Zhulin briefly took a break from his crazy speeches of the last days and spoke about figure skating:
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ТÑÐµÐ½ÐµÑ Ñемпионов миÑа в ÑанÑÐ°Ñ Ð½Ð° лÑÐ´Ñ ÐикÑоÑии СиниÑиной и ÐикиÑÑ ÐаÑалапова ÐлекÑÐ°Ð½Ð´Ñ ÐÑлин ÑообÑил, ÑÑо, ÑкоÑее вÑего, ÑигÑÑиÑÑÑ Ð·Ð°Ð²ÐµÑÑÐ°Ñ ÐºÐ°ÑÑеÑÑ Ð¿Ð¾Ñле ÑÑого Ñезона.
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The coach of world champions in ice dancing Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov Alexander Zhulin said that, most likely, the skaters will end their careers after this season.
- This season is difficult for Vika and Nikita, and for you, respectively. How do you keep your nerves?
- Seasons are difficult for all athletes. Someone has injuries, someone has covid, someone else has some problems. Yes, it's not easy. But I know one thing, that for a pair of Sinitsin and Katsalapov, the Olympic Games in Beijing are the pinnacle of their careers. I think they will put everything, like me, their coach, in order to get the maximum result.
- That is, during this season, there has never been a feeling of hopelessness?
- What hopelessness? Vice versa. Yes, there are problems, but the task of the coach and his students is to cope with them. We very correctly withdrew from the championship of Russia. Nikita drove up to me during a free dance training and said: “Sasha, I feel that everything. My back hurt." And I understand that if Nikita goes to the end in a free program, he can break his back, and this is 4-5 weeks without training. I immediately said: we must to withdrew only. And we did it.
Of course, we received a lot of minuses both from foreigners and from the federation, of course. Nobody likes when someone withdraw from competition. But I don't care. One pair is important to me - Sinitsina and Katsalapov, and that they function at the Olympic Games. It is important for me and for them that they withdraw at the moment when it is needed.
- You said that the Beijing Olympics would be the pinnacle of their careers for Vika and Nikita. That is, they will not go to the next Olympic cycle?
- They will finish. Nikita is 30 years old, Vika is 26. I think they will finish. Although if they tell me that they want to skate further, I will be extremely happy. The couple is simply unique, I adore them,” said Zhulin.