"I didn't see myself as a coach, I've already spent 20 years in the water"

At the end of June, two-time Olympic champion, five-time world champion Evgeny Rylov was elected president of the Swimming Federation of the Kirov region. In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, which we recorded at the opening of the new Uralchem Run Factory running space, Rylov talked about why he decided to become a functionary, whether there is a problem with the number of pools in the country and what awaits the leaders of our national team at the December 2026 World Cup in short water China.

"There are still two swimming pools in Russia where international competitions can be held"

— A couple of months ago, you were elected head of the Swimming Federation of the Kirov region. Is it difficult to make the transition from one path to another?

— It was a conscious step for me. In any case, I had already finished my career, and I had to look for myself.: how to transfer experience, how to continue to develop as a person. I think my new position is a great chance to prove something to myself and people, gain knowledge, and learn from my elders.

— Have you ever thought about working as a coach? Or did you immediately decide that you want to become a functionary at the end of your career?

— Honestly, I didn't see myself as a coach. I've already spent 20 years in the water. Even psychologically, I don't think I can handle the same period with an athlete. Especially if you set a goal to bring a young athlete to the Olympic Games. It is more pleasant and understandable to interact with coaches, negotiate opportunities for athletes in the region, and do good things for swimming and the Water Sports Federation. To promote and develop our sport.

— Dmitry Mazepin has been the head of the FVVSR for three years. A lot of changes have taken place during this time. Do you feel them from the inside?

— The simplest example: We are one of the first federations to fully return the flag and anthem. I don't think we can continue any further. And there are changes inside, too. I'm no longer an athlete to analyze deeply. But when I talk to the guys, I see that conditions at the bases have improved, there are more training camps, and it is possible to travel abroad more often, to the CIS countries. All this is necessary for training, swimming development and improving results.

— Mazepin recalled the times when Olimpiyskiy was available to swimmers in a 24-by-7 format. Do you think we can return to this, given that this complex now belongs to a private investor?

— Unfortunately, I did not study at the Olympic, I only participated in competitions. The Russian Championship used to be held there, and I always liked it there, it was comfortable to perform. Almost all of my personal records were set in that pool, so the memories are good. I hope that it will be possible to use the Olympic Stadium again for the highest—level starts, such as Russian championships and international tournaments. As for the legal and technical details, that's another matter. It is better to ask Dmitry Arkadyevich [Mazepin] here.

— For many years now, the main problem of Russian swimming has been the lack of high—level pools...

— If we talk about the international level, then, as far as I know, we still have two pools where we can hold international competitions — in Kazan and Yekaterinburg. The pool in St. Petersburg is more suitable for short water than long water.

— Is it not enough for such a big country?

— It's hard to say. There may not be many pools, but the question is different: swimming is a popular sport, but among amateurs. It is not as in demand on a professional level as, say, football, basketball or hockey. We don't have that much popularity with fans yet, but we've been making progress in recent years.

"To win, you need to go straight ahead, but not over your heads — I don't accept that at all"

Svetlana Romashina, head coach of the Russian synchronized swimming team, talks about the scandal with the Spaniards, the results of the World Cup and preparations for the Olympics

"There is one personal trainer in St. Petersburg"

— Yegor Kornev is currently impressive with his results. The other day in Tashkent, he set a world record in the 50 m butterfly at the Short Course World Cup, and a little earlier he repeated the world record of Australian Kyle Chalmers (44.84) in the 100 m freestyle, set in 2021.

— Egor is doing well, he is showing himself well, both physically and technically. He doesn't need to refine the practical aspects, which is why we see the results on the scoreboard. A person makes the most of his capabilities. We can only be happy for him and wish him good luck at the upcoming World Championships in China.

— Who else among the young people do you like and can claim high results?

— I'm watching Ivan Girev, my sparring partner. He seems to be getting into good shape now, and I want to wish him good luck. Who else would you name? Unfortunately, my new job makes it difficult to keep track of all the tournaments. The main thing is that I wish the guys to train calmly, without injuries and with good health. I am glad that they have the opportunity to spar with the strongest again, to compete at the World Cup stages — we haven't had this for a long time.

— Kornev was invited to train in the USA by Bob Bowman, but he stayed in his native St. Petersburg. Can we say that the strongest swimmer training school is there now?

- why? Can you list the students of the St. Petersburg school?

— Kirill Prigoda, Miron Lifimtsev, Andrey Minakov, Evgenia Chikunova...

— Now we can single out one personal trainer, Olga Nikolaevna Baidalova. All the guys in the leading roles from the Northern Capital are mostly Olga Nikolaevna's students. Therefore, it is difficult to talk about the St. Petersburg school as a whole: we can mention one strong coach.

As for Kirill Prigoda, he has been swimming for a long time, and unfortunately, this year he apparently had some kind of breakdown in preparation - he failed to show a good result at the European Championships.

— Can you single out any of the girls?

— Evgenia Chikunova consistently shows high results. She is already an experienced athlete. The other girls are also good at short distances. But so far it is difficult to single out one of them, like Egor Kornev. It's more a question of the preparatory factor, rather than the peak form. Egor Kornev, thanks to his physical data and results, seems to only continue to gain weight. We can expect new records from him. Most of the guys are starting out now, and then they will prepare for the World Cup.