Reaction after winning the 2020 Youth Olympic Games

Vladimir Filatov, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Matvey Michkov all shared their emotions after defeating the USA 4:0 in the final of the 2020 Youth Olympic Games.

Head coach Vladimir Filatov:

- I am really happy for the guys, they claimed the gold medal by winning all of their matches. When they turn 20 years of age, we'll be able to speak about their future, the age of 15 is interesting as they begin to make the jump to youth ice hockey from children's level. Our task is to make sure that they have a great future ahead of them. Can we keep the first line together? Let's see what happens when they step up to the under 17 and under 18 national teams. Yes, they have talent, but they must continue developing with a serious attitude.

Forward Ivan Miroshnichenko:

- To be honest, we probably haven't yet understood the magnitude of this victory. We have become the first Russian national team to win the Youth Olympic Games. At this tournament, all of our opponents were strong, even though we beat them by large scorelines. The fact that we were clinical with our opportunities meant that we were able to achieve these victories. Of course, we were a bit nervous before the final, but we came here to become champions.

Forward Matvey Michkov:

- We're really happy, it's not every day you win the Olympic Games! The Americans had a strong team with technical players, but we played at 100%. Did my two goals in the first period decide the outcome of the game? Maybe. We were fully focused and deserved this triumph. During the second frame, I had two more great chances, but I couldn't score again. The main thing is that we are the champions, not the fact that I am the top scorer of the tournament.