Simona Krupeckaitė, who has joined the two Lithuanian Olympic legends: “This time I will try to fool myself”

They were only ready on a sunny Friday morning and soon left for the airport, where a long journey to Tokyo awaits them.

Before that, the riders shared their thoughts on upcoming fights at the Games with the assembled journalists.

The escorts that took place in 1988 also participated. Olympic track cycling champion Gintautas Umaras, who wished the athletes confidence and an easy start.

“There is no need to doubt, doubt. They both work well, there is a whole team. The basis is the work you have already done. There is nothing to distract and expect to go into battle to doubt something you may not have done before. You can only wish good luck so that there is no shortage of oxygen in the head and lungs.

The pressure has accompanied athletes before and now, but Simona’s experience is impressive, I am like a shepherd compared to her. Transparent thoughts and the demands that are needed in sport. What does it mean to fly during a race? That’s what I want, ”said the Olympic champion.

Both athletes will participate in the team sprint competition and the individual sprint and keirin competitions at the Olympic Games. For S. Krupeckaitė, in general, it will even be the fifth Olympiad.

According to this number, he will match the legendary discus thrower Virgilijus Alekna and the shooter Daina Gudzinevičiūtė.

Well, for M. Marozaite, these will be the first Olympic Games in his career as an athlete.

“You want, you don’t want the chills to run through your body. There is also emotion, because you have to see the starts of others, of course, mostly Lithuanians. However, we will try to quell that emotion, make friends and achieve a good result”, said S. Krupeckaitė, 38.

“I don’t expect anything, I don’t predict anything, because it’s ungrateful. Because you schedule yourself then and that makes it more difficult. I would like to wish me peace and confidence that I will return from the Olympics with pride and not with disappointment ”, the cyclist assured me about her goals.

So far she has done better at the London and RIO Games, where she finished seventh.

Although S. Krupeckaitė has always been named one of those Lithuanian Olympians who has a real chance of winning a medal, so far there are no medals of any color from the Games in her large collection.

“I don’t know why. I joked that that career was cursed for me. From Athens I felt a failure, there were also intrigues, anger, experiences, collapses. Perhaps the responsibility that I believe is a leg. Definitely not the environment. So it’s like pulling an invisible backpack full of expectations that stops me.

Perhaps it is a trait of my character. This time I’ll try to fool myself somehow, “replied the rider with a smile.

After a year of postponing the Tokyo Games, the athletes also had to change their preparation plans. Among those athletes, of course, there were representatives of the track.

“It just came to our knowledge then. A lot of effort was put into the national team last year in Germany, because until the last outing with Migle, we didn’t know if we would win a ticket to the games. A lot of work done, we stuck our teeth into it. The ticket So that pandemic period was certainly not easy.

Many physical and psychological challenges. Preparing without a competition was also difficult when you don’t have a specific small plan. It was not easy. Well that’s been the whole year, it’s still something that could have been done. I gained experience, speed, ”said S. Krupeckaitė.

The rookie is ready to go

If S. Krupeckaitė can be called an Olympic Games ace, then M. Marozaitė is still preparing for the best start of his life. The 25-year-old from Panevėžys took fourth place in sprint competition at the European Championship last year.

“I feel good, ready. Maybe just the heart beats more often in recent days, but everything is fine. I hope to do my best to improve my personal results, ”he said.

“Simona has been sharing her experience for five years. I learned a lot from her, I am very happy that we go to the games together,” the athlete replied briefly.

I don’t feel pressure. I just demand a lot from myself, maybe just that. But since there is no environment, my mission is to go there and show my skills. My highest expectations are related to the team sprint, and it was the one that was preparing me the most for it ”, assured M. Marozaitė.

For S. Krupeckaitė, this will also be a kind of first time, because finally she is not the only Lithuanian representative on the track going to the Olympics.

“It is an interesting feeling. I may not need to share the stress with Migle, but I will have to learn to support or calm her. The first games are really important. Although perhaps for me it was the easiest, then only more difficult, because the pressure, the goals increase. You put everything in a backpack, which then stops you. I hope the Foggy backpacks are still empty, and if not, we’ll help empty them (smile – aut. Past).

And anyway, it’s fun, there are two of us, it’s already a selection. It would be even more fun if the team was bigger, maybe even the male riders would contribute, ”said S. Krupeckaitė.

She herself would surely surprise the odds of our other Olympians. So far, Lithuania has failed to win any medals. But, according to an experienced cyclist, they deserve a lot of support.

“It just came to our knowledge then. And girls rowers, swimmers and others. I am proud of them. Difficult conditions, difficult to fight, many good opponents. Not everything is recorded in medals, but in stories. I would like to look at the athletes, to the coaches more often and listen to them, support them, ”S. Krupeckaitė shared his thoughts.

As mentioned above, S. Krupeckaitė tied with V. Alekna and D. Gudzinevičiūtė in terms of participation in the Games, who also represented Lithuania in five Olympic Games.

“It just came to our knowledge then. I didn’t count from the beginning, I didn’t capture, but when I started, I thought and, really, it’s already the fifth game. More so because without sports you have a life, a family, it’s a lot of time to give. , almost 20 years. Only now is he beginning to understand what he has achieved. And even now full understanding has not yet come, “said S. Krupeckaitė of his track record.

The track selection competition in Tokyo will begin on August 2.

See all the beginnings of the Lithuanian Olympic athletes on TV3, TV6 and the news portal tv3.lt, and the latest news, results and broadcasts, on a special map of tv3.lt, https://www.tv3.lt/ tokyo2020.