St. Petersburg swimmer Andrey Shabasov: In long course I like to be patient and in short course I like to dive

The St. Petersburg swimmer was at the breaking point but he still managed to meet the qualifying time and to earn a berth for this December’s Short Course Europeans.

– Are you pleased with your result?

– Yes, it’s quite good; it’s my personal best.

– What do the national championships mean to you?

– We’ve been preparing for this competition but without going to any extremity: roughly speaking, I swam unshaved. We’ve been gearing up but not like it was the last competition in my life.

– You placed third in the 100m backstroke. What went wrong?

 – Basically, everything turned out well. It’s just we haven’t focused on this particular race and other swimmers were more prepared and stronger than me. I performed on a very good level – it was not perfect but it was fine.

– What is short course for you?

– There are many recoveries here; I like doing them and I’m quite good at it. I’m glad that Stas Donets competes here as well; he makes very good recoveries – he’s a great example for me because he’s considered to be the best in it. I always enjoy swimming short course. In long course I like to be patient and in short course I like to dive.

– What mood will be in while gearing up for the Europeans?

– In the best mood that can ever be. Of course, most people say that the nationals are not a big deal. For example, Yulia Efimova does not compete at the Russian championships; she says she’s going to miss it. My coach says that this competition is good for putting me in the right mood, for working out. Sure enough, we all want to take podium spots at the Europeans and even to grab gold. But it’s nothing more than a practice: it’s all about luck but I will still work hard.

– What about the 50m race?

– The 50m race is like a lottery game. I prefer long courses like the 200m medley which is more challenging and you can practice some tactics. But in 50 metres the one with the fastest reaction wins. The 50 metres is just 26 seconds. It’s a perfect course: it’s easier to endure 26 seconds than 2 minutes. Everyone has a different tactics: some take off faster but finish slower, others the other way round. That’s the reason why I find the 200m race more exciting. Everyone swims in different ways. And 50 metres are as simple as that: you get what you get. 

Press Office of Executive Directorate for Sports Projects