Oleg Lisogor Brassist Date of Birth: 17.01.1979 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Oleg Lisogor

Oleg Lisogor is a Ukrainian swimmer and multiple-time world champion. He gained recognition as one of the top contenders in the upcoming Short Course World Swimming Championships. In an interview with Andrey Mitkov from "Izvestiya", Lisogor discussed his preparations for both the European Championship in Berlin and the Moscow World Championships.

Lisogor's primary goal was to secure a spot in the European Championship team, which will take place in Berlin in late July and early August. Additionally, he aimed to enhance his performance for the Moscow World Championships in the 25-meter pool. During the Ukrainian Championship in Kharkiv, he competed in all three breaststroke distances and improved his personal records in the 50-meter freestyle and butterfly, achieving third and first place respectively.

While Lisogor considered the European Championship in Berlin his main focus for the season, he emphasized his current dedication to the World Championship in Moscow, which he had been intentionally preparing for over the past few months. He explained that he had resolved the question of whether to compete in Moscow or not, as there were several compelling competitions throughout the season, including the World Championship in short course swimming. However, in Ukraine, short course swimming is not highly valued, which influenced his decision-making process.

Lisogor expressed his serious attitude towards every competition, regardless of whether it took place in short or long course pools. He believed that training in both types of pools was essential since the skills developed in one could be applied to the other. While some argue that swimming may eventually split into two separate categories, Lisogor disagreed and believed that both short and long course swimming should be combined, similar to how athletic competitions take place both outdoors and indoors.

He acknowledged the importance of his coach, Viktor Anatolievich Turchin, in shaping his technique and speed. Lisogor praised Turchin for his receptive nature and willingness to consider other experts' opinions. He believed that personal coaches sometimes have a limited perspective, preventing them from noticing minor yet crucial technical errors in their athletes' techniques. Lisogor expressed gratitude to everyone who had dedicated their attention to him.

Lisogor acknowledged that he started receiving increased attention in Ukraine after winning medals. However, he did not make any grand statements about his expectations for the Moscow World Championships. Instead, he aimed to bring home medals as a memento but did not want to make categorical claims about winning or breaking world records. Lisogor recognized that his competitors would also be strong and motivated to perform well at the World Championships.

Regarding his main rivals, American swimmer Ed Moses and Russian swimmer Roman Sludnov, Lisogor was aware that they would not be competing in the World Championship. However, he acknowledged that there were other strong swimmers in breaststroke who could not be underestimated. Lisogor preferred competing for medals rather than assuming they would naturally be his.

Lisogor reflected on the fantastic experience of competing against Moses and Sludnov in the 2001/02 Short Course World Cup. He expressed his enthusiasm for the competition and the emotions it evoked. He emphasized that swimming was his passion and he always wanted to strive for more. Lisogor believed that after the Short Course World Cup, his competitors started taking him more seriously.

Lisogor maintained good relationships with Moses and Sludnov, both in and out of the pool. They supported each other and even helped each other with their swimsuits. They also spent time together outside of swimming, going to restaurants and discos. Lisogor expressed his surprise and admiration when he witnessed his competitors achieving excellent results.

When Lisogor defeated both Moses and Sludnov in the 50-meter event at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, it was a significant breakthrough for him. Although some may attribute it to luck, Lisogor believed it was the culmination of his gradual progress. He had been consistently performing well, winning silver at the 1999 European Championship, bronze at the World Championships, and silver again at the European Championship before finally claiming the gold in Fukuoka.

As for his ambitions, Lisogor shared that every athlete dreams of not only participating in the Olympic Games but also winning a medal. However, he acknowledged that dreams alone were not enough and emphasized the importance of hard work.