"During the ban, our results in Russia have dropped very much"

Last week, the winter season ended in Russian athletics. For the first time in many years, Sergey Shubenkov, the 2015 world champion in the 110 m hurdles, took part in it. In an interview with Izvestia, the 34-year-old athlete explained how useful these starts were for him, told why it was difficult for him to compete in absentia with the best hurdlers in the world, assessed the chances of Russians competing for medals at the 2028 Olympics in case of an early return to the international arena, and also responded to provocative statements about himself by the winner. the last summer and winter championships of Russia by Artem Makarenko.

— You have been criticizing the IOC presidential candidate Sebastian Coe a lot lately. Was there a reaction to that?

— Olga Mikhailovna Bogoslovskaya (world champion and Olympic silver medalist, TV commentator. She scolded me and told me not to tell you anything about Kou. Like that. I don't know why (laughs).

— Did she read our last interview, where you compared Coe to a special counterintelligence officer from the DMB and noted his hypocrisy?

— She even reacted more to one of the earlier ones — in the winter I spoke about the IOC presidential election, citing a comparison from the TV series South Park (about the choice between a giant enema and a faecal sandwich. — Ed.). So, apparently, when she gets my interview with you, she will "fly in" to me again. In general, now we will dispense with political information about the IOC presidential candidates. I'm kidding.

— Well, if you're joking, then tell me, who would you vote for?

— I don't even know... Those who are supposed to, let them vote for whom they want. It doesn't matter so much that the situation hasn't changed in a week. I haven't been doing much lately. I told you in my last interview after the Russian Championship that I want to overcome my result of 7.73 seconds this season in the 60 meters. I can't do it all. And at the last start, the same thing happened — I ran into my 7.74. I can't break through this in the winter season. Well, that's fine.

— Considering that you have been missing the winter season for many years, was it useful to take part in it this time?

— Yes, yes, yes, 100%. It's definitely very useful. This winter season will definitely be good for me and will not be superfluous. Of course, I didn't have time to complete all the tasks I wanted. Because you have to train on time, not like me (laughs).

— And how do you train?

— Yes, I started rolling in late... I managed to get in shape in the end, but I still didn't have the coordination — it fell apart a little. That's what we need to work on. Now there will be a spring harvest, then the summer season. I think it will be more fun in the summer. There will be 110 meters — 10 barriers!

— In the summer, what will you consider a success for yourself?

— Let's start with a standard for some kind of international start. What do we have there this year? World championship. Let's see. We'll start with the standard, and then we'll see.

— High jumper Danil Lysenko said at the BRICS Games last summer that his goal for the season was to achieve a top—three result at the Paris Olympics. Do you compare yourself virtually with the leaders in your discipline in the international arena?

— It's hard for me to do that. I couldn't compete in absentia even in 2016, when we had the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where I and other Russian athletes were not allowed. I understand that there is a stopwatch and everything else that allows you to compare yourself with the guys from other competitions. But if I don't have a strong Black man shuffling his feet on the next track, then no matter how you force yourself, I can't purposefully run seconds inside Russia, like at the World Championships.

— Who exactly do you mean by a strong black opponent?

— Well, in 2015, I was almost the only white man who ran in the finals at the World Championships. And in the year of the Olympic Games in Rio, only Isinbayeva managed to jump with a pole above the best Olympic result. And I couldn't run faster than the winner. With my best time of 2016, I would have reached the top three at the Olympics, but I would not have won. Although the form was perfect, and there were all the chances. But here you won't understand what time I would show by running directly next to the best.

— Does being directly next to the leaders affect the results in your discipline?

- yes. During the ban, our results in Russia have dropped significantly. The results have been falling since we were shut down in 2022. It all sags a lot.

— If you return to the international arena in a year, how long will it take you and other Russians to compete for medals again?

"Well, I probably won't make it." But the youth, who are now in their 20s, will have to grow up. I think it will take 3-4 years. For about one Olympic cycle, we will regain our level.

— So you can forget about the medals at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles in your discipline?

— Well, just in time for the summer of 2028, maybe one of our people will reach the required level. If they allow it next year. Of course, this will be very difficult to do. But it's still possible.

— Are you no longer considering the option of getting there and competing for medals?

— Everything depends very much on my form, on my condition. If in the summer I manage to do at least what I have planned, and at the same time my legs will remain intact, then, of course, I will consider any options. Appetite comes with eating, as you know. And if it's like last year, when I was suffering from sores all summer and couldn't train properly, then there's no chance.

— What is your relationship with Artem Makarenko?

— Let's say hello.

— He told me that you are already an old man and you will not have to be feared as a competitor in the summer.

— Oh, oh, young people... The youth got carried away. We will have to punish these young people in the summer (smiles). What can you do?