"This gold medal is for Russia!"

After arriving back in Russia, Sergei Golubovich, Ivan Didkovsky, Yaroslav Askarov and Ignat Kokhanin spoke with the media following the completion of the 2018 World Challenge Cup in Canada.

Russia U17 head coach Sergei Golubovich:

- To be honest, all of my emotions left me as soon as the final ended. It was a really tough match and we were full of desire to win. The guys are growing, they have the whole of their careers ahead of them, and we learn something new every day. I thank the Russian Ice Hockey Federation board, the players, coaches and staff for this competition. This is our victory together.

Russia U17 forward Ivan Didkovsky:

- We're tired after the long journey back. However, after such a meeting in the airport, more strength has returned. We will remember this victory forever, the gold medal is for Russia! The most difficult match? Probably, it was the final. In the first game, we lost to the Finns, and were were down in the decisive match. The coaches found the right words and we managed to win. We knew that fans in Russia were watching.

Russia U17 goalkeeper Yaroslav Askarov:

- Yes, the toughest game was in the final, however I had a feeling that we would win. In the dressing room, we promised that we would give everything in order to win. We travelled to Canada to raise the trophy! I thank the coaches and my teammates and we knew that our supporters were watching our games.

Russia U17 foreard Ignat Kokhanin:

- I felt wonderful emotions after scoring my goal. I'm only just beginning to realise now what we achieved. This is a huge result for us. In our minds, we were only focused on winning. Our toughest opponent? The Canadians are very strong of course and thankfully we managed to win.