Russian swim champion Egor Kornev explains why he turned down the USA

Imagine being invited to train with the coach behind Michael Phelps, and saying no. That is exactly what Russian world champion Egor Kornev did.

He has now explained why.

What happened?

Kornev says that two years ago he turned down an invitation from American coach Bob Bowman to continue his career in the United States. Bowman is known as the mentor of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

The swimmer says he wants to live in his own country, compete under the Russian flag and hear the anthem from the podium.

Diamonds and clay

Kornev used a vivid comparison. In his words, working abroad is like turning "uncut diamonds into brilliants". Preparing athletes in Russia, he said, is more like creating "a masterpiece from a lump of clay".

But the main reason was personal. Kornev has trained with coach Olga Baydalova for eight years. He said that parting with her would feel like giving up his family.

Money is not an issue

Kornev is doing well at home, too. He recently earned $128,000 at three stages of the short-course Swimming World Cup. That was the second-largest prize total among all participants in the series.