Irina Abysova: the victory at the Russian championships gives me a chance to receive grant of “The Russian Olympians Foundation” and freedom

On June, 10, at the Russian Triathlon championships the participant of the Olympic Games 2008, 29-year old Irina Abysova from Moscow won in classical, “Olympic triathlon” (swimming 1,5 km +cycling 40 km + cross 10 km). Irina Abysova commented her success to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

- Irina, seems you are in great shape. Why yesterday you didn’t  participate in the race with individual start?
- Because from the beginning I focused on and prepared to the classical Olympic race. It was the main goal. The rest targets weren’t interesting for me.

- How difficult was the distance for you? When you started swimming, it was raining, and the moment you were finishing the sun was shining.
- It occurred, that today I felt excellent absolutely in all the events. I didn’t feel any discomfort. I had such a plan: first to make a gap from the main group in swimming and then not to lose it in cycling. I was completely satisfied with the situation when by the running stage three leaders headed the race.

- What were you thinking about, while you were leaving for the running stage together with Olga Dmitrieva and Anastasia Polyanskaya?
- I was thinking that I had already won. I was absolutely sure in my victory. I was sure, for which result I was ready in cross, and I realized that for the moment nobody runs faster than me in Russia. Practically, in my heart I was celebrating the victory (laughing).

- Before the beginning of the Russian championships I have heard the opinion that we shouldn’t count on you in this season.
- I haven’t heard this point of view. Everybody knew that after the Olympic Games I didn’t train for almost half a year. To say more precisely, not “practically”, but I didn’t train at all. I began the first trainings only at the beginning of March, when many members of the team were already going to compete at the first starts in this season. And I “collected” myself only in the middle of June.

- Did you plan such a long vocation?
- Yes. Last year was very difficult for me in preparation and selection to the Olympic Games. And by the end of the year I had neither physical nor moral resources left. So I decided to take complete rest from sports.

- Are you still training with your husband Igor Sysoev?
- Yes, nothing has changed. Sometimes we go together to the common training camps of the national team, but we work anyway according to our own plans. And this year we decided to reduce the training volumes - it’s impossible to spend all the seasons in such tempo. Nevertheless, personally for me the main target was to win the Russian championships.

- And why the Russian championships? Because of the vanity reasons?
- No, it is not about the vanity. The victory at the Russian championships gives, at first, opportunity to receive the salary and the grant of “The Russian Olympians Foundation”; second, some freedom. For the moment, I can choose for myself where to go and where to compete.