"If you want to be a champion, you definitely can't relax at the finish line": Anton Babikov and Alexander Loginov at Zenit's home game

Russian biathletes and honored masters of sport — Alexander Loginov, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and world champion in sprint, and Anton Babikov, a world champion in relay — attended Zenit's home game against Enisey (83:76). The decorated athletes shared their impressions of the game, compared three-point shots to standing shooting in practice, and discussed the current United League season in an interview with Zenit TV.

— Guys, we are glad to welcome you. How do you like basketball?

Alexander Loginov: It’s great! An interesting match. Honestly, I love basketball — both watching it on TV and attending games in my hometown regularly. So today, I really wanted to be here, and I’m happy about it.

Anton Babikov: This is actually my first time at a basketball game, so I’m pleasantly surprised by how high-scoring and competitive it is. I don’t closely follow Zenit or basketball in general, so it's great to see this level of competition and a packed arena. I'm really impressed.

— Alexander, there's a chance Zenit could face Avtodor in the playoffs. Would you like to see that matchup?

A.L.: Yes, absolutely! Why not?

— Did you follow the recent game against CSKA on February 2 in Moscow, where Zenit secured a big win?

A.B.: I didn’t follow it — maybe Alexander did since he trains a bit less than I do.

A.L.: Actually, yes, I did. I’ve enjoyed this entire season so far, and I love how tight the competition is. Even between Zenit and CSKA, who have the same number of points. Zenit has won more head-to-head matchups, having beaten CSKA twice. We’re definitely looking forward to the next games.

— As athletes, when there's a battle for the top of the standings, like now with Zenit, CSKA, and UNICS leading the table, what’s the key to winning? What does it take to become a champion?

A.L.: They absolutely cannot lose focus. There’s no room for relaxing now. They did a great job at the start of the tournament, and now they just need to stay focused and play hard until the very last game.

— Anton, if you have already enjoyed basketball, what is the first thing that attracts you?

A.B.: Actually, this is the first sport that I've been involved in. I came to basketball once, I liked running on the court, but I couldn’t make my shots, so I switched to endurance sports instead. What amazes me the most now is the level of concentration and precision in their shooting. It looks incredible.

A.L.: When we arrived, the first thing Anton said was that he wasn’t even interested in just sitting and watching — he wanted to run, jump, and shoot some hoops himself.

— In your opinion, what’s harder: making a three-pointer or hitting a target while standing in strong wind?

A.B.: We can find out in the next few days! We can do some three-pointers and invite the guys to try shooting with us — since we’re training here, it’s easy to set up a little duel.

A.L.: There’s always wind! (laughs)