Fencer Graudyn was welcomed in Sheremetyevo after winning the World Cup

Pavel Graudyn, a Russian sabre fencer who won gold at the World Championships, was welcomed at Sheremetyevo Airport. The corresponding footage is published by Izvestia on August 1.

The athlete spoke about his emotions after the victory and noted the importance of performing under the national flag and anthem.

"I think it's very important for all athletes, first of all, because performing under the flag, under the anthem is super cool, and it's much more important than just winning at the stadium, because you represent your country. It is a great pride and honor for any athlete," said Graudyn.

The fencer admitted that he had not yet fully realized what had happened and had not had time to fully experience the emotions after the tournament. According to him, the competition was the most difficult start of the year, as it took place at the end of the season, when athletes needed to show their best after a long preparation.

Graudyn noted that before the start of the World Cup he was not completely sure of his victory, but after several successful fights he began to believe more in his strength. According to him, it was especially difficult at the tournament, not only physically, but also mentally — it was necessary to gather at crucial moments and achieve results.

The athlete's coach Ekaterina Koptilaya also emphasized the importance of performing under the Russian flag and anthem. According to her, there were strong emotions during the anthem, and for the men's sabre this victory was especially important — there had been no gold medal in individual competitions at the world Championships in this discipline for about 10 years.

"This is the first adult medal for Pasha, especially gold, especially with such a grid, at such an age. And for me too, because I have such a significant medal in my piggy bank, also the first one," she stressed.

Golden Injection: how Russian Graudyn became world champion at the age of 19

The first big victory of our fencers under the flag and anthem in seven years

On July 27, Graudin defeated the representative of the Republic of Korea, Do Kyung-dong, in the finals of the World Fencing Championships, which took place in Hong Kong. The decisive match ended with a score of 15:7 in favor of the Russian athlete. Graudyn is 19 years old, he started his career back in 2016.