useful for typing a form. Now we're going to run the finale of the "Snow Queen" series, and I hope to break through those stupid 7.73 seconds. I can't overcome them by 60 m this winter. And I really want to do it.

— Is Artyom Makarenko, who won this Russian championship and has generally been the leader in your discipline in your country in recent years, able to compete for something serious at international competitions if he turns up there this year?

— Well, in the summer season he runs calmly at 110 m in 13.30 seconds with pennies. This level is already quite good! With such a level, of course, it is hardly possible to compete for victories. And for some finals, plus sometimes third places, it's quite enough. Artyom is progressing from year to year. He's getting better and better and better every year! He will always show the best result once a year. As it is now in winter at 60 m. His 7.50 is, by the way, quite a normal result. I won the 2013 European Winter Championship with 7.49. That is, 7.50–7.52 is quite a decent time.

— Back in the late 2010s, you spoke very emotionally on your social networks about the problems with the athletics arena in your native Barnaul, which you were trying to turn into a mini-football field. Has the case not moved forward since then?

— Our training base is located at the Olympic Reserve School. And it hasn't gone anywhere. But there's a problem with the arena. Because you could have competed there, but now you can't. The problem is that we have only one such arena in the whole region, in the Altai Territory. There's nowhere to compete. Winter begins in November, when it almost always snows. And if it starts to melt by the middle of March, then this is a great success. We cannot enter the outdoor stadium earlier than in May.

— Do you have a winter like it was in Moscow this year?

— No, no. A mild winter like in Moscow is almost Europe. Of course, there is no such thing in Barnaul and it cannot be. Once in my memory, there was no snow in my hometown in November and until December. I remember how the craftsmen complained that there was nothing to put snow statues on the Christmas trees in the city center. But this is an exception to the rule. As it is, winter in Altai is traditionally harsh. And with such "wonderful" climatic conditions, we need to hold competitions in the city in order to promote our sport in the region.

But it turns out that now the competitions are held in the same conditions that we train in. That is, at the base of the college. These are four 60m running tracks in a straight line. If you're interested, you can see the pictures in my Telegram channel. Just imagine, someone needs to run a long distance. But no, in fact, we are currently holding competitions at this base only in the 60 m, 60 m hurdles and long jump. We have nowhere to compete. We need to go to competitions in other regions. But these are your travel budgets, which are not always available now.

— Has nothing moved since then?

— Nothing has moved anywhere. The rector of Altai State Technical University, which has this arena, is still in a pose. The arena floor does not provide for competitive activities. Plus, there is such a funny thing that our organization of such competitions is very bureaucratic. In order for a sports facility to host a competition, it must be included in a certain register of sports facilities maintained by the Federal Ministry of Sports. It is necessary to comply with this registry in terms of security and many other criteria. And Barnaul athletics arena is not on the register. No one applies there on purpose. Accordingly, it does not meet the criteria, including safety. And you can't hold competitions there. That's why sports get up in Barnaul in winter.

And in the summer? Well, let's say I can compete in the summer. And for the younger generation, it is necessary to hold various youth and youth competitions. But you can't gather young people in the summer. In May and June, they are still present at home starts. And then that's it. In August, all students are on vacation already.