"In Russia, cycling for most is to get to the store for bread"

Gulnaz Khatuntseva, a Russian cyclist from the Tula Marathon team, won bronze at the Olympic Games in Tokyo five years ago and considers this achievement to be the pinnacle of her career. She also has two European Championship golds to her credit. This fall, competitions are starting, for which points will be awarded for qualifying for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But Khatuntseva's attempts to get a neutral status and qualify for the Olympics have so far been unsuccessful. In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, the athlete assessed her chances of getting to the main start of the quadrennial, stated the lack of gender equality in Russian cycling and explained why it became difficult and dangerous for her to train in Moscow.

"There are only three indoor tracks in Russia for a huge country"

— The other day it was exactly five years after your bronze medal race in the Madison discipline at the 2021 Games. What are your memories of that success?

— I perceive that bronze as gold: I got it with great difficulty. It was a major day, if not in my life, then certainly in my career. The Olympics are always something special.

Those Games were postponed for a year, and I just had a daughter. It was a chance for me. Hard preparation — you don't get enough sleep at night, you try to put the child to bed at the same time. Now you're thinking, "What kind of woman are you?" A long, grueling selection, we arrived at the place — all the training in the mountains, no plains.

I didn't feel the atmosphere of the Olympics itself. We competed in the town of Izu outside Tokyo, and everything was quiet and friendly there. But as soon as you arrive at the track, the mood is immediately different, the competition. I remember how I started to accelerate at the finish line of Madison, I told Masha Novolodskaya, my partner: "Let's go!" They say, this is our chance, we must not miss it!

At such moments, it's like you have blinders on your head, and you give yourself to the limit. It's a strong feeling, especially when these efforts pay off.

And in the first seconds after the finish... I've never been so devastated in my life. Even now, goosebumps. And then there was joy and tears when the realization came. You know: that's it, happiness! You've worked and sacrificed a lot for years for a reason.

I remember when we were awarded, we hung up the medals so proudly, standing in the mixed zone with our chests forward. And at the end of all the interviews, I was already so hunched over: a heavy medal! But it's one thing when you hear stories about it, and another when you feel it yourself.…

— Has this award helped to popularize cycling in Russia?

Probably not, and I would like to say a few words about it. I really want our sport to become more popular. Moreover, it is one of the few places where Russia has medals at all the Olympic Games, with the exception of Paris 2024. Not to mention the entertainment of the track with its contact and tactical combat!

It is clear that football is more popular, no one argues with this. Of course, we don't have Europe, where there are big contracts, but people are ready to turn on broadcasts. But much can be done even now.

—Like what?"

— It is important to build infrastructure. There are only three indoor tracks in Russia for a huge country: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Omsk, which means that it is very expensive for children who would like to study to get to training and competitions.

In Moscow, and many people talked about it, the canvas is occupied by amateurs. It's mostly us in Tula on the outdoor track, and it's a paradise to ride in the city. Kaluga highway is a wide shoulder, a fairy tale. There are also plenty of narrow roads, a variety. And there aren't many motorists. All this does not mean that fans should be removed, but, of course, I would like more tracks. Moreover, our cyclists constantly bring medals from the Olympics, world and European championships.

It is also important not to drive cyclists off the roads. I played for the Moscow national team, and I remember perfectly well how recently there were no problems with the Olympic ring in Krylatskoye — yes, we walked there with children and dogs, but we somehow got separated. We drove through Rublyovskoye highway calmly, on weekends we could go to Kievskoye highway, and ride along Mnevniki.

But over time, things got more complicated. Roads are being repaired and signs are being put up that cyclists are undesirable on them. It is difficult to train in Moscow and even dangerous. Although, it seems to me, we can find a common language with motorists. We just have to be kinder to each other.

Of course, we need to make cycling popular and unite with amateurs. I come from a poor family, from a small village in Bashkortostan, our parents have seven children. And if I had to buy the equipment myself when I had a choice — to buy groceries or a bike for my daughter, I would never have won the Olympics.

But the federation has now started working with amateurs — this is massive. Look at how the bike parades go: they block the Garden Ring. There are a lot of them, they are great. You can see how people's eyes are burning, how they get high. People don't like overlapping on the days of our championships either, and that's understandable.

For our part, we want to cause less inconvenience. Perhaps we need to team up with amateurs — to hold events for locals during the competition, entertain people and invite a cycling party. Because in Russia, cycling for most is to get on a bike and go to the store for bread.

"We are very far from equality in cycling"

— Are top Russian racers actively promoting their discipline?

— Recently I was at a bike exhibition, where I had a discussion with amateurs — a triathlete, a cyclist and a girl who does co-rides. And they voiced an interesting thought: professional athletes have a problem with media coverage. We don't talk much about ourselves, we don't spread much, we're shy about something. They don't even know the Olympic medalists.

Although everything is relative, many of us don't know popular bloggers either. It is difficult for an athlete to shoot content, it is not suitable for everyone. I don't like living with photos and selfies either, I want to live in reality. Perhaps it should be done by professionals.

Dmitry Guberniev is an expert in biathlon, and Dmitry Zanin is an expert in gymnastics. We lack such an enthusiast in cycling. If fans are better friends with the content, maybe we should entrust them with the rise of our sport.

— Do men and women have the same number of starts?

— Men in Russia have a lot of cycling trips — across Lake Ladoga, the Caucasus, the "Five Rings of Moscow". Women don't have a single full-fledged multi-day trip. There is another trend in the world — along with the men's race, the women's race is constantly being held, and now the women's Tour de France is underway. It is clear that men's cycling is more popular, and therefore women's cycling has become more popular. This year, the federation launched the "Gold of Ladoga" for amateurs, which is very cool. But what about the women's race?

We are very far from equality in cycling. This year, half of the women's races were canceled at the Russian Cup in Maykop in April, although people came from all over Russia and spent money. People finish without racing, but a girl wants to build a family and give birth. We need at least one women's cycling race. Moreover, as statistics show, our cycling is now being dragged by women.

— Do you still have motivation to continue?

— After Tokyo, my goal was to go to Paris, win a gold medal there and finish my career. But it happened as it happened. Last November, I applied for neutral status. It's August, and I haven't received an answer. She asked our federation to help, wrote letters to the international federation, and attached screenshots... There is zero reaction from the UCI. I'm not writing anymore, I'm almost resigned. It's a sad situation for me. At least let them answer something, because uncertainty is even worse than rejection. Either to quit, or to prepare. Of course, I would like to go to Los Angeles in 2028, but the Olympic points set starts in the fall.

"That sounds sad." Do you have a plan B?

— I have been working for the Athletes' commission of the Russian Olympic Committee for a year now. Whenever possible, we try to help solve problems. If we don't solve it, then at least we'll pass the situation on to the management, we can make it public.

A fresh example, albeit a specific one: this season, for many athletes, the main start is the Spartakiad. It has a regional score, and, for example, in sailing, a pair crew must be represented strictly by one subject according to the regulations. It turns out that we need to split them up, and then it's useless to speak out — people have been getting used to each other for years. Four years ago, they just gave me half the glasses, which is logical. We are trying to resolve the issue now. Not everyone has heard about our commission, but you should know that athletes can always contact us.