Evgenia Medvedeva: “At one point in my career, I couldn’t manage to hold on to myself anymore. When you’re a two-time world champion and you take bronze, everyone says it’s great, but you’re still third. Let’s be honest, it’s not the result you want.”
Evgenia Medvedeva Reflects on Challenges Post-Pyeongchang Olympics
original source: Sports
During an interview for the “Free Program” podcast on Channel One, Evgenia Medvedeva reflects on her post-2018 Olympic career, sharing the challenges she faced in returning to her previous level and her decision to retire after the pandemic. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“At one point in my career, I couldn’t manage to hold on to myself anymore. I’m talking about the post-Olympic season – 2019, 2020. I got sick with COVID and could never come back to the sport,” Medvedeva began.
“After the Olympics, I had a season where I earned a bronze medal at the World Championships, but even then, it didn’t feel right to me. When you’re a two-time world champion and you take bronze, everyone says it’s great, but you’re still third. Let’s be honest, it’s not the result you want.”
Medvedeva revealed her growing struggles during that time: “By that point, I already understood that I might not be able to return to the level I had set for myself. I really wanted to, but I realized I didn’t have enough emotional or physical energy, nor the health to push forward. At the same time, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, as if people were saying, ‘You left your coach – now prove what your new coach can teach you.’”
She candidly admitted, “At some point, I honestly lost myself in the sport – and I never quite found myself again, because after COVID, I decided to end my career. Looking back, it was probably the right decision because continuing would have only made things worse.”
When asked whether she regrets continuing her career after the Olympics, Medvedeva replied, “No, I don’t. I learned so much about life itself, and I discovered more about who I am. But as an athlete, I did fall apart to some extent.
The journey I had was amazing, but after the Olympics, I just couldn’t find myself again,” she said.
Related topics: Evgenia Medvedeva
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