Anastasia Bryzgalova and Alexander Krushelnitsky’s coach commented on the team’s victory over Norway in the bronze match of the Olympic games.
– You don’t seem like a sentimental person, but I saw you almost crying when the guys won.
Yes, I did.
– When was the last time you cried?
I don’t know. I don’t remember.
– The victory in the world Cup caused such emotions?
It’s different, it’s fast. The semi-finals, then the finals, there was no time to cry. Night game, sleep, semifinals in the morning , then a break to drink tea, eat cookies. It was different. All these expectations, experiences, and even yesterday’s game…
– Well, are you happy now?
At the moment yes.
– Did you see yesterday’s throw in your dream?
Me?
– The guys.
I don’t think they slept at all.
– Did Nastya’s fall scare you?
No, I did not have time to worry. She stood up, smiled, and I knew it was okay.
– What was the idea of a time-out in the final end?
We’ve been a long time together. We know each other, trust each other. In sports, we do not hide anything from each other. That was the idea. They called to help the man who has been working with them for three years. They themselves knew what to do. But they needed a man simply to support and share the responsibility.
– How would you comment the game?
The game was completely under the control of our team. What other comments could there be? The key point was when we made a mistake and they didn’t take advantage. And after that our guys did not let the Norwegians ahead. The key point is the start, 3: 0.
– Can we say that this is one of the best matches they played at a high level?
Yeah. If you take the world Championships and the Olympic Games, then, of course, yes.
– Maybe even the best?
You know, the semifinals and finals at the world championship were probably the best.
– Russian Curling never had Olympic medals yet. Do you feel like you’re making history?
Of course, I do. And we have been doing it since 2016. We were the first to win gold at the world championship befor. Sure we do.
– They’re a couple. Does it make the job easier or harder?
With these guys it makes it easier. There is some mutual understanding. I don’t know how it happened. There was a new set of players, all talked, offered to change partners, all agreed. We started talking with Nastya and Sasha, they said, that they were not going to change. We’ll play only like this. Okay, okay. We – coaches – believed in them, they believed in us. No innuendo, it was all fair. They had to go a hard way to get to the top, but they were not abandoned, they supported. And they believed.
– They sometimes turn on each other…
It’s bad. Look, in the last two Games they stopped doing that and the quality of the game immediately increased.
– Did you make any conclusions from what has happened? After all, you hoped for more.
Yes, of course. We have to deal with the nerves. We worked with psychologists. Do not you think that we have abandoned this work. It means that something somewhere was missing.
– Did your heart gave a leap when the Norwegians’ ‘gift’ in the seventh end?
Well I thought that we won already. And it’s all vice versa. With the Swiss team we had positive difference in personal games, but with the Norwegians on the contrary negative. Two times they lost in the finals. But today the Norwegians’ were absolutely uncertain. Our guys crushed them.
– If before the Olympics you were told that we would win bronze, what would you feel?
I’d say I want better results. I can definitely say that these guys were worthy to play in the final.
