The Russian national team and Moscow Army team forward spoke with reporters after arriving to the Olympics in Beijing.
- How was the trip?
- "Not bad. We flew to Krasnoyarsk, then we got on another plane and came here without more ado," said Plotnikov to reporters.
- Did you fly to Krasnoyarsk on a regular basis? Didn`t you feel anxious?
- Yes, I took a regular flight. I`m not going to hide it: I was worried. But I`ve taken negative tests long time ago. I don't know what happened to the test before the flight. It came back negative right afterwards. I hoped there would be no more misunderstandings.
- Were you among those who got sick during the epidemic in CSKA?
- I wasn't sick at that time. I got sick later. But I didn't have any special symptoms, just a fever one night. It went away the next day.
- Do you have a lot of catching up to do?
- No, I don't think so. I knew where I was going. I was getting ready. There will be no problems. It is clear that I need to train with the team to be in the general mass, with all other guys. If you think specifically about my physical condition, everything is fine. I was purposefully preparing, thinking only positively. Even when I was in the hotel in quarantine, I continued to train according to the fitness coach's program. When I came out of the quarantine, I felt great from the first day.
- Who did you train with more in terms of combinations?
- To be honest, it varies. Two or three days with some people, then with others. I ended up with Andronov and Slepyshev.
- Shypachev said he had conversations about who he felt more comfortable with. Did you have any?
- No, I did not have any such talks. Maybe due to the fact that I was occasionally absent.
- When you were flying, did you talk to the other athletes?
- Do you mean communicated? We all sat separately. And we talked, like I talk with you now, when both of us are in the masks. We chatted a little with the bobsledders, with a snowboarder girl. But it was the night flight, so most went to bed to rest before a hard day.
- Have you had time to feel the spirit of the Olympics?
- Honestly, not yet. In the village, I got to bed, and then went to bed almost immediately. I stayed up for a day waiting for the training. That's all. You need to walk around, see everything, go to the canteen, take a walk and some understanding will come.
- Are you going to play for PyeongChang as well? It was frustrating to watch the boys win from the sidelines.
- I will play for my country, first and foremost. And for me, too… I want to achieve my best results. You said yourself that the last Olympiad passed me by; I would like to correct that here.
- Kovalchuk and Zhamnov confirmed that you will stay on the first team. How inspiring is that?
- If we go back to the preparation, it was easier mentally to know that they count on me. You don't get discouraged; you just keep preparing yourself. Because you realize you can't fail to justify people's trust.
- Who did they put you up with?
- Now I live with representatives of the ROC in another building inside the Olympic village for the time being. Now I'm being tested. Then it will be clear where I will be placed.
