“You have to maintain your mindset and nerves, because that could get in the way. When I practice jumps, I imagine the Olympic ice in Milan.” Petr Gumennik shares his mindset as he prepares for the Olympics

Petr Gumennik won gold at the 2026 Russian Nationals, earning a total of 304.95 points from the judges for both programs.

original source: Championat

Petr Gumennik discussed his nutrition, training, and mental approach after winning gold at the 2026 Russian Nationals, and shared his plans and mindset as he prepares for the Milan Olympics. Here’s a translation.

“For me, this gold medal was truly long-awaited. I worked toward it for a long time, approaching it from different angles. It’s nice to receive this title. Thanks to my coaches and fans,” Gumennik told Championat.

“I’m pleased that I landed my most difficult jumps: the flip, lutz, and loop—they were fully rotated and good. As for the salchow, I realize I did something wrong. I know how to fix it. I have the power to change it,” he concluded.

“I think everyone, when they feel that adrenaline, their physical abilities improve – you can jump higher, spin faster. How you use that depends on you; you need to handle the nerves psychologically, not get stuck on anything, so it works to your advantage, and jump technically so that sharper, stronger movements don’t throw you off. So I think any athlete can learn to use this to their benefit,” Gumennik said on Channel One.

Petr Gumennik explained why he does not plan to take a long break before the 2026 Olympic Games:

“In reality, I lose form quickly, so I probably shouldn’t rest for more than a week. Especially since I have such an important event coming up. I already feel fresh, but personally, I want to use this last month or month and a half to improve in the areas where I still can,” he added.

“In general, I watch my diet and try to eat less, because lately, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt that extra weight can get in my way. About a year and a half ago, I first encountered the problem of excess weight affecting me. Before that, when I was still growing, I didn’t pay such close attention. But now I’ve learned to monitor it and keep myself in shape,” Gumennik said on Channel One.

Petr Gumennik shared his expectations for the trip to the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy:

“You have to maintain your mindset and nerves, because that could get in the way. When I practice jumps, I imagine the Olympic ice in Milan. Probably, yes. As for other sports, I’ll only go after my own performance.

I think Milan is famous for its architecture. It will be interesting to explore beautiful places. I need to arrive early to have time to photograph all the beautiful spots and post them on my Telegram channel,” he said.

Petr Gumennik spoke about how he will prepare for the Olympic Games in Milan after his victory at the 2026 Russian Nationals:

“Yes, I’ll be preparing for the Olympic Games from this moment. I’ll discuss it with Veronika Anatolyevna [Dayneko] and Tamara Nikolaevna [Moskvina], who has a lot of experience. I know I’ll definitely need to compete somewhere else in January, so I can step onto the ice without nerves,” Gumennik said.

Related topics: Olympic Games, Petr Gumennik