Russia (bbabo.net), - The Russian biathlon team took third place in the men's relay. Although, until the last firing line, she claimed gold. Eduard Latypov reached the final frontier with a margin of 59.3 seconds, but in standing shooting he made five misses and went for two penalty loops. To the credit of the athlete, he stopped in the mixed zone and answered all the questions of journalists.

Eduard, what emotions?

Eduard Latypov: The fans are disappointed, I am disappointed too. I'm sorry this happened. We fought for gold, but it didn't work out. We all wanted to win, the guys did their best. Shooting at my stage - it was something. In any case, we managed to cope and at least keep the third place.

For me and for the guys it is very important. This is the Olympic Games, and bronze here is a worthy result. We are very glad that we were able to win an award in such a struggle. In fact, the competition is very high, and biathlon is an unpredictable sport. Here everything can be and everything can be turned upside down at one turn. I hope, I believe that this will make me stronger. We move on, we keep working. I hope all will be ok.

Tell us what happened at the last frontier?

Eduard Latypov: At first I tried to wait it out, but then I realized that I had to work. It was not clear how long this impulse would stretch. There was a dense wind, it was blowing away, plus the state of health was, let's say, not very good. There was no concentration that we wanted, so we couldn’t cope with the wind, there were misses. I tried to retrain, and then psychology went on. Already on additional cartridges, I let go a little, I understood that it was necessary to close the targets, and the wind had died down. But all the advantage was lost. It only remained to refine and endure the finish lap.

There was an idea that if you manage without errors, then this is gold?

Eduard Latypov: I didn't have such thoughts. I just came to work. It was brought down by the fact that from the very beginning there was no shooting. The task was already to hit everything that would turn out.

Head coach of the team Yuri Kaminsky said thatthis is a tragedy for you?

Eduard Latypov: Well, what a tragedy. It is clear that it is unpleasant, but in such a situation, in such a race, it is, of course, a shame. You just need to survive, to draw the right conclusions.

You were well supported by the team after the finish. Did it help?

Eduard Latypov: Of course, the support from the team is nice. This is the most necessary, the most expensive thing that helps to remove the negative and think more calmly.

Was it a shock when the team brought you a big lead over your rivals?

Eduard Latypov: It wasn't. I went out to work. The bed worked, I think, perfectly well. I felt great, but then it got worse. I tried to mobilize myself as much as possible, but failed.

Is this the hardest moment of your career?

Eduard Latypov: I don't know, it was different, of course. But at this level, it's hard. And the shooting itself was heavy. But it turned out the way it did.

It seemed that after the finish line you were in tears…

Eduard Latypov: Of course, they were. Otherwise, I don't know how to keep it all in myself. There is joy here that this is an Olympic medal. For everyone it is a joy. It is clear that we fought for gold and mixed feelings. Either cry or rejoice. I'm not happy with my stage, but I'm happy that we have a medal. I don't know how else to explain it.

Kaminsky suggested that you may develop a complex of the last stage. Do you think it will hook you?

Eduard Latypov: It shouldn't catch on. Draw conclusions and move on. Today is one thing, tomorrow is another. You need to try to mobilize yourself in any race. We need to get stronger in the future. Any, even a negative moment, must be translated into a plus, take the good in order to become stronger. Without mistakes, you will not become a champion. All great athletes have made mistakes. They became great because they did not stop, moved on and won the Olympic Games.

You still have a mass start. Do you have the strength to rehabilitate yourself?

Eduard Latypov: You can, of course, be rehabilitated. But now I am devastated, there is no strength, emotions inside. There are two days, we need to rest, get ready, show a good race.

The comments on your Instagram account are already on fire. Would you like to read?

Eduard Latypov: No. Why. I don't have time either. Race ahead. People can write whatever they want, it's their right. Thank you very much to our fans who worry about us, no matter what.

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