Andrei Rodionenko, the head coach of the Russian national team, was one of the four people at the training center in Novogorsk who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Rodionenko reported that he had no symptoms and later took another test that came back negative but, as the rest of the national team, he is currently quarantined at home. He talked to Soviet Sport about what the quarantine means for the team.
A: The training process has been interrupted until things get better, people went back home and got individual assignments. They do what they are able to at home. Everyone was notified about it. In this regard, we will wait for better times.
Q: Is there some sort of a training plan or athletes do what they consider necessary?
A: You could have heard the plan on TV – to stay home, be disciplined, and only leave the apartment if necessary. Regarding the athletic component, there are many recommendations from personal coaches now. They’re maintaining the general conditioning, the fitness. The rest can be found online – there are exercises you can do sitting in a chair or lying down, there are some for older people and for younger ones. Our guys and girls have such reserves of exercises that if they will do all of it, this time will not go to waste. Of course, something will be lost but at such times, you can sacrifice something.
Q: Perhaps, gymnasts have some home exercises?
A: All the exercises have to be done at the gym, in a normal time and in a normal situation. But now’s the time when it’s hard to talk about what normal is. I think the whole country needs to be patient and adhere to all the recommendations or doctors and specialists and stay as active physically as possible at home. I think that during this time, it would be good to work on the theory, since we have lots of drills for learning new elements, so it’s possible to learn, to watch, to read. Today, we watched lots of elements that gymnasts from different countries are learning. And it’s possible to learn what was done in the last few years while preparing for the Olympics. And then to move from theory to practice. After all, when we gather after the end of the difficult period, everyone can share how they spent the time, what they achieved theoretically and what part of their past fitness they managed to preserve. I think it’s possible and even needed to spend this time productively.
Q: In some sports, there is online training. Are you thinking about doing something like that?
A: We’ve just recently left the training center in Novogorsk and some only reached their homes today. Only the day before yesterday, we had verifications and tests. Now everyone got home, they’ll sort things out, we’ll have a call and learn the conditions in which the gymnasts are – after all, they all have to be quarantined for two weeks, which adds certain details to the situation. So, I think it’s better not to rush. We have to get what’s possible out of this period that would be useful. Everyone needs to be patient.
Q: What’s the team’s mood?
A: The mood is great. We know that due to the postponement of the Olympics, the competition calendar has been changed and we will have quite a few competitions that are part of the Olympic qualification. For example, the Apparatus World Cups, the All-Around World Cups and a very important competition that ends the qualification – for us, it’s the European Championships.
Q: Is Sergei Naidin also in a great mood?
A: Of course. He got into this situation – well, fine. I spoke to his personal coach practically half an hour ago and, knowing Sergei’s individual traits, I asked him to prepare a special exercise program for the conditions he’s in. We are in touch all the time, several times a day. The most important thing for him is to stay active, because the room is small there and he need to use this time productively – he’s young, he’s growing. He has to understand this.
Q: Can you comment on the news that you were commuting from Novogorsk to train at Round Lake? Could that have posed an additional risk in terms of getting infected?
A: We did everything that we were allowed to do. And all the official orders were legal and appropriate. But it’s important to understand that Round Lake is suitable for artistic gymnastics in all aspects, there are specialized gyms there, while in Novogorsk, we could only do conditioning, this is a fundamental difference.
Q: Have you had thoughts to follow Irina Viner’s example and leave the team in Novogorsk, even if without you?
A: I had no thoughts of leaving Novogorsk until I got instructed that the training camp was over and the athletes had to go home.
Q: Are you feeling well?
A: Let’s hope so. As they say, through the help of your prayers.
Q: Can you comment on the news that the result of your second coronavirus test was negative?
A: Let’s live in tomorrow and not in yesterday.
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