Olympic champion Anton Shipulin arrived in Yekaterinburg three weeks before the start of the Biathlon World Cup in Sweden. Today Anton will leave for Tyumen to continue his preparations. Anton was brought to Yekaterinburg by a noble goal - his charitable foundation.
I can't help but ask about the new season. The Biathlon World Cup begins on November 29. Last year you came second. Are you ready to become the champion this time?
I trained a lot. Did a lot of work on bugs. It must give results.
- Which mistakes?
- Last season we could have been better at shooting. The coach and I worked on the technique, changed it a little in terms of breathing and movements. I strive for perfection. If we talk about forecasts for the season, I don’t know if my opponents are ready, but I did my best and will try. I hope everything works out as I planned.
- What will happen in the documentary?
- You need to ask the authors. We filmed a lot of material when I was in Yakutia. There will be a big interview, a lot of videos from the training camp, how I train, how I communicate.
- Did you really take part in the Yakut ritual?
- Journalists have already hyped it up like that. In fact, I went to the village of Khatystyr to communicate with local residents. They greeted me so well! I think there was no purification ceremony there. The guys and I were just doing a round dance. It was fun, we were warming up so much. I was very pleased to take part in their folk dances.
-You have a very unusual new rifle.
- For my own reasons, I made a dragon and painted it this color. I won't tell you what this means. I am a superstitious person, this is important to me.
- Is it true that you don’t let anyone touch her?
- During the season - yes. Now, maybe I’ll allow it again. But when the season starts, I’m ready to bite my hand off.
You have been involved in charity work for five years now. Now, then in. Why do you need this? How is biathlete Anton Shipulin different from other philanthropists?
- Now I have popularity. I use it so that we can do as many good deeds as possible. I look into the eyes of the guys we help and see that they are really happy. This is the best motivation for me. When I was invited to the foundation, I was only 23 years old. After I visited the orphanage, talked with the children, saw their life situation, I wanted to change something. People really can do a lot. But most sit and do nothing. I want to show by example that together we can achieve more.
- How difficult is it to raise money? Are people willing to donate to your fund?
- It is very difficult to raise money. Especially now, in such an unstable situation. Many sponsors are starting to refuse for obvious reasons. Of course, there are kind people who are happy to help. But the majority of whom we turn to and who have the means do not want to help us, citing their own reasons. But we still try. It is with the help of the media that we attract as many people as possible. We are not collecting money for ourselves. Every month I contribute from my own pocket to the fund. You have no idea how often people turn to us for help! More than 30 requests come in a month. I'm very upset that we can't help everyone.
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- Do people only contact you about sports topics?
- No, people come to us with different questions, but we have chosen our direction. So as not to spray. The foundation helps children who want to play sports, but do not have the opportunity. The foundation has a charter, which is registered with the Ministry of Justice, and we cannot deviate from this charter. Therefore, we work within our own framework. Our main goal is to win children over to our side. At an age before consciousness has fully formed, you can pick up the guys - and pull them away from beer and cigarettes to the side of a healthy lifestyle, where a good future awaits them.
Dragons, snow leopards, mountain goats and other drawings presented by biathlon heroes.
Creative from an Olympic champion Alexey Volkov– a speckled bed (or polka dot).
A strict version from the biathlon legend - Emil Hegle Svensen. Which, it is possible, is starting the last season of his career.
Perhaps the most original design of the rifle is Anton Shipulin and his enchanted dragon weapon. The leader of the Russian team explained: “The idea is that when preparing, I hold the dragon by the throat. I hold it tenderly, suffocating it a little.” Who is cooler - Anton or Volkov?
Timofey Lapshin I painted the rifle almost the color of the new () uniform - blue-orange.
Weapon of the three-time European champion Alexey Slepov– blue with a butt in tricolor.
Another option in national motifs is a glossy blue rifle Kaisa Mäkäräinen. The two-time World Cup winner revealed the concept: “I wanted something new after several seasons with a golden butt. It turned out quite Finnish, I like it!”
Weapon of the silver medalist of the Sochi Games Selina Gasparin: “My rifle is fire!” Enjoy the play of colors from the base to the butt.
Selina's younger sisters also approached the design with imagination.
Eliza:“I love the mountains. And the horns of a mountain goat are a reminder of home. This is a symbol of our town and the personification of strength.”
Aita:“I have a snow leopard on the stock of my rifle. Fast and strong – this is how a biathlete should be.”
White color is gaining popularity. The fashion started, it seems, from Tarjei Bo several years ago. This season, the leader of the Czech team, three-time medalist of the Sochi Games, will compete with snow-white weapons Ondrej Moravec….
And one of the most recognizable biathletes in the world, a married Italian Dorothea Wierer, who said goodbye to a black rifle in the off-season.
The Russian biathlete told how he managed to win the Christmas race together with Ekaterina Yurlova, and promised to please the fans with new victories in the New Year.
Alexander Levit
It’s just great to perform in such an arena, with such a huge number of spectators,” says Anton. – I’m very pleased with the race, very happy about the victory. Everything went just great, Katya and I are great!
Well done, you ran well today and shot just great.
Today I’m actually very pleased with my shooting – I shot almost one hundred percent. At the last stage of the World Cup, not everything worked out on the lines. But at the training camp I worked with the weapon and, in principle, probably corrected a lot. And with running... In the second part of the competition, in the pursuit, I ran better than in the mass start. It felt like I could have run a couple more laps. On the last lap, at first I saved my strength for the finishing fight. But when I saw that I was walking alone, I relaxed and just calmly finished.
From the outside it seemed that you were generally quite calm throughout the race.
I really liked it today that I was able to completely abstract myself from the external situation, completely concentrate on the race, completely concentrate on shooting. This made me happy. We need to remember this moment and use it in competitions. Because today everything turned out great: it was just me, the rifle and the target.
Katya Yurlova, who only found out a week ago that she would compete in Gelsenkirchen, said that winning the Christmas race was truly fantastic, that she could not imagine not only that she would win, but that she would simply compete here? Could you?
Could - what? – Anton laughs. – What will I do in Gelsenkirchen or what will I win? That I will compete as best I could: I received the invitation to this race a long time ago, at the end of summer. And in principle, I was prepared in advance; I had long wanted to take part in this show race with the largest number of spectators in biathlon. As for winning... Let's put it this way: I really wanted to win.
We won. And how will you view this victory? How is it a successful finish to the outgoing year, or a successful start to the year 2013?
I would, of course, like to enroll it as a 2013 start. But today, alas, is only December 29th. So, in fairness, this victory should be considered the result of the outgoing year. I think it’s very good that Katya and I ended the year on such a high note. I hope that from the first races of the new year we will begin to delight both ourselves and our fans with victories.
The Christmas race is, on the one hand, a show. But, on the other hand, it always assembles a very decent lineup, and it only takes place once a year - that is, much less often than the World Cup stages. You probably want to win it more? Moreover, before you, the Russians won here only twice?
You know, you want to win every race you start. Another thing is that at all kinds of show races I relax, they are much easier for me to run than at the World Cup stages. We should learn to treat the races humorously, positively, just like a show at official starts - and then, I think, it will work out better.
Is it really possible to learn this?
I'll try. And I hope that I will achieve this.
The winners of the Christmas Race are traditionally invited to participate next year. Will you come?
If they invite me, I will definitely come. And I can say that we will prepare for the 2013 Christmas race in all seriousness and will try to repeat today’s success - so that we will be invited here again.
Dragons, snow leopards, mountain goats and other drawings presented by biathlon heroes.
A strict version from the biathlon legend - Emil Hegle Svensen. Which, it is possible, is starting the last season of his career.
Perhaps the most original design of the rifle is Anton Shipulin and his enchanted dragon weapon. The leader of the Russian team explained: “The idea is that when preparing, I hold the dragon by the throat. I hold it tenderly, suffocating it a little.”
Gloss blue rifle Kaisa Mäkäräinen. The two-time World Cup winner revealed the concept: “I wanted something new after several seasons with a golden butt. It turned out quite Finnish, I like it!”
Weapon of the silver medalist of the Sochi Games Selina Gasparin: “My rifle is fire!” Enjoy the play of colors from the base to the butt.
Selina's younger sisters also approached the design with imagination.
Eliza:“I love the mountains. And the horns of a mountain goat are a reminder of home. This is a symbol of our town and the personification of strength.”
Aita:“I have a snow leopard on the stock of my rifle. Fast and strong – this is how a biathlete should be.”
White color is gaining popularity. The fashion started, it seems, from Tarjei Bo several years ago. This season, the leader of the Czech team, three-time medalist of the Sochi Games, will compete with snow-white weapons Ondrej Moravec.
And one of the most recognizable biathletes in the world, a married Italian Dorothea Wierer, who said goodbye to a black rifle in the off-season.
Creative from an Olympic champion Alexey Volkov– a speckled bed (or polka dot).
