2023-07-25 11:44:12
Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, during her 1500m freestyle series, at the Marine Messe in Fukuoka (Japan), Monday July 24, 2023. YUICHI YAMAZAKI / AFP
After five open water and pool events at the Worlds in Fukuoka (Japan) – which take place until Sunday July 30 in Hakata Bay, north of the island of Kuyshu – Anastasiia Kirpichnikova has not yet tasted the podium. On Tuesday, she took 4th place in the 1,500m (in 15 min 48 s 53, 22 s 26 behind the untouchable American Katie Ledecky), but she still celebrated a “victory”. The day before, Philippe Lucas’ protege had already beaten the oldest record in France, which had belonged since 2006 to his former student, Laure Manaudou (16 min 00 s 40 against 16 min 03 s 01). “I haven’t felt this good in a long time. A 4th place isn’t bad, I’m not going to cry, I’m doing my best time, I’m happy and maybe I’ll get a medal in Paris…”she reacted to the exit of the pool, a big smile on her lips.
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The interminable minutes and the knot in the gut that grips the guts in the call room before getting on the plot had ended up missing him, after two years without swimming in international competition.
Anastasiia Kirpichnikova’s career took a new turn on April 21. That day, the 23-year-old young woman learned of her naturalization by a decree published in the Official newspaper. After hesitating for a long time, the swimmer born in Asbest, a small industrial town in the Urals located 1,850 kilometers from Moscow, decided to change her flag. The war in Ukraine left him with little choice.
On March 23, 2022, the International Swimming Federation, after initially allowing Russian and Belarusian swimmers to compete under a neutral banner, finally followed the decision of most other sports federations to exclude athletes from both countries from international competitions. A ban still in effect today, depriving them of Worlds for the second consecutive year.
Read also: War in Ukraine: the international swimming federation ends up excluding Russian and Belarusian swimmers from the Worlds
Kirpichnikova’s career, then on the rise, came to a halt. A double finalist at the Tokyo Games with Russia, she had just won three gold medals in the short course at the European Championships (in the 400m, 800m, 1,500m freestyle) and a silver at the Abu Dhabi Worlds in the 800m in 2021. Two months later, Russian President Vladimir Poutine announced a “special military operation” against Ukraine.
“It was very hard, difficult, told the new member of the France team at RMC Sport June 11, a few days after collecting his new passport in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône). I had no motivation. I was crying, I didn’t want to swim… I made the choice to change something in my life because a career doesn’t take long. »
“I want to win lots of medals for France”
For a year and a half, she watched her teammates pack their bags and go to the big meetings, without her. The one who never takes off her earrings representing the Olympic rings has not missed the slightest training session, conscientiously swallowing her 85 kilometers per week. “This girl is an example (…). It hasn’t always been easy, but she’s so tough and professional, she hung on.” insisted In The team, on July 13, coach Philippe Lucas, whom she joined in 2019, first in Montpellier, now in Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône).
Kirpichnikova felt that she was stagnating in Russia.“France is my second country, it’s my home. I want to win lots of medals for France”, she said timidly in the language of Molière, which she gradually mastered, mid-June, in Rennes. During the French championships in Ille-et-Vilaine, she won three titles in the long pool (in 400, 800 and 1,500 m freestyle). Saturday, July 29, he will have the 800m final to hope for his first medal under his blue white red cap… with now vertical stripes.
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