"At international starts, the level will be completely different"
Russian biathletes, like most of our other athletes, are still unable to compete on the international stage after the suspension that occurred in February 2022. Still, several new names have emerged within the country over the past three years. For example, Polina Plusnina, who until this season played for the Republic of Mordovia and now for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.
The 25-year-old biathlete participated in the IBU Cup (the second most important tournament after the World Cup) in early 2022, where she won several medals. And before that she became a medalist at the Junior World Championships. But she did not have time to make her debut at the top competitions. But this season she reached several podiums: in early December she became second in the sprint at the second stage of the Russian Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, on December 20 she took bronze in the same discipline at the third stage of the Commonwealth Cup in Tchaikovsky, and after the January holidays at the fourth stage of the Russian Cup in Ryazan she won gold in the sprint and silver in the pursuit.
In an interview with Izvestia Polina Plusnina explained her successes and shared her opinion on what she needs to improve in order to be competitive at the World Cup when she has to compete there.
- What made you successful this winter?
- I joined the Yamal team, so I have added a lot. I have a different training plan. Other volumes, completely different work - these plans can't even be compared.
-Are you satisfied with the current season in general?
- Yes, the progress is obvious. But, of course, there is still room to grow. Especially we need to add more in the course. Besides, I think that I am still missing a lot in technique.
- In 2022, you just entered adult biathlon, but immediately you were suspended from international competitions. Are you looking forward to participating there?
- Yes, I'm looking forward to it. It is very disappointing that it happened. I feel bad for all the Russian and Belarusian athletes, who were suspended from international competitions. And for myself as well, because I had already expected to get to the big starts, as I had medals at the Junior World and European Championships, medals at the IBU Cup. Therefore, when I learned that we were suspended, I cried for two days. Thanks to my relatives and friends for calming me down. Now I aim only to perform at a high level inside Russia and, when we will be returned to international starts, to get there and compete for medals.
-Will it be hard there in the first starts?
- I haven't been there yet - at these top competitions. So I don't even know how it will be. Of course, I would like to compete at international starts, but I don't have such an opportunity yet. I asked some experienced girls who have competed at the Olympics how it feels.
- Who did you ask?
- Lera Pavlova, Zhenya Vasnetsova. Of course, from their words it's clear that the level is completely different at international starts. I realize it myself. The speeds there are completely different, we will have to adapt to it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to watch races at the World Cup yet. I don't even have time to review my own races, although I should do it in order to understand in more detail what I need to improve. But it is absolutely clear that if I get to the World Cup, I will definitely have to improve in many things. Especially, I repeat, in the course, because even in the pursuit race in Ryazan I became only the second with clean shooting, losing to Nastia Khalili, who had misses and penalty laps.
- Why did it happen like that?
- Because if you add sharply in the course, you can ruin your shooting. That's why my coaches and I try to add smoothly to the movement on the track, so that we don't miss the shooting part.
- Do you believe that in a year you will be able to compete on the international arena?
- I hope for it very much. But first I need to finish this season. I would like to finish it with a consistently good performance. Not to be sick and perform like I did in Ryazan. I need to keep myself in this shape. Of course, it is impossible to always be on top. Especially with the current tight calendar of the Russian Cup and the Commonwealth Cup, when I have to miss some starts, because my body is not iron. But I believe that I am able to be on the podium more than once during the rest of the season.
