Russian speed skater Korzhova shared her impressions of her debut at the OI-2026

On February 7, Russian speed skating athlete Ksenia Korzhova shared her impressions of her debut at the 2026 Olympic Games (OI-2026).

There was a group change in her race due to the withdrawal of the Czech representative Martina Sablikova from the competition.

"I was more focused on the big track, visualizing how I would go through all the laps after the start, but I didn't really count on my opponent. As a result, after removing Martina, she still got into a good pair. This girl, Janine Rosner, set a world record among the neo-seniors at the second stage of the World Cup. So I had a wonderful couple," the athlete shared with Sport-Express.

Korzhova added that she reacted calmly to the start on the big track.

The Russian speed skater set herself the task of maintaining the level that she had shown in the previous season.

"To maintain the level that I have shown this season, the level is quite high. And it turned out well. Of course, there are mistakes, there is something to work on, you need to gain more volume to maintain the speed of the last laps. But, I repeat, I'm happy," said Korzhova.

Speaking about the preparation for the Games, the athlete noted her tension and tightness, which she managed to cope with.

"I was informed that this is a holiday, that I need to enjoy this moment. And indeed, today I managed to enjoy to the fullest what is happening here, to enjoy myself. I really liked the fact that I wasn't clamped down in terms of performance," the skater emphasized.

Korzhova stressed that she had a good relationship with her rivals.

"They treat me well — we smile, say hello, follow each other on social networks, and wish each other good luck," Korzhova told TASS.

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On February 7, Russian athlete Ksenia Korzhova competed in the women's 3,000 m speed skating competition at the Olympic Games in Italy. She covered the distance in 4 minutes, 5.83 seconds and took the 12th place. Italian Francesca Lollobrigida won the race, Norwegian Ragne Viklund took second place, and Canadian Valerie Malte finished third.

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