Swimmer Alexander Popov: photos, biography, personal life and sporting achievements

Alexander Popov - the pride of the national water sports. He is not just a swimmer from Russia and winner of many medals, but also a world-class champion. Despite the difficult injury, which became a tragedy in the biography swimmer Alexander Popov was able to return to the sport. About the life of this charismatic man, sports and thirst for victories read the article.

The childhood and youth of the future champion

Alexander Popov was born on November 16, 1971 in a working class family who lived in a closed town in Sverdlovsk region. Mom and Dad future champion worked at a secret factory. The parents were very fond of his son, but did not even know about his great future. In early childhood, Sasha suffered a lot, and so it is recorded in the pool.

To the surprise of adults, the boy immediately fell in love with swimming. His first coach Galina Wittmann was able to see quite quickly in the non-collapsible boy a future champion. Alexander Popov grew, and with it grew and his professionalism.

Sasha spent in the pool a lot of time, which could not but affect his school performance. The parents were very unhappy with the fact that their son is so disparagingly refers to the study, and even offered to quit sports. Alexander Popov categorically refused. The boy had seen myself as a professional swimmer and dreamed of an Olympic gold medal.

Alexander Popov graduated from the school with grief in half. His assessment is poor. But broad-shouldered, handsome dreamed of swimming. After school, he escaped from "the post town" and went to Volgograd to submit documents to the Institute of Physical Culture. Strong Man enlisted in the list of students VIFKa, where he continued his training.

Mentor Anatoly Popov became Tipsters. The coach felt that the most promising type of diving for Alexander - on the back. The guy trained hard, but to achieve success, he had not succeeded. As a result, the future champion had decided to change the style of swimming and coach. So Alexander Popov was engaged under the guidance of a wise mentor Gennadi Turkish. It was he considered to Popov, the sprinter. By the time Sasha was already a tall young man with a strong back and long arms. He clearly felt the water and was indeed magnificent sprinter.

Sports career

20-year life of our hero went to Athens for their debut European championship. Swimmer Alexander Popov has shown excellent results, winning 4 gold medals. Here it is - the result of work and constant training.

Alexander Popov discovered the sport, and the world saw our swimmer.

After such a triumphant debut, he was invited to the national team. Defend the honor of the country at the Olympic Games in 1992, the sprinter went to Barcelona. Again, it was waiting for success. From Alexander Popov Barcelona returned to his homeland in the status of the Olympic champion. Submitted to him at a distance of 50 and 100 meters. And the relay team, he earned silver.

A series of triumphant performances and victories not over after that. After a meteoric rise envious predicted Alexander Popov same rapid decline. But our hero does not want to stop there. He worked on them, kept a sports mode, honed technique.

At the 1993 European Championships, he won two gold medals, and in 1994 at the World Cup broke the world record.

At the world championships, which took place in Vienna, Alexander again confirmed his title.

This living legend swimmer Alexander Popov became after his performance at the 1996 World Championships, which took place in Atlanta. Despite all the titles and achievements of our compatriot, predicted a victory in the championship of the American swimmer Gary Hall. The opponent was really in excellent physical shape. And his daring behavior indicative of full confidence in his superiority. The situation was complicated by the fact that for the Hall was sick the whole country, while the Russian athlete such support was not. President Clinton himself came to the competition to support Gary. Imagine the disappointment of fans when it was Alexander Popov won double gold championship, leaving behind the Hall.

On the verge of life and death

In August 1996, in his biography of Alexander Popov, a tragic event happened. At 25 years old guy was just a hair's breadth from death. The media were full of headlines that the star of world scale killed by hooligans. In fact, the following happened: Alexander Popov, together with a friend accompanied the two charming girls to the subway on the way they met hooligans who started to insult women. The guys stood up for her friends, so that there was a fight. Intruders were armed with knives. Champion received a head injury and a penetrating stab wound in the side. As it turned out, the knife touched the lung and kidney.

Thanks to the girls who are not confused and caught a ride, Alexander was taken to the hospital in time. Brilliant surgeon Avtandil Manvelidze immediately sent the patient to surgery. He did not follow the standard instructions and changed the course of the operation, so that our hero was able to continue his career. After learning about the incident, many put an end to Alexander as sportsmen.

The triumphant return of

Spite of all the spiteful critics Popov quickly went on the mend and recovered from injury. His return to the sport pleasantly shocked all sailing enthusiasts. In the summer of 1997, after an injury, our sprinter earned two medals.

The following year, Alexander Popov for the third time won the Olympic gold medal.

Then, in 1998, he was awarded the Cup the best swimmer of the decade.

Two years later, Alexander Popov, the second time in his career, became the champion, breaking the world record in the 50 meters.

The completion of sports career

Since 2000, there Popov began sporting achievements so bright, his career went into decline. Earning several medals, our champion completed a career in the same place where it began - in Athens. Since 2005, Alexander Popov is working "in the rear". He is a member of the International Swimming Federation, a member of the Olympic Committee. Popov worked at the Ministry in addressing the issues of development of the sport.

Life

Alexander Popov married swimmer Darya Szmielew. A pair of registered marriages in 1997. For more than 20 years, the couple live together, three children. Alexander and Daria, two sons and a daughter.

An excerpt Popov biography - his take-off, wounded and triumphant return - captures the drama of life titled athletes, "Champions: Faster. Above. Stronger".