Спорт

23-year-old Igor Sisoev is the only competitor who chose Velingrad for part of his preparation for participating in the Olympics in Greece. At the World Cup in Portugal this year, he became fifth in the triathletes and thus the only one from Russia to cover an Olympic participation quota. His coach is Vladimir Radonsky - a deserving coach of Russia, with many years of experience and significant achievements. This is where their acquaintance with the family of the chairman of the Dolphin P.C. Georgi Kostadinov brought them.
The preparation of the young triathlete in Velingrad took place from 5 to 22 July. Igor Sisoev's impressions of the opportunities for pre-Olympic training and the state of the sports base in our city sound like this:
"The condition of the base is practically zero. The stadium is not adapted for running - there are no running paths, there is no proper coverage, the track is not long the standard 400 meters. For training, I need a 50-foot pool. There are many swimming pools in Velingrad, but on the 50-meter (Closes and on the Central Beach) constantly there are problems - the water is either cold or cloudy, or the pool is not full enough. For me, my preparation of a 50-meter pool before the Olympics is a failure. The triathlon also includes cycling, and the roads in and around Velingrad are literally broken. To be honest, I'm disappointed."
Igor and his coach also took into account the positive aspects of Velingrad: the opportunities for recovery for which it favors the availability of warm mineral waters, the climate, the appropriate altitude, the tranquility of the mountain resort. From Velingrad they left in stages of the triathlon world cup in England and Hungary, and then came the big moment of the Olympics. Despite the misfortunes in preparing to wish them good luck in Athens!
Elena Baeva