Liberalism and elite athletes are one and the same in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan's top sportsmen and women are often seen as spokespeople for the country's openness to the world, but also for the slow pace of economic liberalization within the country.

First impressions of the capital Tashkent on a cold winter's day are quickly formed. Curious, kind-hearted and approachable men and women, despite the heavy language barrier that prevents them from communicating fluently in anything other than Uzbek and Russian.

Uzbekistan remains a rich territory, historically open to nomadic trade and populated by sharp merchants. The roll-out of the New Silk Roads in 2013 reinforced this positioning. However, while the country has taken important steps to open up a little more to the world, it remains a large, inward-looking territory on the Central Asian steppes, surrounded by mountain ranges that stand out from the rest.