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SWIMMING. Gennady Turetsky: “I am working with Komarova to see her at the top of the Olympic pedestal”
Gennady Turetsky is a particular figure in the world swimming. He made Alexander Popov the four--time Olympic Champion. He trained the Australian team. Recently he headed the Switzerland team as the head coach. The English men are trying to get him for preparation for the Olympic Games 2012 in London. And only from Russia there is no specific offer. However he works with the Russian athletes free of charge. He has been consulting Igor Marchenko already for several years. He agreed to train our only medalist of the Olympic Games 2004 Stanislava Komarova. At the All--Russian Championships in St. Petersburg his new pupil was the third at the distance 100 m. and only the fifth on her favorite distance 200 m. In the exclusive interview Gennady Turetsky told about the perspectives of Komarova, Switzerland team and generosity of the English men to the special correspondent of the Agency of sport information “All Sport” Nataly Maryanchik.-- Genady Genadievich, the first question is obvious: What is going on with Stasya?
-- And what is wrong with her? Nothing special happened with her during the Russian Championships. We didn’t prepare to that start specially, there is no sense to waste oneself for the intermediate aim for the moment. Yes, for the moment Stasya physically isn’t ready to swim on the World record’s level, she isn’t ready even to swim her personal best. I realized it very well she wouldn’t solve any great tasks in St. Petersburg. If it was box I would never have let her start. But in the swimming pool there is nothing to be afraid of!
-- What have you been doing during the trainings recently?
-- I would call it the rehabilitation. I need 8-9 months of the serious work to lead Stasya to the normal level. Till now Stasya has been getting used to my demands, life in Switzerland. Certainly I understand: it is very difficult for her, as for any other young person, to change her everyday life, stay without friends, far away from home. It is difficult, but if you do your best it’s possible. She just needs to work in this direction.
-- Are you still thinking about the Olympic Gold?
-- First of all Stasya must make the decision herself: what for does she need this gold and what is she ready to sacrifice for it? The preparation for the Olympic Games isn’t just much training and thousands hours of work. It is way of life. For the moment I am not annoyed with Stasya, she is doing everything right. Just the situation needs her to be firmly resolved. We don’t think about 100 m. for the moment, it is impossible to make double at the Olympic Games. But on the 200 m. distance everything goes according to our plan. Stasya has time to think it over till September.
-- Does it mean that Stasya hasn’t decided yet what she wants?
-- I would say she has intention. You just think she will have to swim 2000 km. to prepare for the Olympic Games. Not to run, not to go by cycle, but to swim! Personally I want Stasya be alright. I will be happy to see our beautiful girl at the top of the pedestal. I am working with her for it. If on my question “Do you need it?” she answers “Yes”, I will tell her: “Then put your head down into the water and swim!”
-- Can your decision to become the head coach of the Switzerland team prevent your work with Komarova?
-- Actually I am working as the head coach since last September. Just for the moment the Swimming Federation and the Olympic Committee of the country have the means to make my contract correspond to my work. The contract is current and can be broken any moment with any reason. But certainly I have moral obligations to work at least till the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing. And how do I manage to do it? I am just standing on the side of the pool and working!
-- Have you already found the assistants to the Switzerland team?
-- I need a lot extra help. It is very difficult to solve alone organizational problems, and to train the athletes. For the moment I have two assistants and I have the right to invite one more. There are also two free posts with the coach’s grants. It includes the money for living and food in the Olympic center -- but without salary. To my mind it is a good job for a young specialist.
-- Are you thinking about somebody from the Russian experts?
-- I need a young coach, initiative, with wish to learn. Certainly, the post is free also for the Russian experts. I have always told them in the Federation, if they want to send a group of athletes to train in Switzerland, it is always better to send them with the coach. In that case the work will be more productive, and I get help.
-- What Olympic tasks has the Switzerland Swimming Federation set to you for the Olympic Games in Beijing?
-- We have to understand: there are a lot of participants at the Olympic Games, but only a few won medals. If at the Olympic Games 1956 in Melbourne the swimmers from 37 countries took part, for the moment there are more than 160 countries in swimming! The aim minimum for the Switzerland athletes is to get into the evening program of the competitions, to get to the semi--finals and finals. If there will be 10 persons out of 16 in the semi--final I will be satisfied.
-- Is it really interesting for you to solve such tasks?
-- We have one--two athletes who will be able to compete for the medals. It is much easier to work with the elite athletes. Such persons always have experience, responsibility, independence. The coach who works with them is responsible only for 10 per cent from the result, no more. The rest the athlete is doing. The other point is that these 10% is the difference which is between the victory in the Olympic final and just getting into the final. When the athlete is a level lower, the situation is opposite -- the coach ensures the result for 90%. It is difficult and needs the coach devote oneself. But it is a very interesting challenge to try to lead athlete from the middle level to the elite.
-- So have you finally refused to work with the English team?
-- I have still discussing this variant. The problem is that whatever coach the English men have invited, whatever good, even in football, salary they have offered just this won’t give them the result they want. They need to realize how they are going to solve the task of the successful participation in the Olympic Games 2012 in London, what sources they have for it. Whatever is the situation with the money, the most important is the result. Taking into consideration the climate in England, it would be better for the English athletes to come to Switzerland to train (laughing).
