Catalin Chirila, who confirmed that he remains one of the best canoeists in the world at the European Canoe Kayak Championships in Racice (Czech Republic), where he won his third consecutive continental title in the 1,000 m Olympic event and defeated Olympic champion Martin Fuksa on his home turf, told AGERPRES that he is used to these podium rankings.
The failure at the 2024 Olympic Games, where he did not reach the 1,000 m final, was left behind and Chirila began the new Olympic cycle in the style of a great champion, with two medals, gold in the 1,000 m and bronze in the 500 m.
"I could say it's a normal performance, I'm used to this podium ranking. It was a difficult race, the 1,000 meters, it's clear, I fought until the last shot, but that's what sport is about. I'm glad that in the end I managed to defend my title of European champion, being the third consecutive medal. The 500 m race, as I've always said, is a bonus race. It was a difficult race after that day at the 1,000 meters that drained all my energy and I still gave it my all. It was difficult for me to reach the finish line, as a result of that bronze medal, which could have been a silver at some point for the last meters of the race. But, as I've always said, nothing happens by chance and these are not the final results. I will definitely get more podium finishes. I have always wanted to be on the podium in any event I participate in. Surely every medal, even if it is bronze or gold, shines just as beautifully and every medal rewards absolutely all my training, whether good or less successful, I should say," Catalin Chirila declared for AGERPRES.
Ever since the preparation for the continental competition, Chirila had set his goal to win the 1,000 m, on Fuksa's track, who at the award ceremony showed great sportsmanship.
''Yes, in the last hundred meters in preparation, it was somewhat of a set objective. I was talking to my coach (Florin Scoica - n.r.) and I told him that I wanted to beat Fuksa at his home, because it's clear, the atmosphere he'll create there, being on the podium with me, will be memorable. And that's what happened, he urged the audience to cheer a little more than in a regular competition and it was much more emotional, I have to admit. Even when the anthem was sung, my legs were shaking. This time the tactics changed a little, I knew about Fuksa's second half, which is usually very strong. I talked to the coach and we agreed that if we had favorable conditions, if he saw me adapting to the race very quickly, in a very short time, as it happened at 250 meters and I was in front of the peloton, he should shout at me, to increase the pace, to take the necessary advantage. Because I knew that he would come back at the finish line, but to gain enough distance so that he wouldn't catch me. Which is what happened. In the end, he didn't make it, he lacked those meters," the CSA Steaua athlete said about the race strategy.
Chirila added that Fuksa is a distant guy, but this time he felt that his congratulations were sincere and he liked the Czech's reaction to the award podium: ''I have to admit that he impressed me. Maybe not on social networks, but here, in everyday life, as he is as a person, he seems more introverted, he doesn't really talk to the rest of the competitors. Now I was impressed by the gesture he made, as I said earlier, towards his audience, which was numerous, being at his home. He urged them to shout louder. That was the plus for me that moved me there. We congratulated each other and I think it was the first time I felt him being sincere, that he recognized my value, because until now, as I was saying, through his way of being, it didn't seem like he recognized me so strongly.''
The European champion dedicates his medals to his staff, who believed in him unconditionally even after the difficult moments in Paris: ''I think I dedicate these two medals to the team I'm training with, without whom I wouldn't have gotten here. But I went through a pretty difficult period after Paris in preparation and I felt that the people behind me trusted me and counted on my strength. Until the moment I won the gold medal. I was even telling coach Florin Scoica that this is the moment when we should be completely happy, because I have a feeling of gratitude towards him that he trusted that I would get back on the podium and was behind me every day''.
After the 2024 Olympics, Florin Popescu was replaced at the helm of the national team by spouses Marcel and Georgiana Glavan, who returned to the country from Spain, but Chirila failed to adapt to the style of his new coaches and now collaborates only with Florin Scoica.
''It was a difficult period for me. I did not find a consensus with Mr. Glăvan. I returned to training with Mr. Coach Florin Scoică, who became my coordinating coach. He is my coach, he practically trained me exclusively. That is, at some point there was a break in training. I chose to return to my old habits, if I can call them that, I continued my training in the style I knew. Because at some point Mr. Glăvan tried to make changes in my training, radical changes, which for me were not healthy. I drew conclusions in the middle of training, I realized that I had not progressed. I was not heading in a positive direction and change had to occur''.
The World Championships in Milan (August 20-24) are the next goal of Catalin Chirila, who will try to improve himself as much as possible in the remaining time, also learning from the experience in Racice.
''We have almost two months of preparation until the World Championship. That's enough time for me to sit down, to find myself, to start getting stronger, because I need training that will strengthen my finish that you saw. In conclusion, there is enough time to prepare for the World Championship. I already know enough details about the lake in Milan, I know that it is an open lake that can offer the waves that I have been talking about lately. In the case of slightly more unfavorable weather conditions, it can cause problems. I will try to prepare in similar conditions, in the optimal conditions to cover any situation, to be prepared for anything. I will try to train in all conditions, even if we are talking about headwind, tailwind or sidewind. After all, there are two major competitions this year, the European Championship and the World Championship, and I have to perform flawlessly,'' said the Steaua athlete, who has two world titles under his belt, in 2023 (500 m) and 2022 (1,000 m).
Comentează