1. You are going to the World Championship as undisputed leaders. Taste victory?

Dyachenko A.: “No one knows what it will be like. We are getting ready for the World Championship with a large responsibility and we have a strong attitude, we are not going to try on the medals beforehand. On our side I can say that we will do our best to live up to the hopes of those, who are rooting for us.”

Postrigay Yu.: “It’s hard to be a leader all the time. Besides, the World Championship is such an important competition. The year has been very long, so much has been done and there’s so much to be done.
Actually, there’s no such feeling that we will easily take the World Championship medal – we will have to work hard for it. We are now training very hard; hopefully this will give good results.”

2. How have you been preparing for the World Championship? What was new in your training?

Dyachenko А.: “I’d like to say that this season turned out to be very long. We had a lot of races. We tried the 500m in K2 for the first time during the World Cups. At the World Championship we are also going to combine K2 200m and relay 4x200m. During our training we have tried to improve our speed and power, working at the top of our abilities. We’ll see that will give us and what our result at the World championship will be.”

Postrigay Yu.: “The thing is, our coaches told us before the season, that it would be easier for us this year than the previous one.  In fact, it turned out that we have been training equally hard in quantity and quality. Our training can be compared to those of long-distance runners or athletes who race 1000m. The new thing is that now I start in a different manner, like my partner Sashka (short friendly derivative from Alexander).”

3. During the whole season, you and Sashka have not stopped appearing on TV and you have given a lot of interviews to different periodicals. Do you feel like media personalities?

Dyachenko А.: “For our sport in general it is not enough, if we simply show up on TV. ‘Look, how beautiful your sport is!’ that’s what many people say to us. They also wonder why there is so little paddling shown on TV. That’s why when we give an interview to any publication or show up in a TV studio, Yura and I try to say something interesting and engaging about our sport for people to take an interest in it. I don’t feel like a media personality. I’m an athlete and my job is to train and race at the competitions.”

Postrigay Yu.: “Not exactly. Actually, I wish mass-media would come to our paddling channel more often; we have a lot to say. We want to show what paddling is like to everyone. Many people don’t even know such sport exists!”

4. Do you feel like the Russian fans support you? You must be receiving lots of messages on social networks?

Dyachenko A.: “I have great expectations about the World Championship in Moscow next year. I hope many Russian fans will come and see canoe and kayak racing as well as support the Russian team. As for the small inner circle, of course, we receive a lot of support and help from our closest friends and relatives, also coaches, medical staff and our managers.”

Postrigay Yu.: “Yes, we get a lot of messages, especially on social networks. Now I avoid logging on, I try to distance myself from it. Of course, we have fans and we feel their support. Although, not many people come to the National Championship, we hope the rows (of seats) will be full.”

5. This season had many different international competitions. Russia has hosted one of the most important events, ‘Universiade’. Which ones were the most important for you?

Dyachenko A.: “One of the most difficult races of the year was World Cup 1 in Szeged. We had to prove ourselves that after the Olympic Games we could go on winning and that we are here to stay in elite sport. When Yura and I won the 200m race, we, so to say, exhaled with relief and understood – everything was going as it should have. Universiade was, for us, a preparation leg before the Russian National Championship. The most difficult and most important race will of course be at the World Championship in Duisburg.  It will also be tough, because after the National Championship my old injury relapsed and I had to refrain from several training session during the preparation period prior to the World Championship.”

Postrigay Yu.: “Of course, for Russia in general, Universiade was the second most important sporting event after the Olympic Games. Though for our sport in particular, the World championship is more important. As far as difficulty and prestige are concerned, we have a distinct hierarchy: Olympic Games, World Championship, European Championship, World Cups, etc.”

6. A year has passed since the Olympic Games, do you still feel like stars?

Dyachenko A.: “I wouldn’t call it stardom, a dream maybe, a dream of any athlete, taking part in the international competitions. For me, even participating in the Olympic Games was a success. When we won gold – the dream came true. The main thing here is not to rest on oars and keep on moving forward. We won the Olympics, but we are normal people. We want to enjoy paddling and keep on winning medals for Russia.”

Postrigay Yu.:  “Everything goes as it goes! We don’t feel like stars. I want to remain calm and a normal guy – to be myself and continue paddling.”

7. Was the competition during the Russian national championship very strong?

Dyachenko A.:  “To my mind, this year’s Russian National Championship of this year is the strongest in the world. I think that there are not as many strong sprinters in any other country. I counted about 16 people at high level, who can compete for a place in the final of the Russian Championship and a place in the relay. Sasha Nikolaev is an example. He won U23 World Championship this year and was second at the U23 European Championship in K1 and I’m not even talking about his two gold medals in K2 with Mikhail Tamonov during these competitions. It means a lot, I’m glad for him, he is a good competitor. During the Russian Championship in K2 we had six boats crossing the finish line within several tenths of a second; a very good result. These numbers give Yura and I motivation to train more and harder.”

Postrigay Yu.:  “There’s nothing to add to the above-said. I’m all for what my partner said.”

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