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Geneva swimmer Roman Mityukov - one of Switzerland's medal hopes.
Image: Keystone
Roman Mityukov, two-time medal winner in the 200-metre backstroke at the World Championships, is aiming for his first Olympic podium finish in Paris - even if, as usual, he is wary of making big statements.
Mityukov prefers silent statements - such as a full beard! Roman Mityukov actually appeared before the media on Wednesday at the discipline meeting with a full beard, which is very unusual for a swimmer. Of course, that should say something. The soon-to-be 24-year-old from Geneva ranks 5th in the 200 m backstroke among all Olympic starters in the annual rankings. But his best time, the 1:55.40 minutes with which he won silver at the World Championships in Doha in February, was achieved "unshaven" as he puts it, which is supposed to mean "unshaven".
"The beard has to go soon," said Mityukov, "I can hardly wait to shave." Saturday is the day. Why wait until then? "When you're shaved, you have a much better feeling in the water and a much better feeling when gliding. You gain a few hundredths. You feel like a completely different person in the water." He wants to take this feeling of well-being with him into the Olympic races.
The anticipation is huge. Mityukov himself is most excited to see what he will be capable of in the Paris pool: "There's more at stake in Paris. I have trained very hard for this one week. I'm extremely excited and motivated."
He also knows that he has to improve enormously. The three fastest swimmers over 200 meters backstroke (Ryan Murphy, Hugo Gonzalez, Jackson Keaton Jones) have all managed times under 1:55 minutes this year. Mityukov's Swiss record is 1:55.34. This time was good enough for bronze at the World Championships in Fukuoka a year ago. Mityukov: "You have to swim much faster at the Olympics. I hope that I will be able to do that."
He is confident that he has been able to focus his planning entirely on the Summer Games. Unlike his opponents (and the Americans in particular), he didn't have to go to any great lengths to qualify in the first place. Mityukov could afford to take his time, improve and train in peace. He didn't even prepare properly for the World and European Championships - and still won medals.
Just a few days before the first races, the feeling is perfect: "I feel better and better physically," says Mityukov, "you let go more and more in the water. You can feel your best form. You know that now is the time when everything is at stake. This is also when the training sessions feel the best. I feel much sharper. We've cut back on training over the last two or three weeks. So I'll also be fresher than in Belgrade (European Championships) or Doha (World Championships)," emphasizes the man from Geneva. "And these are the last competitions of a cycle. I'll never be as fresh again."
But how does all this affect his times? Mityukov is aware that he will have to pulverize his Swiss record in the 200-metre backstroke in order to finish in the top 3. Will he succeed? "I really can't wait for it to finally start."
His first race takes place on Sunday morning with the heats of the 100-meter backstroke. Hence the shave on Saturday. "I've improved a lot over 100 meters, even if I don't expect to be able to go as high as over 200 meters. But it will be interesting to see what comes out of it." Mityukov is also using the start in the 100 meters to get his bearings in the huge Paris arena.
The big days will follow around the national holiday. On Wednesday, 31 July, one day after his 24th birthday, the heats and semi-finals of the 200-metre backstroke are on the program. Mityukov hopes that he can compete in both races in "management mode", "even if you can't risk too much". Great swimmers have already missed finals because they didn't push hard enough in the heats or semi-finals.
"The vast majority will give 100 percent. You can't play too much. It should be quite easy to progress in the heats. But the semi-finals can be difficult. You will have to swim much faster than at the last World Championships to reach the final," says Mityukov. In February at the World Championships in Doha, 1:56.72 was enough to reach the final.
"It would be nice if I could also swim strategically in the semi-final so that I still have something left for the final. But if that's not possible, I'll swim all the way through in the semi-final." The final is scheduled for August 1 at 20:37. It is the race for which Mityukov has been training for three years since the Tokyo Summer Games. On the national holiday shortly before 9 p.m., Mityukov wants to complete his Olympic cycle, which has already earned him four medals at major events, with his own personal fireworks display.
27.07.2024, 04:01
27.07.2024, 10:26
