Larisa Ilchenko (open water swimming): biography, personal life and sporting achievements

Larisa Ilchenko - a legendary athlete, who ruled unchallenged in the swimming marathon in the second half of the two-thousand years, recognized as the best swimmer decades on the open water. By the age of nineteen she managed to assemble a collection of eight gold medals of the world championships, she became the first Olympic champion at the distance of 10 km. Unfortunately, the accident occurred at one of the stages of the World Cup, very strongly undermined the health of Larissa, which is why it is quite early completed its glorious career.

The first steps

Larisa Ilchenko, whose biography will be discussed below, was born in Volgograd in 1988. Life Path girl was not strewn with rose petals, she experienced her parents' divorce when she was ten years old, to know all the "charm" of the survival of the average Russian in a difficult nineties. Her mother worked as an engineer on a dying company and received a salary of natural products in the form of cheese, and in 1998 he was left without work after the default of the country.

But all of life's complexity is only tempered by the future champion, made her a real fighter. The main way to fulfill your potential in life and out of poverty was swimming for her. Larisa Ilchenko came to the pool with his mother at the age of three years, at first it was only about recreational sports, but gradually the girl was involved in the training and began to stand out among peers.

The period of formation of

The first coach was a native of Volgograd Alexander Ivanov, who pulled her to a high level, to help achieve the title of Candidate Master of Sports. For a long time Larisa Ilchenko did not even think about playing marathon that heats are 5 and 10 kilometers that are held in the open water. She trained hard in the pool, preferring to speak in the 400-meter freestyle.

So ​​it has gradually grown to quite good international level, won the junior European championships. However, maximalist in spirit, Larisa Ilchenko not satisfied with the role of Statistics, it sought to win all heats, it was pretty difficult to do given the domination of swimmers from the USA and Australia.

From the pool to open water

A turning point for the girls began in 2004, when the choice was made in favor of swimming in open water. The year before, Vladimir Zakharov, her new coach, Larisa offered to try their hand at one of the tournaments at a distance of 5 km. Fifteen-year girl immediately won the bronze medal in the championship of Russia, but in the year to break with a swimming pool did not dare, and continued to perform at a distance of 400 meters.

In 2004, Larisa Ilchenko stopped in one step from getting to the Olympic Games in Athens. To overcome the qualifying threshold for a distance of 400 meters, the girl did not have only 0, 3 seconds. It was the last straw to break with a swimming pool and fully concentrate on the performances in swimming in open water. Nevertheless, the decision was given to her uneasy, as Larisa Ilchenko wanted to take part in the Olympics, swimmers and marathon at the time were unable to compete in major competitions four years. Yet there was talk about how to turn on a distance of 10 km in the competition program of water sports.

The first victory

In 2004, Larisa Ilchenko went on their first world championship in the new discipline, which was held in Dubai. Then she only mastered in marathon swimming, so only trained a distance of 5 km, not even trying to wipe the extra-long sections 10 and 25 km.

Sixteen newcomer went to the United Arab Emirates in the status of a backup member, and should not have to go the distance. However, due to the coincidence Larisa Ilchenko came out at the start and immediately revealed to all who will rule in the women's swimming marathon in the next few years. Specialist for a short distance, she gave a great finishing spurt for 400 meters before the finish, even without giving a chance to compete with it, and won his first world gold.

In 2005, Larisa Ilchenko sent to the World Championships in Montreal is already in the status of an unconditional leader of the team, and repeated his last year's success at a distance of 5 km, firmly retaining won abroad.

Queen of open water

By 2006, it became known that discipline in the 10 km will be included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Before Larissa opened great opportunities to realize his childhood dream and win the Main Event. Athlete began to catch up and began feverishly to train a distance of 10 km, on which she had never tried his hand.

At that time the low girl who does not even reached the age of majority, but boldly broke into the elite of the women's marathon swimming was the main object of hunting on the part of opponents at a distance.

Swimming in open water - hard contact sport, swimmer's motion track is not limited to separating the ropes in the pool, so there is a fierce struggle going on during the race. Athletes hit each other feet under water scour shoulders, sometimes deliberately targeted during strokes. With all these faces and Larisa Ilchenko, which compared with some athletic rivals looked just Thumbelina. However, in 2007 it again became the strongest of all, at the same time issuing a golden double. She won the favorite distance of 5 km, and was the first in the Olympic discipline of 10 kilometers.

Olympics

Taking eight gold world championships, Larisa Ilchenko earned the right to participate in the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. The first ever final of the games in the discipline of 10 kilometers has been very dramatic, and a native of Volgograd has faced very stiff competition.

athlete from the UK have developed a command tactics of combat in the distance. From the very start of the two powerful Englishwoman had gone into the lead from the rest of the group and his very broad shoulders just blocked the road, preventing the possibility of anyone around them. Perfectly prepared physically, they even missed the first food item at a distance, because of what and Larisa Ilchenko did not take risks and save time and continued the pursuit.

Difficult triumph of

Forces young girls were not unlimited, she still decided to take on the last leg of the nutrient mixture coach hands, but one of the opponents inadvertently knocked the cup from the hands of Larissa, and she continued to sail in a state of extreme exhaustion.

To top it all the troubles, the last part of it fell into a kind of "box", created by Brazilian swimmer. They knew that in the final decisive meters Larisa Ilchenko easily overtake them, so mercilessly began to block Russian woman, inflicting blows along the way hidden under the water.

However, in an incredible way native Volgograd managed to slip just under the armpits from the Brazilians, and the last two Englishwomen walked around a bend, and then pulled away to the operating room and finished first and became the first Olympic champion at the distance of 10 km.

In recent years,

Olympics took away the girls a lot of effort, while it restores health, healed old injuries. In 2009 it was declared to participate in the world championships in Rome only at a distance of 5 km, but were unsuccessful for himself, coming second to the finish line.

In 2010, Larisa Ilchenko went to Canada for his ninth gold medal of the world championships, is in great shape. However, it intervened in the case circumstances beyond the control of the athletes. Lake Saint-Jacques, where the heats were held, was famous for his unpredictable temper, numerous tributaries and flow to create a wide range of temperatures.

The thermometer on the shore showed the water temperature at 17 degrees, which made possible the participation of athletes in the swim. However, a few hundred meters from the shore the water became unbearably cold, it became extremely difficult to swim. Courageous Ilchenko continued to fight to the last, but at some point simply lost consciousness, which required the intervention of rescuers. The strongest hypothermia delayed the mark on the subsequent fate of Larissa. We found problems with the thyroid gland.

Athlete interrupted speech, focusing on the device personal life. Larisa Ilchenko married, her child was born. For a while, she was intrigued audience the opportunity to return to the sport, to train, shape restored. However, it was officially announced that Larisa Ilchenko finished his career in 2014.