"Judo is not about political conflicts, we are one family"

The Russian national judo team returned to Moscow from Baku, where the World Cup was held. For the first time since 2021, Russian athletes competed at a tournament of this level under the national flag and with the national anthem. The main hero of the competition was 28-year-old heavyweight Inal Tasoev, who won gold in the over 100 kg weight category and silver in the team championship. This victory made him a three-time world champion. In an interview with Izvestia, the judoka told how performing under the Russian flag differs from participating in a neutral status, how he manages to keep fit without giving up Ossetian cuisine, and what is necessary to win the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

— Is it a big difference to compete in the World Cup under your own flag after a long break compared to traveling in a neutral status?

— Of course, this is a huge difference. I represent my country and I have to represent my flag and listen to my anthem when I stand on the podium after winning gold. I've won a lot of tournaments as a neutral. And you know, the taste of these victories seems to have dulled a little. And now, in the last year, when the flag and anthem were returned to us, it was a completely new feeling. It's like I've never experienced them. It's not like I've forgotten them during the absence of our flag and anthem at international competitions. I haven't forgotten them, I just miss them.

— Can we say that thanks to this, we have now received a new emotional charge for the coming years, in particular, for the Olympics in Los Angeles?

- of course. I feel really good. Better than a year ago. God forbid that it continues like this. I'm improving in some aspects of the training process. But that's why we're athletes, that we have to grow and only get stronger.

— What was it like for you to perform in Baku, relatively close to Russia and, in particular, your native North Ossetia?

— I always perform well in Baku. My first World Championship medal was there, a bronze in the team competition in 2018. I also won the Grand Slam there. — Ed.) in 2023. This is a good city for me. Thank you for his hospitality, including at the last World Cup. The people there welcomed us well.

Beautiful and catchy: Russians won six medals at the World Judo Championships

Inal Tasoev became a three-time winner of the World Cup gold, and the women's national team set a historical record.

— Do many judoists from the current national team say that the support of Russians from the stands was special in the capital of Azerbaijan?

— Yes, a lot of people came to support us. There were a lot of our guys in the stands. People came to Baku to relax. And when they found out that the World Cup was taking place there at that time, they bought tickets, came to the stands and cheered for us. They had our flags from somewhere (smiles). It seems to me that our team could compete with the Azerbaijani fans in this regard. Because there were a lot of Russian flags in the stands.

— Usually, the suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus is justified by the organizers by the fact that there may be security problems due to a possible negative reaction from the stands. Can we say that in the case of the judoka, has this argument been refuted since the return of the flag?

— Yes, that's all right. Not only the local public, the host party had no negative attitude towards us, but also the other guys from among the participants of the competition. They respect us, and we fight them. The philosophy of judo says that we are one family. A big judo family. It is popularly called the Judo Family. Judo is a little bit about something other than some kind of political conflicts.

— So it's impossible to imagine in judo that someone would refuse to compete with you for political reasons, as the Polish national football team did in 2022 and athletes do in a number of other sports?

— No, no, no, no. We won't have that in judo.

— What are you planning to do in the first few days after returning from the World Cup?

— There is a ritual after such competitions: to have a delicious meal in your small homeland — traditional Ossetian pies. While I'm in Moscow, I have business in the capital, but here, too, I'll go to one of my favorite restaurants and have a delicious meal.

— In Moscow or St. Petersburg, when you go to restaurants of Ossetian cuisine, do you feel the difference in how they cook compared to your native republic?

— Well, Ossetia is where I grew up. This is the land that nurtured me so much (laughs). I'm used to the local food. But in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and all over Russia, the food is not much different. We cook well everywhere. But it tastes a little better at home in Ossetia.

— Does it take you a long time to get in shape when you start eating local food after a competition?

— And I keep the balance right away. Relatively speaking, I'll eat pies tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow I'll go for a run. And I'll calmly lose weight.

— What do you need to do to win Olympic gold in Los Angeles?

— Continue working. Not the same as now, but to add even more. There is a very strong competition in our weight class. Young people are growing up there. She also becomes strong and sturdy. It's hard to fight her with every tournament. That's why we should never stop. And you have to be a cut above and stronger than others.