Last year, Olympic silver medalist Nikita Tregubov suffered an extremely dangerous illness that could have ended tragically , meningoencephalitis. The skeletonist spent a lot of time in clinics and missed the whole season. In an interview, the athlete dreaming of resuming his career spoke about what he had to endure over these months.
— Nikita, have you already started training? Because the winter season is over, now there is a process of being drawn into the new one. I spend light workouts — I run crosses, I do some kind of stretching. And the first time I ran somewhere in December — just a little, without straining at all. arise, the head is not spinning?- No, there is nothing like that.
— Last season you were forced to watch everything that happens in sports and politics from the outside. How did it turn out for you — what did you lose and gain?
— In the family plan, I definitely didn’t lose anything, but only gained it. After all, my son is growing up, Mark is now three years old. I spent all the time at home — and my wife Anastasia, and all my relatives were only happy. The fact that we have lost international starts, of course, is bad. But I can't rate the competitions in Russia, because I didn't compete.
— Your family must have been in seventh place when everything was resolved?
— When I fully recovered, yes. But when I got sick, no one was in seventh heaven. Now I spend all my time with my family.
«My relatives knew what threatened me»
— In the most difficult moments, black thoughts did not go into my head? — No, I didn’t have such a thing. Because in fact I did not understand what was happening, my head did not understand at all. The whole family was worried and afraid, they knew what the disease could lead to (Tregubov previously said that he could have become a «vegetable» if a dangerous disease had not been detected in a timely manner — approx.). And I, on the contrary, reassured them and said that everything was fine.
I did not understand then the possible consequences. He did not realize anything and only encouraged his relatives. Although he himself could not even write a text message, he only spoke on the phone.
— When everything ended successfully, didn’t it become scary that you were on the verge of life and death?< br>
— For myself — no. I was much more afraid for my family — how they would have to live further. the consequences of the disease were not reported?
— Yes, the doctors, in fact, did not tell me anything at all. They told about some bad moments to my wife, parents, but not to me. — After discharge, did you think that you might have to forget about sports?- Of course, there were such thoughts, I did not understand what would happen next. The disease is associated with the brain and intracranial pressure. And in our sport, a heavy load is on the head. We experience strong overloads in every race. In general, initially I did not understand the seriousness of the situation.
When I was in the hospital and saw my wife for the first time, I said: «I'll be discharged, I'll rest for two weeks and start training.» And she replied: «Are you crazy, what are the workouts now?» When I realized everything, I began to think about what would happen next. Such thoughts arose, but not for long. Then I slowly came to my senses and did not understand why it happened, what and how I would do it.
— But you have golden hands, are you working on the skeleton yourself?
— Why are they golden? No, in order for them to be like that, they must constantly do something different, and not the same thing. There is nothing complicated in the skeleton, you have to adapt several times. This is not an engine to sort out. Completely different things, one thing is just to turn the nuts, and another thing is to understand everything. Therefore, I would not call golden hands.
The cause of the disease has not been identified
—Have any of the related sports — lugers, bobsledders — experienced such diseases?
— Did the doctors explain where you could catch it?
— I was so diagnosed and prescribed — meningoencephalitis of unspecified etiology.
— What recommendations were given after discharge?
— Six months — complete peace. And it was impossible to take a warm shower for a long time, go to the bathhouse and sauna, at least six months. Any loads are also prohibited.
strong>— How did you recover, because your body is used to constant stress?
— I didn’t lie down all the time, but I still did different things. I live on earth, there are enough different worries in the house. The same snow is constantly removed, so I got some kind of load. strong
— It was practically non-existent. At first I also thought that free time would now be dark. In reality, it never was enough. I didn’t sit at home — so as to lie on the couch and watch TV — neither before nor after the hospital. And nothing has changed: you have to go to one place, another, do one thing, then another.
While you hang out with your friends, you usually don't see anyone during the season. And here you will meet one, the second, the third. I need to go to my parents to help, to the village, there are a lot of things to do.
— Have you lost a lot financially due to illness?
Why? In our country, the salary is calculated as follows: the season has passed, if you showed a certain result, then you earned it the next year. I competed in the 2021/22 season. From a financial point of view, it could be better. This salary, of course, does not compare with either the Olympic silver award or the World Championship medal. who helped?
— What are you, how can you run a business if you are not at home at all during the season? To promote it well, you need to constantly engage and monitor everything. It just seems that everything is easy and simple. But in reality, everything is not so. br>
— I see that the British began to travel faster. Sometimes I watched competitions, but without our participation it is not at all the same. I think that they are not very interested either, because it should be exciting when all the strongest perform. And not when it was not clear who won.
— How do you assess the latest statements by the head of the IOC on the conditions for the admission of Russians?
— I cannot answer to this question. First, let the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation announce what they want for our participation in the competition. What can you say now, if nothing is known yet?
«I will not change citizenship»- In other sports, some athletes change their citizenship in order to be able to compete at international competitions. How do you feel about this?
— It has always been like this when athletes who are not among the leaders changed their citizenship. This is not new, just now there is a very strong politicized emphasis. And before, after all, they also changed citizenship: when there was strong competition, then someone moved to other countries to compete at the World Cup or World Championships.
Now they are already focusing on the fact that everything is happening because of the military operation and the exclusion of Russians from competitions. This is heavily inflated in the media. It is clear that someone moved because of the SVO, but not all. I'm not judging anyone, it's a matter of personal choice. There are reasons, obviously no one knows them, except for the athletes themselves.
— Sofya Prosvirnova from short track has this because she married a Dane.
— You always want to participate under the flag of the country, I can say that for sure. But in 2018 he performed without a flag and became the silver medalist of the Olympic Games. Situations are different.
Is neutral status quite acceptable?
— This has already been practiced. After all, an athlete spends his health and life for this. Especially in our sport, because in Russia there is only a track in Sochi. And that's it. Your head will already stop working in the right direction if you drive in the same place all year round. It's not about improving, but about worsening results. Yes, it's good for beginners and juniors: they get rolling, learn all the nuances and get used to the track. But in our case, for progress, you need to constantly change the situation, test yourself on other foreign tracks.
— Will the Russian team perform at the Winter Olympics in 2026?
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— In today's situation, it is not known what will happen tomorrow or in a week. Not to mention what happens three years from now. No one knows. I will definitely not speak, otherwise you say something — then the words will be remembered in a different form (with a smile).- Some coaches and athletes from other sports told me that after the start of the SVO, their relations with one of the Ukrainians, with whom they used to communicate well, deteriorated sharply. Didn't you have this?
— Everything is fine with athletes from other countries, only Ukrainians treat us badly now. Although, when I was not at the Olympics in Beijing, a Ukrainian athlete (Vyacheslav Geraskevich) wrote to me, asked me something, was interested in how to do something better, asked for some help. And then everything abruptly ended, I suddenly became bad, like all the rest of our guys. He openly began to accuse, to say that we are all so bad. And this is an indicator — why are you asking for help, if then you treat like this? br>
I don't think about it yet. Do I see myself as a coach? I don’t know, I didn’t consider any options.
— Did faith in God protect in the situation experienced?
— Of course, it helps everyone, without faith is nowhere. After all, every person believes in something.
— What would you say to people who may be in a similar situation?
— There are situations are different, including even worse than mine. You have to live and enjoy what you have. And that's it.
— Has a year without sports and habitual lifestyle changed you?
— I didn't notice it myself. But from the outside, probably more visible.