Denis Tikhomirov believes, that in the future the track constructed in Moscow for the Board Cross World Cup stage should be used to prepare young athletes. President of the Russian Snowboard Federation and head coach of the national team, expressed his gratitude to the ROC for assistance resolving organizational issues which occurred when Nikolai Olyunin was injured at the Olympic Games.
– It took us quite an effort to create a Board Cross track, but we sought to conduct a World Cup stage in Moscow, so that this discipline had future in the capital, said Denis Tikhomirov in an interview with the ROC Information Service. – After all it is an Olympic discipline, and it is going to develop. Team races were conducted in Krylatskoye. These races are not often staged in the framework of the World Cup, but they are actively promoted by Americans.
Unfortunately, due to injuries our leading athletes were unable to attend the competition. Among them were the silver prize-winner of the Sochi Olympic Games Nikolay Olyunin. It is a misfortune since the alignment was tooled for him, thus he probably would have given a great performance! But we can not cancel the event due to its absence.
However, our efforts were not in vain. In the Lata Track complex, where the competition was held, 40 thousand cubic meters of snow were prepared on time, as required. The new track has turns and big jumps, and the roll section. Both the representative of the management of the International Ski Federation and the athletes were satisfied. On the one hand, now we expect to conduct Board Cross stages in Moscow, on the other, we assume to use the track for preparation of athletes. So, next week juniors will train here.
Today none of the sports schools in Moscow has Board Cross departments. We talked with the administration of the RGS – Capital and agreed that it was necessary to master this field as well.
– Olyunin broke his leg in three places and torn meniscus. How is he now?
– It is hard to say. At the moment we just want him to rest after what he has gone through and recover.
– How much time did Nikolay spend in the Korean hospital where surgery was performed?
– About two weeks. He arrived home together with his wife separately from our sports delegation on a direct regular flight. The ROC resolved the issue of his transfer. And before that it also provided all kinds of assistance. In my opinion, the delegation headquarters worked perfectly well.
– Last Saturday Alena Zavarzina took the second place in the Parallel Slalom at the World Cup in Scuola, a week earlier Milena Bykova won in the Parallel Giant Slalom at the stage in the Kayseri, Turkey. It is nice, but I think it’s a shame that they failed to win a medal in Pyeongchang?
– It certainly is. Unfortunately, at the Olympic Games Zavarzina had only one chance. It’s not like in biathlon or skiing, where one athlete can take part in several races. Of course, I wish that the parallel slalom would return to the Olympic program (after Sochi-2014 there is only a huge parallel slalom), and a team slalom race. Snowboard is a self-sufficient discipline, which is practiced in many countries. In addition, slalom competitions are not only interesting, but also the least expensive from a financial point of view. There is an influx of young people into our sport in Russia.