Russian Coach Shishin Assesses Team's Post-Suspension

Russian national team coach Andrey Shishin has given a frank assessment of his squad's performance following their return to major international competition. In an interview.RU, Shishin discussed the recent European Championships and the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, balancing optimism with a stark reality check.

Shishin acknowledged a sense of euphoria when the team returned from a four-year suspension and managed to win medals. He contrasted the team's recent World Championships results with their pre-suspension performance.

"The rest of the world has moved far ahead," Shishin told Sport.RU. He stated the team's goal for the European Championships was 20 medals, a target they narrowly missed by finishing with 19 podium finishes. "We wanted to get close to what we achieved at the 2021 European Championships, where we had 22 podium finishes, so that there would be less talk about us falling behind," he added.

Individual Performances and Olympic Focus

Shishin provided specific critiques of several key swimmers. He noted the team did not win all the medals it could have at Europeans, and not all were the desired color. He discussed breaststroker Kirill Prigoda, who followed an individualized preparation plan. "They overdid it," Shishin said, suggesting a lack of super-focus was an issue.

Backstroke star Kliment Kolesnikov, who shockingly missed the 100m backstroke final, was another topic. Shishin revealed Kolesnikov initiated a conversation after the Russian Championships. "The message was: 'I need to change something, because since 2023 I haven't improved my personal best even once,'" Shishin recounted. The coach endorsed this self-assessment, stating, "If a result stays unchanged for more than two years, that's a fire. More than three years, that's a collapse."

Managing Breakout Talent

The coach also addressed the emergence of Egor Kornev, calling him the biggest breakout Russian star of the summer. While impressed by Kornev's speed, Shishin expressed caution about sustainability. "Egor won't be able to maintain all of them at that level," he said, referring to the multiple distances Kornev swam.

Shishin believes Kornev must now choose his Olympic event schedule, suggesting three individual events might be manageable but must be planned analytically with relays in mind. He compared Kornev's insane speed potential to a young Kliment Kolesnikov.

An Experimental Season and Future Talks

Shishin characterized the past season as experimental, with the European Championships as the main summer meet. He explained he gave personal coaches significant freedom in qualifying, though some choices led to premature peaks. "I understand what that means: a decline in July," Shishin said.

He indicated there would be consequences for these planning missteps. "At the end of the season, we'll have an honest conversation behind closed doors," the coach concluded.