Beijing, February 18, Sergey Yaremenko. Russian speed skater Pavel Kulizhnikov said that Olympic gold is not the goal of his life. Kulizhnikov on Friday made his debut at the Beijing Olympics in the 1000 meters, where he took 11th place with a score of 1 minute 8.87 seconds. The 27-year-old Russian missed the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang due to the fact that he did not receive an invitation from the International Olympic Committee. «You know, Olympic gold is not the goal of my life. I just want to be an athlete who shows results. I have high results. Today it didn't work out, it's a sport. Today — you, tomorrow — you. Something like that. There is no such thing that if there is no gold medal, I go to cry. I won't do that! Of course, it's a shame. If I felt in better shape and lost, it would be a hundred times more offensive,” Kulizhnikov told reporters. “I hope this experience will help (at the 2026 Games) in Milan. go to the next Olympics. I'm not such an old athlete — 27 years old. I haven't run much yet,» Kulizhnikov said.
