The Russian biathlon team completed its performances in individual disciplines on Saturday, and there is only one race ahead, the mixed relay. No one made it into the men’s mass start, and for other relay races we simply don’t have enough people. And the women's mass start sounded like a parable: two Russians took first and last places there.

Tatyana Akimova - a person with a reputation as a supposed sniper - missed one of the lines five times and finished the race 30th out of 30 participants. And Anastasia Kuzmina won. The trouble, however, is that all three golds (and a bunch of other medals) of Anton Shipulin’s sister at three (!) Olympics went not to Russia, but to Slovakia.

Now we can no longer find traces of who at one time did not keep young Kuzmina and gave the super-athlete to a foreign, and even not biathlon, state. It would be nice to “deal with and shoot” people who have shown blatant lack of insight and unprofessionalism (c) - but as always, the dock is empty, or rather, Mrs. Collective Irresponsibility is sitting there.

Here's what Kuzmina herself said in one of her old interviews:

“I think that in Russia I would not have been able to achieve a medal. After the birth of a child and a family, it was difficult for me, at that time not yet the number one of the national team and not an Olympic champion, to return. I didn't feel any support. We spent six months looking for someone to help, but in the end, being very disappointed, we went to another country.”

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That's how it is, guys. Kuzmina did not have any patrons in the regions or among venerable specialists, they did not push her, they did not believe in her talent - or maybe they deliberately turned a blind eye to it as a result of, frankly, corruption schemes, the desire to make money on completely different athletes. And she just left. In my opinion, there is a real malfeasance on the part of those who were responsible for the present and future of Russian biathlon. And instead of a top biathlete, we got a team of mediocrity.

And Kuzmina’s words: “In Russia I could not achieve a medal” are another verdict on Russian biathlon. They make you think: how many new Kuzmins, how many Russian Fourcades have we quietly lost.

Some will say that there is no demand for Tatyana Akimova, one of two Russian biathletes at the 2018 Games. But in my opinion, there is - she was preparing for the Olympics, she came and shows exactly what she is capable of. But it turns out she’s not capable of almost anything. Although about a year ago, when Akimova performed successfully at the World Cup stages, it was she who was considered by many to be the leader and hope of the women’s team. Yes, her teammates were not invited to the Games - however, biathlon is first and foremost an individual sport, and no one stopped Akimova from fighting the same way as skiers do, also deprived of a whole group of stars.

The great Anfisa Reztsova may well be biased (her daughter competes on the biathlon team), but it’s hard to argue with her statement about Akimova. Tatyana, according to Reztsova, does not want to work on increasing her speed and is simply ruining her own chances. The time of snipers in biathlon has passed: the speed of the legs and skis decides, and we see that even with a zero, Akimova barely gets into the top twenty in the sprint... And as they say, even here at the Olympics there are enough problems with the athlete’s behavior: let’s say, she demands special conditions for herself and procedures without which he “can’t cope.” Apparently, the procedures still did not help.

However, who knows. If Akimova had moved to Slovakia, Slovenia or Bulgaria a couple of years ago, perhaps the multiple Olympic champion would have stood in front of us, shooting without misses and soaring over the ski track. And the Russian Nastya Kuzmina at this moment would sadly end her career somewhere at the IBU Cup, quietly regretting that she did not leave her homeland in her youth.

Dmitry SIMONOV
OLYMPIC FLAME

Master of Sports of International Class (2015). Winner of the IBU Awards in the “Rookie of the Year” category for the 2015/2016 season. Silver medalist of the III World Winter Military Games in Sochi in the sprint and champion of the games in the team event (Akimova, Kaisheva, Nechkasova).

Born in the village of New Lapsary, part of the city of Cheboksary. She started training in biathlon in her native Chuvashia. Graduate of the Youth Sports School named after. A. Tikhonova. Her personal trainer is Anatoly Akimov.

She was a member of the junior, youth and reserve national teams of Russia. She competed at the World Junior Championships and the European Championships in 2011.

In 2011, she became the silver medalist of the national championship in the Summer Biathlon. These results allowed her to compete at the World Summer Biathlon Championships, where she failed to win medals.

In 2013, she became the winner of the Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy in the relay race and a medalist in individual races. In 2014, she took part in the Summer Biathlon World Championships in Tyumen, where she performed poorly, finishing 23rd in the sprint and 25th in the pursuit.

At the end of 2014, Semenova successfully competed in the Izhevsk Rifle. She was 3rd in the individual and 5th in the sprint. Based on the results of two races, she qualified for the Russian national team for the World Cup, but due to the lack of IBU qualifying points, the biathlete was unable to compete. Therefore, it was decided to start by sending Semenova to the IBU Cup stages.

In January 2015, it became known that Tatyana Semenova was included in the national team’s application to participate in the European Championship in Otepää, Estonia.

world Cup

On December 5, 2015, she made her debut in the World Cup in the sprint at the stage in Ostersund. Starting with number 100, after the first shooting she was in the points zone, but 3 mistakes in the standing position did not allow her to perform well in her debut race - 83rd place, she came to the finish line last, behind both athletes who started after her.

On December 16, 2016, in the sprint race at the stage in Nove Mesto, she won her first victory in the World Cup.

On February 9, 2017, at the Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, as part of the Russian team, she won bronze in the mixed relay.

Tatyana Akimova was born on October 26, 1990 in the village of Novye Lapsary, Chuvash Republic. The girl was no different from her peers: she did well at school, loved to read and meet with friends. She was also interested in sports. I chose skis for myself. I started using them in early childhood. But pretty soon sport came first in her life. All free time was devoted to him without reserve.

Tatyana Akimova watched with pleasure and admiration the successes of Russian and foreign athletes. When they won the Olympics, I rejoiced with them and most of all dreamed of being in their place.

When Akimova was offered to take up biathlon, she immediately switched from one sport to another, which included the same favorite skiing plus shooting. The athlete’s determination, complemented by considerable hard work, soon yielded excellent results.

Behind the Chuvash biathlete is the children's and youth sports school named after A. Tikhonov in her native Cheboksary. This is where the sports biography of Tatyana Akimova started. Anatoly Akimov has been her personal trainer for more than ten years.

The athlete was first a member of the junior and youth national teams of Russia. But soon she was included in the country’s reserve team. In 2011, Tanya competed at the World Junior Championships and the European Championships.

The biathlete managed to achieve her first significant victory in 2011, when she became the silver medalist of the Russian Summer Biathlon Championship. This success allowed her to take part in the World Summer Biathlon Championships. A miracle did not happen here, and the athlete from Chuvashia was unable to win medals.

But in 2013, Tatyana Akimova managed to shine at the Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy, becoming a winner in the relay race and a medalist in individual races.

Unfortunately, the next year did not bring the biathlete a breakthrough: she took part in the World Summer Biathlon Championships, which was held in Tyumen, but performed unsuccessfully. The athlete took 23rd place in the sprint, but only 25th in the pursuit.

But at the very end of 2014, the biathlete managed to show her best side at the Izhevsk Rifle. She managed to mobilize all her strength and take 3rd place in the individual race and 5th in the sprint. These victories helped Tatyana Akimova get into the Russian national team for the World Cup, but due to the lack of qualifying points, the IBU was unable to compete. Therefore, the girl was sent to the IBU Cup stages.

In December 2015, the athlete from Cheboksary made her debut at the World Cup in Ostersund. In the sprint competition she started at number 100. Unfortunately, here Tanya faced defeat: in her debut race she took only 83rd place, and came last to the finish line.

The long-awaited breakthrough and triumph came to the biathlete in 2016. And it is doubly pleasant because even Tatyana herself did not expect it. It seemed that nothing foreshadowed such a resounding success. In Canmore, the girl finished only 23rd. In Presque Isle, 19th. She performed much better at the March World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, taking 12th place.

An unexpected victory awaited Akimova in the Czech Republic. In mid-December, at the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Tanya won her first and so far main victory in the sprint.

The biathlete of the Russian team, commenting on her victory, happily shared that today everything worked out for her. For the first time in her sports career, the 26-year-old athlete managed to enter the top ten, beating her rival Dorothea Wierer. This victory turned out to be very important for the Russian team.

At the World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria on February 9, 2017, as part of the Russian team, Tatyana won bronze in the mixed relay.

Athlete's height: 168 cm; weight: 57 kg.

Awards and Achievements of Tatyana Akimova

2013 - bronze medalist of the Universiade in the 7.5 km sprint
2013 - bronze medalist of the Universiade in the 10 km pursuit
2013 - winner of the Universiade in mixed relay
2015 - winner of the IBU Awards in the category “Rookie of the Year” for the 2015/2016 season.
2016 - World Cup sprint winner
2016 - World Cup bronze medalist in pursuit
2017 - bronze medalist at the World Championships in mixed relay
2017 - winner of the Military World Games in the 7.5 km team race
2017 - bronze medalist of the Military World Games in the 7.5 km sprint

Gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation (December 24, 2013) - for high sporting achievements at the XXVI World Winter Universiade 2013 in Trentino (Italy)

International Master of Sports of Russia

On March 20, 2016, the biathlete was recognized as the best newcomer of the 2015/2016 season according to the IBU and received a special prize

Tatyana Akimova: Women don’t have their own Shipulin yet

Tatyana Akimova is currently at a training camp with the Russian national team, but still found time to give an interview to Soviet Sport.

“MY TALISMAN IS MY FAMILY”

Tatyana, this season is special. Any thoughts: would it be quicker to get to Pyeongchang, to the track, or is this Olympics at the wrong time, to gain more experience?
- I really don’t have enough experience yet, but no one will reschedule the Olympics for me. I look at everything optimistically. If I’m lucky enough to qualify for the Olympics and compete at the Games in Pyeongchang, then I need to prepare well for it. Now we need to work hard and progress. Well, then the result will show what I deserve.

- You performed in Pyeongchang. What advice would you give, what surprises should you be prepared for?
- Each track has its own characteristics, but there is nothing unusual on the Olympic track in Pyeongchang. The vagaries of the weather there cause problems: sometimes there is ice, sometimes there is porridge. At least that's what happened last year.

- But you still need to get to the Olympics...
- There is a lot of competition in our team; no one is guaranteed a place in the team. Therefore, in all training and competitions you need to show your maximum.

Last year you made your debut at the World Championships and won bronze in your first race, in the mixed relay. Do you remember how you felt before the start?
- The coaches brought us to the main start of the season at the peak of shape both physically and psychologically. You know, I was absolutely calm. But at the same time she is highly motivated and charged to fight.

- Do you have a mascot that you will take to Pyeongchang?
- I don’t have a talisman. The best talisman will be the support of my loved ones - my husband Slava and my coach. Do we talk on the phone often? Several times a day.

PRIVATE BUSSINESS
Tatiana AKIMOVA
Born October 26, 1990 in Cheboksary
Winner and medalist of the World Cup stages, bronze medalist of the 2017 World Championships in the mixed relay.

“I EXAMINED SKIERS’ STROKING TECHNIQUES”

- You warmly thanked Svetlana Sleptsova when she announced her retirement. Why?
- Sveta surprised many: ending her career on such a note, it’s impressive. She was an example for many young athletes. I have great respect for her.

- Do you have girlfriends on the national team, or are you just colleagues?
- During training, on the track, we are competitors, but off the track we get along great. Did you become particularly close to anyone? There is no such thing, we all communicate well - we are friends with the whole team. We usually share a room with Irina Uslugina, so we communicate with her a little more.

- It is believed that competition among women is tougher than among men.
- You're right. In our team, everyone can show high results, everyone is approximately equal. It is Anton Shipulin who stands out among men; among women there is no such leader yet.

- When faced with injustice, do you find it difficult to contain your emotions?
- If I see injustice, I can’t ignore it, I try to express my opinion in order to somehow influence the situation.

- What other sport do you like?
- Ski race. In Ramsau we met our skiers. It was interesting to talk with them, to see how Nikita Kryukov and Sergei Ustyugov train.

- Did you see anything useful for yourself?
- Technique of movement. It was also interesting to see how much work they put in during training. We asked their coaches questions, they did not hide anything, they gave us useful advice.

“IMPRESSED BY BJERN DALEY’S BIOGRAPHY”

- You've been reading a lot lately. What literature are you interested in?
- First of all, biographies of great athletes. I read with interest the biography of Björn Daly. After reading such books, it’s as if wings grow.

- When do you find time to read: during flights?
- Yes, during flights I try not to waste time. Whenever I have a free evening, I also devote it to reading.

- You recently had a birthday. And that day in training you shot zero. Is this somehow related?
- I think yes. I had emotional and mental peace throughout the day. I completely focused on my work, didn’t get distracted by anything, and this was the result.

- I know that your husband has prepared a surprise for you on this day. Tell me what it was?
- I came to the hotel after training. The reception called me and said that a courier had arrived and brought a gift. I immediately guessed that it was from my husband, I was intrigued. I went downstairs and flowers, balloons and a gift were waiting for me. I’ll leave it a secret what my husband gave me. I would like to thank him for giving me joy with such unexpected surprises.

- I know that you are studying English intensively. What methods do you use to master a language?
- In the spring I studied with a tutor. Now we communicate with her on Skype, she gives me tasks, I carry them out.

- Did you try out new knowledge on any foreigners?
- We communicate well with Federica Sanfilippo (Italian biathlete - editor's note), she knows Russian well. And when I can’t say something in English, I switch to Russian and Federica understands everything.

- Which biathlete is always positive?
- Of course, Italians. It's easy to communicate with them. But we also communicate well with girls from Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

- The main thing in a language is to learn words. You can wear headphones during training, and that’s double the benefit.
- You guessed it, that's what I do. During cross-country courses I take an English course. But during ski training or shooting classes, you need one hundred percent concentration - there is no time for headphones.

“I AM A VULNERABLE PERSON, BUT I HAVE LEARNED TO HIDE IT”

- You give the impression of a vulnerable person. This is true?
- Yes it's true. But in recent years I have learned to fight this vulnerability - to restrain myself. In today's life, vulnerability gets in the way.

You criticized the authorities on social networks for the too slow construction of the biathlon center in Cheboksary. Did your cry from the heart accelerate the construction?
- After that, I came to Cheboksary and did not see any progress. I want this complex to be finally completed. They have been promising it to us for many years. In Cheboksary, many young people are involved in biathlon, they need to train in normal conditions. Therefore, I appeal from the residents of the entire Republic of Chuvashia to our authorities: build this complex already, people really need it!

- Are you a popular person in Cheboksary?
- In our republic they love biathlon and know all the leading athletes.

- Modestly. Let me ask you this: are you recognized on the streets?
- Happens. They come up and say some kind words. It is very nice. And some then write on social networks: “I saw you in such and such a store, but I was too shy to come up.”

- How many days a year are you at home?
- Let's take last year. In November we went abroad and celebrated the New Year in Austria. With the permission of the coaching staff, my husband Slava came to see me for a couple of days. The next time I came to Cheboksary was only in April. So count how long we are at home. In total, a couple of months accumulate in a year.

- How are your visits celebrated: does all your relatives gather?
- You can gather everyone, but I usually come for only a few days. Therefore, we gather only with the closest people - my family and Slavik’s family.

- You once swam in a lake in Pokljuka when the water temperature was plus 15. Do you like extreme sports?
- Every day in the morning and after training I take a contrast shower and also douse myself with cold water. Therefore, I don’t consider swimming in this lake something extreme.

- Can you jump with a parachute, or ski down a steep slope?
- In Estonia, we jumped from a tower into the water from a height of four meters. It wasn't easy for me. I don’t think I would have dared to jump with a parachute.

- But for biathletes it’s not a problem to get on alpine skis...
- We practice this in training. This helps with descents, and that’s exactly what I have problems with. But we’re not doing downhill racing.

- How do you feel about the fact that you are included in the ranking of the most beautiful biathletes?
- I haven’t heard about it. Is it really included? I think that there are many beautiful girls among biathletes. For example, Dorothea Wierer is a real beauty, and there are pretty girls on our team.