Pavel Kopachev met with a new foreigner in Russian biathlon, who cannot avoid comparisons with Pichler.

Russian biathlon did not have time to see off Wolfgang Pichler, who was fed up with the mantra “top 6 is a good result”, when another German came to visit us – four-time Olympic champion Ricco Gross.

About his appointment, the site - however, the process of signing the contract took almost six months. The Biathlon Union officially introduced the new coach only on August 12 - all this time Gross was leaving the Bundeswehr, trying not to attract attention to himself.

We met Ricco early morning at Sheremetyevo Airport - on a transfer from Tyumen to Ruhpolding. They talked for almost an hour - though not in Gross's native English. Maybe that's why the German carefully formulated his thoughts, flatly refused to talk about those who called him to Russia, to disclose training plans.

What made you worried? Gross is completely unaware of Pichler's mistakes, claims against him from the fans; he didn't study the training plans. Although this seems to be obvious...

– What did you manage to see in Russia? Or just airports?

– Oh, I haven't seen much... But certainly not only airports. When I was an athlete, I went to Apatity, a small town in the Murmansk region. He walked around Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tchaikovsky, Tyumen, Khanty-Mansiysk. Each place is good in its own way. By Tyumen, I'm completely used to it. There created ideal conditions for preparation, a wonderful 5-kilometer snow circle: at the beginning of the last collection it was minus 5 degrees, then the temperature dropped to minus 15-19. We are comfortable there.

- Germany for a Russian person is punctuality, quality and pedantry. How did you find Russia and Russians?

- You will be surprised, but in Russia everything is about the same. Russian people can be disciplined too. I judge by my team. If we scheduled a workout at 8.30, then it starts exactly at that time. Not a minute later. Nobody is late.

– The last example of what surprised you in Russia.

- Distances. When we moved from Tyumen to Tchaikovsky for the Russian Championships, I thought: "Okay, why not get there by car." I looked at the map - it seems relatively close. 900 km. In Germany, it would take about 6-7 hours. But when I was told that the journey would take from 11 to 12 hours, I chose the plane via Moscow and Izhevsk.

In principle, I spent 7 hours behind the wheel on the road from Ruhpolding to Kiel, and this is even taking into account the ferry. But 12 hours in the car is a bit much.

Purpose

- I would like to restore the chronology: when and who exactly called you to Russia? It seems that you have almost signed a contract with Ukraine…

I would not like to go into details just yet. There was a private conversation that I don't want to personalize (in the spring Gross was in Tyumen, where he met with the leadership of the RRF and the governor of the Tyumen region Vladimir Yakushev - approx. site). Russia became interested in me, I became interested in Russia; we discussed options for cooperation.

- How long did you think?

– It was not an easy decision. I had a successful group in Ruhpolding, I led a team in the IBU Cup. It was a job that I liked. But Russia is a big and interesting challenge. We discussed it with my family - my wife and three sons, and everyone supported me. Except for the older Marco. He is also a biathlete, I often trained with him. So he said, "Dad, I lost my coach."

In Germany, not everyone understood your act and dismissal from the Bundeswehr. Is a call from distant Russia really more important than a good pension and a prestigious job at home? Maybe it's still a question of money?

No, it's definitely not a question of money. I am still a young coach, and the Russian team is a really big chance. I came to a great country to work with a great team. And when I say that, I'm not lying.

Last year, Russia became 4th in the Nations Cup. Probably, this did not suit everyone, including the management. I was invited to correct the situation.

- But what is the challenge? Is it just to raise the level of the team or are you still facing more specific tasks?

- My attitude is to give the guys more. I take 95 percent of everyone's work, which means I can give them another 5 percent. If everyone progresses, I will be happy.

- You emphasized several times in an interview that you did not consult Wolfgang Pichler when moving to Russia. This is hard to believe, given that you are neighbors and live in the same city.

“It is very important to go your own way. And if you learn, then on your mistakes. If you perceive too much information from the outside, you will trust prejudices. And it definitely won't work. It is important for me to form my own idea of ​​biathlon in Russia, so I try to communicate with officials, coaches and athletes as often as possible. This is my picture, which I trust.

- But you probably heard why Pichler was criticized in Russia?

- To be honest, no.

- He was pointed to major mistake: without understanding, he offered all the athletes the same load. How did you recognize your team?

- From the first day I have been in close contact with coaches Vladimir Bragin and Alexander Popov. They are well aware of the Russian biathlon system.

But they haven't worked with the team until this season. Did someone give you information about biathletes? Have you studied the training plans of previous years?

No, I didn't see the plans. But I try to communicate individually with personal trainers, my predecessor Alexander Kasperovich. I have a dialogue with everyone. This cannot be: as I said, it will be so. It is important for us to hear each other.

– You studied in Cologne for three years. How did it look? Lectures, practices, trips to some stages, training?

– It was a great layout: lectures plus practice. For me it was a very interesting experience. When I was skiing, I did not think scientifically about microcycles, recovery. I trusted my body more. At the institute, we were taught cool lessons by specialists in athletics, cycling, skating. As soon as I graduated from the sport, everything was new to me.

It has been a busy three years. We studied for 3 weeks, then a week for preparation. I worked as an expert for the German channel ARD. I didn't have any free time at all.

Mountains and mistakes

– Your predecessors were regularly criticized for mistakes in mountain training. I also have a question for you: during the off-season you held only two high-altitude training camps - in the summer in Obertilliach (3 weeks) and recently in Ramsau (a week). In the mountains, the national team usually sat longer. What is the idea?

- I think that's enough. Championship peace will pass in Oslo - there is one mountain, but its height is 300 meters ...

- I'm talking about basic training.

- Let's do this: this is my first year out of three under the contract, I go step by step. I watch the team, I study it. We had training under hypoxic conditions in three various options. You can live high and train on the plain, you can live below and train at height, you can live and train at height. There are many nuances. An individual approach is needed for each biathlete, taking into account the characteristics of the body.

We are definitely thinking about different options. There are ideas, but in mid-November it's too early to talk about them. We must wait at least for the first races.

- What result will suit you? It can't be that you don't have a plan at all.

- Oh ... When I was an athlete, I never talked about plans. When I worked on television, I tried to delicately ask this question. The plan is not necessarily medals. We have a lot strong athletes they have to get better and better. But success is measured for each individual indicators. We have biathletes who last year were in the total in 25-30 places. Their task is to climb higher, to cling to points in every race, but it is foolish to demand medals and victories from them.

I understand it. And he casually asked. Pichler was regularly criticized for what he said: top 6 is a good result.

- The competition in the world biathlon is growing every year. These are not just words - everything changes day by day. Athletes out of 10 can enter the top 10 different countries. And in many teams there are 4 people who are potentially in the top 10.

Today there are 35-40 biathletes who are capable of being in the top ten. This must be understood and accepted.

But you say the same thing as Pichler. How to deal with the expectations of Russian fans and the Ministry? Everyone is used to the fact that Russian biathlon is among the best.

– In Germany, Norway exactly the same. Everyone wants to win. Everyone works to be the first. Otherwise there is no point.

- In Germany, criticized for the top 6?

Yes, if you are capable of more. If there are no victories and medals, no one will rejoice. But in general, everyone understands that the top 10 is a normal result. If you fall out of ten - yes, you are not in sight. However, journalists and experts do not baselessly criticize. Many of them were athletes in the past and understand everything perfectly. Biathlon is still not boxing - if you are second, then you are already a loser.

Shipulin

- Are you satisfied that the leading biathletes - Anton Shipulin and Alexei Volkov - train separately from the team?

– I don’t see any problem that an athlete like Anton, the second number of the World Cup, is preparing on his own, together with his mini-team. He has a successful experience last season. And this decision was made before my arrival - but, I repeat, I am not against it. This is a European practice - top athletes need more freedom.

- How do you generally communicate with Shipulin? Through whom do you keep in touch - through Gaydysh? Kryuchkov? directly with Anton?

- It is difficult for us to maintain regular communication - the places of gathering do not coincide, but we still communicate. I personally met several times with Andrei Kryuchkov, who oversees this group. We will all gather together in Beitostolen and already concretely outline common plans.

However, you must be aware of their preparation - as a head coach you are responsible for the result. Including relay races.

- Undoubtedly. At the training camp in Norway, we will already have one team. There are many issues that need to be resolved together - participation in the European Championship, the American and Canadian stages of the World Cup, the fight for the total and the lead up to the World Cup.

- What is more important for you - Cup stages or World Cup medals? In Russia, the value of medals is higher.

– Olympic medals. This is the main thing. And so - of course, the World Cup. This the main objective this season for all teams. We have good chances leave Oslo with medals.

- Are you aware that Russian biathletes Haven't won a World Cup since 2008?

- So long. Wow! 7 years... Yes, I remember how Maxim Tchoudov won gold in Östersund. I worked then as an expert on TV and congratulated Max on his victory.

- But 7 years is a lot. It's not just like that.

- Why? I will give you one example. The German men's team at the World Cup won the relay in 2004 in Oberhof. She didn't win until 2015. 11 years! The Germans are strong in biathlon, but we have also been waiting for a new victory for a long time.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Russian"

– You worked with Neuner, Henkel, Gessner. Who was more difficult?

- By by and large no one had any problems. Communication is built on respect. The essence of a coach's job is to make an athlete better, to help him open up in every race. If an athlete sees help from a coach, he will trust him. There is only one difference - the girls talk more during training.

- Many girls complained about not knowing the language while working with Pichler. The guys don't speak English well either. Is it difficult for you? Are you sure that you are understood without problems?

– (speaking in Russian) Excuse me, please, I don’t speak Russian. I understand.

(turns to English) In training we use a mix of German, English and Russian. Each of us speaks a little foreign language, we understand each other - at least, I do not see any serious difficulties.

- Do you have enough communication now?

– Every day we understand each other better, I would say so.

- I heard that you devote 40 minutes a day to Russian. What words have you already learned? Is it hard to learn at all?

“Success is sure to come. In training, I can give some tips in Russian, the guys understand elementary English. Of course when we are talking about individual conversations, I need an interpreter.

“You are an excellent shotgunner. Why else do you need a coach Sergei Bogdanov, who is only responsible for shooting?

He started work before I arrived, but I'm satisfied. There are many different situations where extra help and extra eyes. I can’t just tell the athlete: “You shoot badly,” point prompts are needed. And situations in training are different: for example, Dima Malyshko now has a lot of shooting, he shoots like a machine gun. Like a car. And there are those who have a scatter of one shot. And each one needs to be dealt with individually.

When I was young, the coach used to say, “It's better to have an 80 percent plan but work it out 100 percent; than to have a plan that is 100 percent and work it out 80 percent.” I am glad that the guys understand me and are open to innovations.

- I read that your workouts are like mini-competitions: mass starts, pursuits, sprints. Do you deliberately push the guys together to make it easier for them in the season?

- This is part of the plan, but I would not talk about some kind of know-how. This is a game moment. You never shoot alone at the World Cup; there is always someone nearby - it interferes, strains, creates competition. We simulate wrestling, break the guys into small groups, arrange competitions between them. The groups are constantly different, the guys do not have time to get used to each other.

- Who is the team's best shooter today?

– All accurate data in the tablet. If I'm not mistaken, the difference between the performance of athletes is very dense.

- I don't believe you don't know.

– (in Russian) I think Maxim Tsvetkov.

Dope

- Russia is again at the center of a doping scandal. Are you not afraid that something might happen behind your back, and you will be held responsible? Pichler's example shows that the power of a coach in Russia is not global.

– In theory, yes. No one is safe, not just me. But I'm not afraid, we have a lot of checks, including at the training camp in Europe. Doping officers can come any day - there are no problems with this, we are open. Moreover, we have a three-week training camp and a week off when the athletes try to sleep off. We accept the WADA code, we are for clean sport. And it's not just words.

- Did you have an additional conversation with the team on doping?

- Of course, we talked about this very frankly and focused on the purity of the sport. This is important not only for me and my reputation, but for the whole team. Each of the guys stressed that they want to be clean. I believe them.

Fitness and hobbies

- What is closer to you: football or golf?

- I love both types. This year I practically did not play golf, but so far I have not had time to get bored. They played football in training. I'm more of a defender, I prefer to act closer to the goal.

- Who are you rooting for?

- Of course, for Bayern. I try not to miss a single match of the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

- Many Munich fans criticize Guardiola.

- I'm not one of them. I think Josep is a great coach. And Bayern were lucky to have him.

- How do you keep in shape? How many times a week do you train?

- If possible, I train with the team. Especially on skis. If the guys run slow and I run fast, then I stick around, haha. In general, I try to do fitness 5 times a week. It tones.

Epilogue

- You have a contract for 3 years. But in Russia they rarely let you work out such a period. The result is needed #right now. Are you ready for this?

“Hmm, I don’t like to talk about plans. Of course, we set high goals for ourselves...

- No, I'm not talking about your goals, but about the tasks of leadership. Did they say anything specific to you?

- Not. No one told me - we need 4 or 5 medals. Maybe that's good. Maybe it's even quieter.

- Okay, then everyone will be happy if you teach our team. You have to start with something.

Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexander Wilf (1.7); biathlonrus.com / Evgeny Tumashov, biathlonrus.com; Gettyimages.ru/Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts; globallookpress.com/Martin Schutt/DPA; Gettyimages.ru/Frank Peters/Bongarts

The head coach of the Russian men's biathlon team Ricco Gross admitted that since the beginning of the season it was not easy for him to set up his wards for training and performances due to the difficult situation with the Olympic Games.

So far, the main difficulty for us is the weather. When the outside air temperature fluctuates between 15-17 degrees below zero, and in Korea this is perceived as a much more penetrating cold, the muscles quickly cool down and the body begins to work differently. It becomes more difficult to run, and especially to shoot, - the specialist noted.

- You, I remember, argued that cold weather gives Russian athletes an advantage.

Well, not that cold! Although running here is really better than in many other places.

- Around the team this time there is not a sufficiently large number of service personnel. Does it create problems?

- The number of staff is not a problem. Much bigger problem is that I was deprived of my athletes, leaving only two. This is indeed a cause for very strong experiences. We had a great final training camp in Ruhpolding, there was not a single slip in training, and I can say that all the athletes came close to the peak of their capabilities.

- You were criticized a lot during the season just in the vein that the team may not have time to get in shape by the start Olympic Games.

- This is normal - the fans always want to see the result. But as a coach, I have to see the whole picture. And it is such that training, performances, health status and other things that are usually paramount for both coaches and athletes have faded into the background in the current situation. And it happened not now, but at the very beginning of the season. Everyone was interested in completely different questions: are we going or not? If yes, under what flag? Allowed or not allowed? Etc. I can convince athletes as much as I want that they should think about training and performances, but at the same time I myself understand that all these thoughts are still spinning in their brains 24 hours a day. Professional sports It is arranged simply: if you want to be on the podium, you must completely concentrate on the training process. If something interferes with this concentration, the results go down. Well, if you think in general, as a result of all these proceedings, I have only two athletes, and the International Olympic Committee trying to convince us that this is normal.

– The results of the CAS trial, which lifted the IOC sanctions from 28 Russian athletes, at least a little optimism added?

“More likely, everything is even more confused. Now no one really understands what's going on, and I'm no exception. It remains just to observe how events continue to unfold, and, if possible, not to waste nerve cells.

- In the two days that remain before the start of the competition, something can be changed in better side?

- Nothing needs to be changed. As I said, I am very pleased with how the final training camp went, even two training camps - in Martello and Ruhpolding. So everything is according to plan. The main thing now is to try to concentrate as much as possible on each race, each shooting line, each shot. I hope we make it.

"SE" has collected several facts about Ricco Gross, officially appointed to the post of head coach of the Russian men's team

Ricco Gross is one of the most decorated biathletes in history. He is a four-time Olympic champion and nine-time world champion. At the same time, one cannot but pay attention to the fact that the great German won all four Olympic gold medals and five awards of the highest dignity of world forums in relay races. Gross also has silver in Albertville-92 and Lillehammer-94 in the sprint, bronze in Salt Lake City 2002 in the pursuit and four victories at the world championships in various disciplines.

Gross ended his sports career at the end of the 2006/07 season and immediately began training at the Coaching Academy of the German Olympic Sports Union in Cologne. In parallel, for three years he worked as an expert commentator on the ARD TV channel.

After receiving his diploma, in 2010 Ricco was appointed assistant to Gerald Hoenig in coaching staff the German women's team, in which Magdalena Neuer then shone.

After a less than successful 2013/14 Olympic season marred by Evi Sachenbacher-Stele's doping allegations, Gross was suspended from the top German team and appointed coach-coordinator of biathletes competing in the second IBU Cup. His wards Florian Graf, Johannes Kühn and Christoph Stefan made up the Top 3 in the overall standings among men, and Caroline Horchler became the second in the women's total.

This spring, information appeared that Ricco Gross would head the Ukrainian women's team, but the deal did not take place in the end.

On July 22, the German Ski Association announced that Ricco Gross will no longer be the coordinator of an IBU Cup team for the upcoming season, but is ready to take on a new challenge in his career.

“I have a desire to get off the beaten track and try something completely new,” the German said at the time. Lately I tried myself in various areas of sports, even far from biathlon, and I really liked it. It inspired me to conquer new heights."

Already in the status of the head coach of the Russian national team - apparently at the training camp in Austrian Obertillach - Gross will celebrate a round date: on August 22 he will turn 45 years old.

Ricco Gross was born and raised in the town of Bad Schlema in Saxony in East Germany, but has been living in Germany's most biathlon destination, Ruhpolding, for quite some time now. In the same place as the notorious former mentor of the Russian women's team Wolfgang Pichler and his brother, burghermeister Klaus.

Gross lives in his own house overlooking the golf course. Golf is the passion of the four-time Olympic champion, to which he dedicates every free minute.

Ricco Gross is a father of many children. He and his wife Katrin, whom he married in 1994, have three sons - Marco, Simon and Gabriel.

The eldest, 20-year-old Marco is also involved in biathlon. At the 2014 Junior World Championships in Presque Isle, he won two silver medals in the sprint and pursuit.

Head coach of the Russian men's biathlon team. Together with Russian specialist Vladimir Bragin, he prepares athletes for the World Cup stages. Lenta.ru asked the famous biathlete why he came to Russia.

"Lenta.ru": Ricco, for starters, I would like to sum up the results of the first stage of the World Cup, which ended in Östersund this Sunday. Already in the first personal race Alexei Volkov bronze.

Ricco Gross: In general, the start of the season was not bad. In addition to Alexei Volkov, all the athletes were in the World Cup points zone in that race. It was nice to see that the guys worked with high concentration and diligence. Of course, not everything went perfectly. In the sprint, not all athletes coped with the shooting, but already in the pursuit they managed to rehabilitate themselves. Dmitry Malyshko and Evgeniy Garanichev advanced from 34th to 7th place and from 27th to 8th, respectively.

You are a four-time Olympic relay champion, which means you are well versed in this discipline. How do you plan to build up the composition for this race to the main starts? I would not want the same Evgeny Garanichev, whose relationship with relay races is not easy, to be discounted.

We are now considering many athletes. Dmitry Malyshko and Maxim Tsvetkov performed great in mixed relay. Maxim showed himself well at the fourth stage, which turned out to be quite difficult. We have six or eight great biathletes worthy of the relay. Let's see which stage is more suitable for whom. Naturally, we are counting on Evgeny Garanichev.

How big is the role of psychology in sport?

Psychology in the sport of high performance is very important. I worked with a psychologist when I was an athlete. But each athlete himself must come to this - it is a very specific matter. Four years you are approaching the goal. It's something special. We are already thinking about the Olympics. We need to use this year to prepare for the Games, and by showing nice results now.

The decision to put Tsvetkov in the last stage came as a surprise.

It is necessary to think about the future, to consider options for the Olympic Games. By 2018, Maxim Tsvetkov will mature. Everyone on the team must be able to run at any stage. It's not about experimentation. We must trust the athletes, even if not everything goes well at once. There are good days, there are not so good ones.

That is, the fourth finishing stage is not assigned to Shipulin?

We know the level of Anton very well, he is very strong. But after all, such a situation may arise that it will be more useful to us at the second or third stage. It all depends on the specific situation and tactics of the race.

In Russia, there is now a lot of talk about the confrontation between Shipulin and Martin Fourcade in the fight for victory in the overall standings.

Fight for Big crystal globe- it's always something special. Now many athletes are able to fight for victory in the overall standings. Anthony is definitely one of them.

As an athlete, would you think that you could coach the national team of another country?

Of course not at the time. But now I get great pleasure from working with the Russian team. It is a pleasure to cooperate with my fellow coaches, and with the athletes, and with the staff. This is cool.

When did you first visit Russia?

Hmm. But then it was still the Soviet Union. For the first time I visited Minsk. It was in 1987, at the Friendship Competition for young athletes. I remember those days with pleasure.

What impression did the Soviet Union make on you, a German, then?

I grew up in a similar system, in East Germany. Scales Soviet Union certainly impressed. When you arrive in Moscow and then go to Murmansk by train, there is time to think about it. At that time, I managed to see only the airport and the train station. And only later did it become possible to appreciate the beauties of Moscow.

Can you name the qualities that you like most in Russians?

Answering this question, I would prefer to talk about athletes. I can say that Russian biathletes are very diligent. They train together, which creates a very good atmosphere in the team. I also note the purposefulness and discipline of the guys.

Do you feel the difference in mentality?

Yes, but that's okay. Each country has its own mentality, but this does not interfere with work. The same East and West Germans differ from each other. I think that the mentality of the Germans from the GDR is definitely closer to the Russian one for obvious reasons.

How did your family react to your move to Russia?

We discussed for a long time whether it was a good idea to work abroad in general. But in the end we came to the conclusion that this is a great opportunity for the coaching profession. Great chance to work with one of the best teams planets. Interesting challenge always brings pleasure to work.

You have three sons, one of them is a biathlete. Rooting for the Russian national team?

Ha! (Smiling.) Last year I coached my son Marco. It is always difficult when a father is working with his child. Now it is important for him to work with another coach. Naturally, he is interested in how things are in Russian team. He's more interested in himself training process, but the discipline and attitude of Russians to business.

Maybe your son will soon compete with the Russians. Does he have the potential to compete in the World Cup?

He has already shown himself well among juniors. He has two silver medals at the Junior World Championships in Presque Isle, USA. There he lost only to the American Sean Doherty, who in Östersund this week was 17th among adults in the individual race. Sean is already here, let's see how things go for Marco.

You communicate quite closely with the German coaches. They don't play a joke on you that the colors of the Russian flag suit you better?

At the moment, I don't care at all. Of course, they are interested in how I am doing, if everything is in order. The Russian national team is very strong, so a lot of attention is riveted to it. The guys were fast in the mixed relay and well prepared in the individual race - any of the six athletes could get into the top 10. Of course, we made too many mistakes at the turn, but the potential of the team is very high.

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 41, won the individual race in Östersund. Doesn't it make you feel nostalgic for sports?

No, definitely not. I ended my career in 2007 and have never regretted it.

Photo: Konstantin Chalabov / RIA Novosti

As a child, did you dream of becoming a biathlete?

I, like any German child, at first dreamed of being a football player. I decided to go in for sports very early. I didn't care at that moment whether it would be Athletics, ski race or football. Also quite early I came to biathlon.

You studied Russian at school. Do phrases in Russian, such as “Gross to the blackboard” or “open notebooks”, pop up in your memory?

That was a long time ago. Of course, all these phrases were - normal school classes were held. I was a good student. Russian was taught by a German woman who studied in Russia. She spoke excellent Russian. It is a great advantage for me now that I can read Russian. V free time I always try to learn words from my German-Russian dictionary. Also, when communicating with coaches, they speak German to me, and sometimes I try to answer in Russian.

Which of your athletes is the most successful in learning foreign languages?

The main thing here is practice. If you study a language, you progress in it. But first of all, biathletes should concentrate on biathlon, and not on learning the language. (Smiling.)

Do you love Russian cuisine? There is a popular story on German television on the Internet, where you eat barbecue in Khanty-Mansiysk and try local mulled wine, calling it Russian.

In biathlon you constantly move from place to place. And you understand that the main thing is to be full. In Sweden we eat Swedish, in Russia - Russian, in Italy - Italian. If we talk about the most delicious thing that I ate in Russia, then it was a Caucasian dish - from dough, cheese and with an egg inside (we are talking about achma, Adjarian khachapuri - approx. "Tapes.ru").

Photo: Konstantin Chalabov / RIA Novosti

You managed to work as a TV expert. Have you learned something for yourself from this profession?

I was an athlete in biathlon, worked as a TV expert, worked in the organizing committee of the biathlon competitions in Ruhpolding, then became a coach in the German national team. Now I work in the Russian team. You can say that I have been watching biathlon since I was five different angles. From each job I tried to take something for myself - I looked closely at how biathlon functions.

Maybe the next step will be the career of an official? For example, the presidency of the International Biathlon Union?

I can definitely say no! (Laughs.) Well, now the main thing for me is working with the Russian team. I really want to lead the team to success.

The German Ricco Gross nevertheless became the new coach of the Russian biathlon team. About his appointment, but then something did not grow together. The name of this person is well known to biathlon fans with experience, because Ricco is one of the most titled biathletes in Germany, a four-time Olympic champion, a certified coach. We recall Gross's career milestones and understand what brought him to Russia.

Stormy Olympic youth

Ricco Gross as a child was distinguished by a great love for sports: his main hobby was ski jumping - in this discipline he dreamed of achieving great success. He dreamed until one day, by chance, at the age of 13, he met with biathlon. The coach decided that the guy had potential, started working with the young man and, as it soon became clear, he was not mistaken. Seven years later, Ricco burst into the German national team like a whirlwind, and at the age of 21 he tried on for the first time gold medal World Cup, obtained in a relay battle along with Frank Luke, Mark Kirchner and Fritz Fischer.

The victory allowed Ricco to instantly gain a foothold and settle into the national team - at the Olympics in Albertville and Lillehammer, despite his young age, he was one of the team leaders and a proven fighter of the relay quartet. In team races, the Germans had no equal, and therefore, at the age of 24, Gross had already become the champion of two Olympics, as well as a two-time silver medalist - both times he excelled in the sprint. However, short races were not his main trump card - throughout his career, the German athlete made the main bet on accurate shooting, and therefore he especially liked long races with four firing lines.

The older Gross, the better

The stormy beginning of his career did not take away the athlete's desire to fight and win further. And this was the main feature of his character. Ricco Gross was a professional to the core: he never relied on emotions - only on cold and precise calculation. There is an opinion that the German has achieved outstanding success to a greater extent because of his outstanding diligence than natural talent. One way or another, but already a two-time Olympic champion, he continued to plow in training and flourish in front of the fans. Therefore, Rikko entered the new century already three times Olympic champion and a five-time world champion.

Gross, like a fine wine, gets better with age. He reached the peak of his career at the age of Jesus, and the fans in Khanty-Mansiysk were lucky to witness the triumph of Ricco, who won the relay and pursuit, and also finished in the top three in the sprint and individual race. The next tournament in Oberhof also went to the German - two gold medals, one silver. It’s only a pity that even in his best years the German did not reach the “Big Crystal Globe” - both in 2003 and 2004 he remained behind the backs of those who fought among themselves Bjoerndalena and Poiret. However, Gross continued to work and deserved another Olympic gold- in the relay in Turin.

Biathlete - commentator - coach

The Russian capital of biathlon saw not only the triumph of the German master in 2003, but also his farewell at the end of the 2006/07 season. After the Olympics, Ricco spent one season out of inertia, and then made a difficult decision to end sports career. For 17 years in the national team, Gross became the most titled German athlete. At five Olympics, he won eight awards, half of which were gold. At the world championships, Ricco climbed the podium 20 times, stood on its top step nine times. Also in the collection of German awards there is a "Small Crystal Globe" in the standings individual races and 33 victories at the World Cup stages, of which he won two-thirds as part of the relay four.

After the end of his sports career, Gross did not say goodbye to biathlon and did not even disappear from the public field. On the contrary, he became a commentator and columnist on a well-known German TV channel, and in this field he also managed to achieve some success and popularity among viewers.

In his free time, he himself studied at the University of Cologne - as a coach, not particularly advertising this fact. Therefore, when in April 2010 it became known that Gross would enter the coaching staff of the national team, many were surprised at the rapid return from the studio to the ski track.

Victim of a doping scandal

Of course, an experienced, titled athlete who knows the whole kitchen of the national biathlon from the inside, and even has a coaching diploma, is a real treasure for the German team. Peers and colleagues - Ricco Gross and Mark Kirchner, who won the relay races together, rolled up their sleeves and began to educate the German youth together. The wards especially noted in the young coach the makings of a great psychologist, who can always find the right word and either cheer up the athlete or cool his ardor. That is why Ricco traditionally took a place in the middle of the biathlon track, and his shouts addressed to German biathletes echoed through the surrounding forests.

Gross worked in the women's team for four years - before the Olympics in Sochi. It is likely that he would have worked longer, but Ricco was hit by a doping scandal with Evie Sachenbacher-Stele. The coach had to go downhill - to the German national team, which plays second in rank international competitions- IBU Cup. But Gross worked very successfully there too - his wards won more than one victory in competitions, but he certainly wanted more. Back to home German team was impossible, and therefore Ricco began to consider proposals from abroad. It was rumored that the German could lead the Ukrainian team, but Russia seems to be a more attractive and promising option. And now Gross is in the Russian coaching staff. We very much hope that he will be able to achieve serious success in this field.