Athletes in the mixed zone (© Getty Images)
A selection of quotes ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22.
Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) – women’s long jump
On how life was changed since morning of February, 24th:
“Since February 24th our lives were changed cardinally. I’ll never forget that morning when I woke up in the different world full of pain, worries, explosions, tears and fears. That Thursday I have been staying in my home in the city of Khmelnytskyy, which is on the west Ukraine, but my husband (famous swimmer Mykhailo Romanchuk) had his training camp in Brovary, the closest town to Kyiv.
“That time I had no thoughts about training. All days I was worrying about family, friends, dear and well-known people.”
On when she was able to resume trainings:
“Honestly, I didn’t even think about starting my trainings again. I was sure that it would be impossible to continue the season and especially to perform at the World Indoors. I had no idea how I could do it, but our federation promised us to do all they can to get us to Belgrade. The head and senior coaches of our national team assured me that I have to continue in trainings especially if situation in my town was more or less calm. So, I started in four days. Certainly, it was too difficult to be focused in what I has been doing in the field, but I even coped to do some good technical sessions."
On double (triple and long jump) in Belgrade:
“I feel I’m able to do both events in Belgrade in my usual style. It means to jump strong and far. I think I have power to do it really good. Why not? That is worth to try it here. If not now then when?
“Our team will do everything in Belgrade to show to the whole world that we were, we are and we will always be a strong, courageous and independent nation, that even in such horrible for our country times we can fight at the highest international level reaching our best results. I hope our little but strong Ukrainian team will raise the national flag in the Stark Arena to show to all the world that Ukraine is still alive!"
Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) – women’s high jump
On her season’s results:
“I was really well prepared for this indoor season. Unfortunately, not long before the season’s start, I got a cold and it affected my shape. To jump 1.92m in Hustopece and 1.96m in Banska Bystrica was good enough for such conditions. I knew I was ready to jump over 2 metres already at the Ukrainian Indoors, but our nationals did not happen.
On what was happened on 24 February and later:
“It was February 24th at 4:30am when I woke up in my apartment in the city of Dnipro because of terrible sounds of explosions, cannonade and shooting. Even before I called my parents, I got a feeling that that is the war. To become aware of what was happening and that is still possible in the 21st century is really wild feelings. I cannot describe in words what I felt at that moment but I wish nobody in the world will have the same or even similar feelings. Please, no war! Never more!
“After hours of total panic, we left our city, moving to the little village not far from home. Nobody thought about training at that time as we were forced to spend days in the cellar monitoring news from Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv every minute. Bit later we started hard work but not in the training arena. We were in touch with the Ukrainian athletics federation, with my manager Aivar Karotamm and his Ukrainian assistant Oleksandr Krykun. We all have been looking for the best way to resume training and to even get the chance to perform at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
“It's difficult to imagine the task they have faced, but in cooperation with World Athletics, Romanian and Serbian athletics federations, they could arrange our trip to Belgrade. 2000km, more than three days of a nervous trip. Hundreds of phone calls, changes of trip direction, explosions, fires, sharp sirens. I would like to think that it was just a nightmare, but that is the reality of my country even today. Reality of the war.
“We have arrived in Belgrade on March 9. The Serbian Athletics Federation took care that we have training facilities from the first day of our stay here but it’s too difficult and impossible to keep your mind clear. All my thoughts are in Ukraine and with all Ukrainians who defend my Motherland now. But I have to do the things I used to do. I must perform to represent Ukraine at the international sports arena in the best way I can."
Sandi Morris (USA) – women’s pole vault
On being at her first championships with a new coach and training partner, Olympic champion and US teammate, Katie Nageotte:
“I switched coaches and training groups in September so I feel like I’m starting fresh. I am happy with my performances so far. I think I’m right there ready to jump some bigger bars, ready for a breakthrough.
“I’d been with the same coach since university. I graduated in 2015 and stayed with Brian Compton at the University of Arkansas until last year. When you’re with the same coach for nine years you’re just ready for something new, a new perspective, new drills, everything.
“Also, my husband and I had been doing long distance for five years so we finally moved to the same city and joined Katie training under Brad Walker in Atlanta, Georgia.”
On training alongside her biggest rival:
“It’s awesome training with Katie. We push each other every single day. The power of two Olympic medallists is much greater than one. I think the sky’s the limit for both of us.
“It’s a very friendly rivalry. We’re very competitive every day in training, which has been a new, interesting dynamic for me to work with. But it’s been great. You show up, you get the work done and you have to be on your A game all the time.
“But I think we do a good job of balancing it too. We know that not every single rep is a competition because training is never perfect.”
On their head-to-head clash at Belgrade 2022:
“I think talking about it is a bit of a sideshow. Pole vault is very much about you jumping against you. It’s not like we’re on the runway side-by-side going at the same time.
“When we jump in training we go back and forth and feed off each other’s energy as well. It will definitely lead to some bigger bars in the future for us.
“Katie was a late bloomer and I was more of an early bloomer. But she’s now figured out how to jump 4.90m and higher and that’s what it takes in women’s pole vault to be a medal contender. If you can jump 4.80m or 4.90m consistently then you’re going to be a medallist.
“I’m sure she’s got many medals to come and we’ve got three solid years with opportunities.”
On the pressure of being defending champion in Belgrade:
“I’m just trying to have fun. I am working on a lot of technical things, so I’m trying to focus on those changes that will help me jump higher over time. If a gold medal comes with that I will be extremely happy.
“This indoor season has been a bit of an experiment and it’s gone pretty well so far, so fingers crossed.”
On whether she feels she has something to prove after getting injured at the Tokyo Olympics:
“Obviously, it was a blow to the ego. But every athlete endures injuries and that’s what happened to me. It happens to everyone. It’s just unfortunate that it happened at the Games.
“I feel like I’ve emotionally recovered from that and I’m on the road to being the athlete I want to be again. It took a while to get back to top speed but now I think I’ll be able to get into top condition again for the outdoors.
“My focus is on getting into shape to do a PB. I haven’t had a PB since 2016 so it’s overdue. Every time I step on the runway I want to jump as high as I can, then the medals come with that.
“In the next few months and years it’s going to be championships after championships so I am trying to make these technical changes as soon as possible now, then later on I’m more in a rhythm and not worried about what I’m doing. Coming up, there’s going to be so many opportunities to win medals.”
On who will come out on top in Belgrade:
“Of course we both want to win, that’s the athlete’s mentality, but it’s more like ‘I want to jump as high as I can today’, not ‘I want beat so and so’. I’ve never thrived off that. If I focus on beating someone I don’t jump well.
“I call myself a happy jumper. If I’m in a happy mood I jump well. If I’m having fun, I’m talkative, that’s how I jump high. The day I jumped five metres I was eating a Snickers bar and chatting with [Canadian vaulter] Alysha Newman at the back of the runway. And then I just ran down and jumped five metres. So it’s all about spirit, having a good spirit.”
Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) – women’s 400m
On how she’s feeling ahead of the championships:
“We just got in today and so far I feel pretty good. I came out just to get a shake-out and just get ready for the champs. For me this one is just a chance to see where we’re at with training.
“That’s said, it’s the first one of the year and it’s a World Championships so I definitely have to be ready. But it’s partly just to have a bit of fun.
“The main goal this season is to be ready to defend my title at the World [Outdoor] Championships in Oregon and this is about working towards that goal. After that, cross fingers, I’ll do the Commonwealth Games as well.”
On the pressure of being a favourite and who she sees as her main rival:
“There are always a lot of girls coming up and a lot of talented athletes around. It’s always a pleasure to be able to compete with them and get the best out of each other.
“I try not to pin-point one rival or two. It’s always about competing against all the girls out there.”
On being a figurehead for the Bahamas team:
“It’s always a plus to be able to inspire some of the kids back home to work hard and go after their dreams.”
On how difficult it is to race 400m indoors:
“Indoors is not my favourite. I actually went into retirement with the indoor 400m in 2014. I came back again last year to give it another go, but after this season I think I’ll put it back into retirement and concentrate on the outdoors.
“There are just too many turns for me and I never get a chance to really open out my legs. It is a lot of fun, though, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) – men’s long jump
On four years waiting between World Indoors:
“It’s been four years since I was long jumping at WICH in Birmingham… Oh, I was very young, I was 19 only and I was not so good at that time. I was waiting for the next World indoors in Nanjing but it didn’t happen because of pandemic. This time it’s happening and I’m ready for this.
On being much more experienced and having more responsibility:
“Certainly, I feel it [responsibility], but I also have improved a lot. This winter I had a very good season. I did 8.20 everywhere so I’m very confident. I know can jump over 8.30 here. I’m neither nervous, no irresolute. I think I can do it here.
On how to look not powerful, but be so strong and jump so far:
“That’s a big secret I have. I always look like I’m not running fast. Everyone watching me says “Hey he’s very slow! How can he jump 8.40 or 8.30?” Well, it’s because of my natural movements. If you remember long jumper Irving Saladino, his running was the same. He looked like he was not running but he was so fast. I’m the same type actually, I’m not a slow jumper but it looks like I’m very relaxed. It’s because in the training, everything I do, I do it while I’m relaxed, but at the same time, I gain my maximum speed. The same is on my run-up. I need to be relaxed to do my jump.
On his training programme:
“I’m not doing a lot of weights, and if I do weights, I take the kilos that women are doing or even maybe less. I don’t do a lot of weights, but I’m doing a lot of runs. Not so many jumps but most of my training is run-ups 100m, 150m, 60m.
On being recovered after injures last winter:
“Last year I had knee injury on my take-off leg. I had really bad feelings at the European indoors in Torun, but I managed to do to win there even with two jumps. So, I didn’t make it worse. Of course, I wasn’t able to jump for a long time. Mostly all of my jumps I did at competitions during summer season.
“To win the Olympics in such the way looked like a miracle. But we made the only right decision to cancel all my scheduled competitions after Tokyo. We decided to refuse to perform at the Diamond League final, to stay home for full recovering. Now I’m doing fine and feeling no pain at all.
On how far he should jump to reach the medal stand in Belgrade:
“Maybe a little bit less than 8.30, maybe 8.25 or 8.20. But you never know exactly. It’s a competition. I know that Thobias [Montler] is very strong and he will jump very good here. So, it depends on me. Will I be so good as well?
“The current situation in the world affects many people. I think a lot about that, I always watch the news, I’m always informed about the situation. If even I’m trying to do my training and to be focused in competitions, I have it in my mind and keep praying for people.
Christopher Nilsen (USA) – men’s pole vault
On being much more confident after earning Olympic silver and his incredible season with US indoor record:
“Confidence is gonna come from jumping well as I have had a really good season. It’s been kinda like up to par with what I wanted to. Yes, I’m confident but at the same time I’m realistic and I do know it’s very hard to beat Mondo, because he’s very consistent over 6 meters and he just broke the world record last week.
“My goal isn’t to go in and win or break any records or anything like that. My goal is just to go in, be in the mix and just try to keep up with those guys that are jumping really high.
Does it mean that he already gave up even before the start of championships and aiming to fight for second or third place only
It’s not really competing for 2nd place. Everyone who comes here, comes for some kind of the medals and for some kind of reason they could win. Everyone has bad days including Mondo. We saw it last year in Switzerland at the Diamond League, when he didn’t have the greatest of day, but he went back to his normal jumping of over 6 meters every time. So, it’s not only fight for 2nd place. I think that everybody would be happy to be on the podium regardless of what colour it is and just getting the gold is just cherry on top.
On being absolutely different valter than two years ago and on feeling more responsibility after getting Olympic medal:
“Maybe, I don’t know. Maybe, it’s not the responsibility but encouragement, because like you said I’m a much different athlete that I was two years ago, when I didn’t have those experiences. I wasn’t going to win but I was going to lose. Then I could get the experience to learn from that, come to a different competition years later and have a better chance at winning because I have that knowledge and that experience. It’s good to have grown and I think that maybe responsibility isn’t a bad word, isn’t the worst word for it but it does feel more, that something I need to be doing if I’m jumping like this right now. I should be representing USA in the best way possible.
On whether it feels different to jump under or over six metres:
“I think that generations before us who vaulted or did anything else in athletics always said that there is a one big barrier in whatever event they’re doing. In short put it’s gonna be those guys who are throwing over 22 meters and for pole vaulters it’s the people who are jumping over 6 meters and so on. It adds a little of a mental difficulty because you think it’s something that might be out of your grasp as not many people were able to do it in the past. I’m only the 25th person in history to jump over 6 meters.
“But I can tell you that after jumping over 6 meters my body the day after was trashed. It was completely ruined and I had to sleep and just try to recover as much as I possibly could, but it just takes a different toll. The more you push your body to do - the more it’s going to need to rest. 6 meters is kinda that high where you need to push your body past it’s limits to be able to do what you want to.
On the reason why his jumps look much lighter and what was changed in his preparation:
“I think lighter is a good word for it. It’s not necessarily changing my weight or anything more. We just learned how to run more efficiently, how to take off at the end of the run more efficiently and everything’s gotten more efficient. We haven’t necessarily to improve upon anything but I think it’s more along the lines of, the more you do something the better you get at it. So I’ve had 2 more years of experience on doing this on a professional circuit without a coach, without anybody, having figure things out by myself. But then I take back to my coach what I learned by myself and then we have conversations about it and we’ll learn from each other.
On last training camp after getting over 6.05m in Rouen:
“I stayed here [in Europe]. I was in Rouen, France on March 5th where I jumped 6,05 and then the day after I jumped in Paris. After that my agent told me that it just might’ve been a better idea to stay over here for a while because you can get adjusted to the time. I have a training spot in Paris, which is very nice. So, I didn’t necessarily have to go home as much as I’d like to but it was a good decision to stay over here.
On his expectations in Belgrade:
“My expectations for the entire group is that everyone is going to be coming out as hard as they possibly been able to do this season because this is kind of a big thing of the indoor season. While we’re missing some great names out there like Sam Kendricks or Ernest John Obiena, I think everyone is going to be coming for medal positions. I expect nothing less than PRs and high jumps over 5.80 and 5.90.
“My goal and the only expectation I have is just to remain consistent with what I’ve done this season, and I’ve remained consistent over the 5.80s, 5.90 barrier with a couple times over 6 meters so I think that’s just kinda the goal. Not really an expectation because if it doesn’t happen I won’t be extremely disappointed it’s been a long indoor season for me, but my goal is to go on and be consistent with what I’ve done.
Melvin Raffin (FRA) – men’s triple jump
On competing again at international level after the Covid-19 pandemic:
“I am very glad to come back on the world stage after the pandemic. It is great to re-start competition and great preparation for the 2024 Olympics in my home country.
“I am always targeting victory. That is always my main aim. Of course, I always want to win.”
On the top names competing in Belgrade:
“Everybody is watching [Christian] Coleman (USA) so I am also curious about his performance. Otherwise, I have no role models in my career, just myself.”
Darlan Romani (BRA) – men’s shot put
On his expectations before the competition:
“It is good to be here again. We are all here to do our best so we are all looking forward to the competition. We will see what I can do. I am definitely heading for something better this time after so many fourth places.
“I think there is no recipe to beating the top guys, I’ve just got to try for the best and show some great throws. You need to be ready at the right time. We have so many strong guys in the field and anything can happen. For me, indoors or outdoors, competitions are the same.”
Samory Fraga (BRA) – men’s long jump
On competing at his first senior world championships:
“I am ready to face all these strong guys and to make some long attempts. This is my first time coming to a world championships at senior level. Indoors is always difficult for us in Brazil as we do not have indoor tracks. It is also the beginning of the year so it is different.
“But I am excited and hoping to jump about 8.00m. I feel excited to see my competitors again. I met some of them at the Olympics last year so it is going to be fun.”
“I am happy we will have a chance to enjoy the atmosphere of an indoor competition because the public is so close to the field. You can feel the crowd so it is great. In the Olympics, it was very weird with no people watching you. So I am very excited and it is going to push me to jump further.”
Pavel Maslak (CZE) – men’s 400m
On whether he expects to retain his title:
“I am coming as the title defender but it has already been four years which is a really strange feeling. Since then, my career and my shape have evolved a lot.
“I do not have the same feeling I had in the past when I was really aiming to defend the title. Now, I am targeting the semi-finals and I will be satisfied if I get to the final. Of course, the indoor competitions are unpredictable so anything can happen. I will fight and we will see how it ends.”
On his opponents and the level of the competition in Belgrade:
“It looks like it is going to be very close, so it is even more of a pity that my shape is not at the level it was two years ago, or last year. I still hope to make some improvements and this may be a good stepping stone towards a successful outdoor season.”
Tomáš Stanek (CZE) – men’s shot put
On overcoming a nerve inflamation injury to compete in Belgrade:
“I am arriving in Belgrade quite healthy, which is the most important thing for my performance. I am very thankful I was able to heal my injury despite the fact that I had to skip the nationals and have not been able to compete for some time.
“But the main aim has been to throw without pain in training. If not, there would have be no point in coming to these championships to start with. We have such strong opponents now in this event.”
On not having a qualification round in Belgrade:
“I am glad that we don’t have a morning qualification round because it puts you under pressure. I am glad the competition will be in the evening.
“It is really hard to predict any places in this competition with such big names. All the major stars will be here and the results will be huge. But my target is to improve my season’s best so we will see what it brings.”
Jovana Ilic (SRB) – women’s triple jump
On how it feels to compete in a World Championships in her home country:
“I still can’t really believe where I am, to honest. This is my first big competition, my international debut, and I was away from track and field for four years. I have only been practising again for a year and a half so this is very, very big for me.
“I also did not expect it. But I am very happy to be here. I’m excited. I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be competing in front of my home crowd.”
On what she expects from the competition:
“Triple jump over the past few years has been booming especially because of Yulimar Rojas (VEN), and I am expecting a world record from her, so I am happy to be a small part of an historic moment here in Belgrade.
“For me, I am going for a PR and as close to 14 metres as possible. And hopefully make the final, but I am not pressuring myself I am just here to enjoy myself, relax, have fun and do something I love with the best in the world. That environment will push me and if I make it to the finals I will be the happiest person in the world.”
On competing in front of a live crowd for the first time at a World thletics Series Event since the Covid19 pandemic:
“I still haven’t had a chance to experience a crowd like that since this is my first big competition. I think when I step on that runway I will realise exactly where I am. Usually I am good at competing, so hopefully the crowd will push me even more to prove myself.”
On being part of a Serbian team with Ivana Vuleta (Spanovic):
“Since I was a kid she was always someone I was looking up to, an inspiration for all Serbian athletes. So to be on the same Serbian team right now, it’s amazing. It feels like we’re equal in a way. To be here right now, it is a dream for me.
“Today when we were taking team pictures she said, ‘Oh, I am like the team mom here’, since all the rest of us are young. My coach trained with her when she was younger, so I know a lot about her and we always say ‘Hi’ to each other when we meet. It’s very cool to be here with her.”
Amálie Švabikova (CZE) – women’s pole vault
On her surprise qualification for the championships based on the world rankings:
“It was a big surprise for me that I qualified and I could not believe it until the very end. I was very glad and happy. My priority is to have some good jumps and to put on a good performance.
“The big advantage at an indoor championships is that we only have a final. That is why it is very difficult even to qualify for this event.”
