We often show what those who need large muscle mass, primarily for beauty, look like, but rarely about those who are interested in muscles purely from the point of view of strength. Today in Zozhnik is the day of weightlifters who set a world record in this difficult sport in every sense.

Andrey Aramnov

Andrey was born on April 17, 1988 in Borisov. He is a serviceman of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and an Honored Master of Sports of the Republic of Belarus. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he won a gold medal in the up to 105 kg category, setting world records in the snatch - 200 kg, and in the sum of the snatch and clean and jerk - 436 kg. This hero weighs 105 kg and is 173 cm tall.

Ilya Ilyin

Ilya is a weightlifter from Kazakhstan with a height of 174 cm and a weight of 94 kg. Two-time Olympic champion (Beijing 2008 and London 2012), four-time world champion, two-time world junior champion, two-time Asian Games champion. World record holder in the clean and jerk (233 kg) and combined combined (418 kg) in the 94 kg category, in the clean and jerk (242 kg) in the 105 kg category and the absolute world record holder among juniors in the 85 kg category in the snatch (170 kg), in the clean and jerk ( 216 kg) and in the double-event total (386 kg). In general, he set 3 world records among juniors and 3 world records among adults. Ilyin became the best weightlifter in the world 3 times (2005, 2006 and 2014).

Kakhi Kakhiashvili

Kahi was born on July 13, 1969. His height is 178 cm, but we were unable to find out his weight. The Georgian from Tskhinvali played for Greece for a long time under the name Akakios Kakiashvilis. Wikipedia says that he is an outstanding Soviet, Georgian and Greek weightlifter, three-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion. During his sports career he set 7 world records. The snatch record of 188 kg has been in force since 1999. The record for the total of 412 kg, set at the same time, lasted more than 12 years and was improved by Ilya Ilyin at the Olympic Games in 2012 in London.

Kim is a North Korean weightlifter, champion of the 2012 Olympic Games in the up to 62 kg category (height 158 ​​cm). Kim set several world records: at the Olympic Games in Great Britain in 2012 - 327 kg in total exercises. In 2014, at the Asian Games in Korea, he improved his achievement to 332 kg and set a record in the snatch - 154 kg.

Lu Xiaojun was born in 1984 in Qianjiang, Hubei Province. In 1998 he entered the Qianjiang Sports School. In 2002 he joined the Tianjin national team. Lyu's height is 172 cm, and his weight is 77 kg. In 2009, at the World Championships in Goyang (South Korea), Lu Xiaojun won a gold medal, setting a world record in the snatch and the sum of the snatch and clean and jerk - 174 kg and 378 kg, respectively. And at the 2012 Olympic Games, Liu Xiaojun won a gold medal, improving world records to 175 kg (snatch) and 379 kg (sum of exercises). At the World Championships he lifted 176 kg (snatch) and 380 kg (total).

Liao Hui joined the Chinese national weightlifting team in early 2007. At the 6th Chinese City Games in 2007, Liao (168cm tall) set two junior world records in the 69kg weight category and won the gold medal. On September 21, 2010, at the World Championships in Antalya, the athlete set world records in the clean and jerk and total exercises - 198 and 358 kg, respectively. A year later, it became known that the weightlifter had tested positive for doping. He was stripped of his gold medal and disqualified until September 30, 2012. On November 10, 2014, at the World Championships in Almaty, the athlete set a world record in the snatch - 166 kg. The previous record, set by Georgiy Markov from Bulgaria, lasted 14 years.

Khalil Mutlu

Khalil Mutlu is an ethnic Turk, born on the territory of Bulgaria, but at an early age he returned to his historical homeland. His height is 150cm and weight is 55kg. Between 1993 and 2005 (with the exception of 2002), Halil Mutlu won at least one gold medal in a major world or European tournament. Mutlu won victories at the Olympic Games with a large margin, ahead of his closest rivals by at least 7.5 kg. Mutlu is one of four weightlifters in the history of the games who became three-time Olympic champions.

North Korean weightlifter, 2012 Olympic champion in the up to 56 kg category (Eom Yun-chul's height is 152 cm), 2014 world champion. On September 13, 2013, at a competition in Pyongyang, he set a world record in clean and jerk - 169 kg. On September 20, 2014, at the Asian Games in Incheon, he improved the record to 170 kg.

Oleg Perepechenov

Oleg's height is 167 cm, and his weight is 77 kg. Born on September 6, 1975 in Uzbekistan. In the international arena, he achieved his first great success in 2001, winning a gold medal in the weight category up to 77 kg at the 2001 European Championships and a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships.

On February 12, 2013, the International Olympic Committee disqualified the weightlifter from the 2004 Olympic Games and stripped him of his bronze medal. The basis was the positive results of a repeat test of Perepechenov’s doping test (the presence of traces of clenbuterol, a drug for the treatment of asthma, which athletes use as a fat burner). Oleg Aleksandrovich holds the world record in the category up to 77 kg in the clean and jerk - 210 kg.

Andrey Rybakov

Andrey was born on March 4, 1982 in Belarus. Rybakov is a two-time world champion in 2006 and 2007, a European champion in 2006, and a two-time silver medalist at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He competes in the weight category up to 85 kilograms, his height is 172 cm. He holds world records in the category up to 85 kg: in the snatch - 187 kg and in the sum of the snatch and clean and jerk - 394 kg.

Behdad Salimi

Salimi was born on December 8, 1989 in Iran, his height is 197, and his weight is 165 kg. He is an Olympic champion, world champion in 2010 and 2011, and set a world record in the snatch - 214 kg in his weight category. After the 2012 Olympics, a scandal broke out in the Iranian weightlifting team. Behdad Salimi and other team members protested against the team's head coach, Kourosh Bagheri, who used profanity during training. After arguments on air between Salimi and Bagheri, the Iranian Weightlifting Federation banned the athlete from participating in the 2013 World Championships and Asian Championships. Later, Bagheri was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown and Salimi visited him and made peace, but when leaving the hospital, Salimi was hit on the head by a supporter of the national team coach. Such passions reign in the world of weightlifting.

Naim Suleymanoglu, an ethnic Turk, was born on January 23, 1967 in Momchilgrad, Bulgaria. His surname at birth was Suleimanov. Due to his short height of 1.47 m, the athlete received the nickname “Pocket Hercules”. Naeem got into weightlifting at an early age and, at the age of eight, went with the city weightlifting team to competitions. By the age of 14, Suleymanoglu was officially enrolled in the Bulgarian national team.

In 1982, Naim, at the age of 15, broke the world record in the weight category up to 52 kg, and a year later he arrived at his first World Championship in Moscow. Performing on a par with adults, Suleymanoglu won a silver medal. At first he generally came first, but the 1988 Olympic champion, Oxen Mirzoyan, still won the total weight in two exercises, the snatch and the clean and jerk. Suleymanoglu was only 2.5 kg short, while the weightlifter who took third place was 10 kg behind the Bulgarian.

Due to the political boycott, Suleymanoglu lost his ticket to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where not a single athlete from socialist countries was sent. Then Naim came to a series of international competitions "Friendship-84" ("Druzhba-84"), in Moscow, where he turned out to be the champion. The Olympic winner did not even come close to the results of Suleymanoglu, who was unofficially proclaimed Olympic champion.

In the mid-1980s, a new stage of “national revival” began in Bulgaria, mostly artificial. The rise of the socialist system meant that Bulgarians had to change their surnames, and Suleymanoglu was no exception. His ancestors were Turks, so the athlete did not experience joy when he was forced to become “Naum Shalamanov” according to his passport.

Dissatisfied with the political situation in the country, the weightlifter began to think about becoming a citizen of another state. In 1985, he became the world champion at competitions in Södertälje Sweden, where he outweighed the silver medalist by as much as 15 kg. A year later, he again turned out to be the best, increasing the gap with his closest competitor by a record 45 kg.

In 1986, Naim arrived at international competitions in Australia, which entailed serious changes in the life of the weightlifter, who was determined to break all ties with socialist Bulgaria. All his teammates returned back to their homeland, while Suleymanoglu himself fled to Turkey. For several years he lived on Turkish soil without his family, who in Bulgaria were constantly interrogated, checked and banned from leaving. Naim himself, of whom his country was once so proud, was called a traitor to his homeland.

In the late 1980s, with the fall of the socialist system in Bulgaria, the Suleymanoglu family had the opportunity to move to Turkey. From now on, speaking on her behalf, the weightlifter won Olympic gold in 1988 in Seoul, Korea, and then, from 1989 to 1995, became world champion five times in a row. Back in 1990, he announced his retirement from big-time sports, but the very next year he was back in action.

Only after winning two more Olympic gold medals for Turkey did Naim say goodbye to his sports career. He tried his hand at business and decided to consult for the Turkish weightlifting team. Suleymanoglu twice participated in elections to the Turkish parliament and ran for mayor of a suburb of Istanbul. All three of his attempts to penetrate the political world were unsuccessful.

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"Charismatic villain Loki" Visited:99

Automotive pioneer

She talked about how she became an Olympic champion nine years later, and also explained the beauty of women's weightlifting.

Slivenko became the silver medalist of the 2008 Games, but after a recheck of doping tests at the Beijing Olympics earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee annulled the result of Chinese Liu Chunhong, who took first place. Thus, the gold went to three-time world champion Slivenko.

Initially there was information that Oksana would be awarded the medal on Tuesday, December 26th. However, the ceremony was postponed: the athlete will receive the Beijing 2008 award after the Games in Pyeongchang.

“EMOTIONS ARE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE”

Oksana, how long did the saga with this medal last? - It all started two years ago in 2016 before the start of the Summer Olympics in Rio, when there were all these doping scandals. I can’t say that I was aware of everything; information came to me from different sources. There were legal proceedings with the Chinese woman Liu Chunhong. And only in the fall of this year it became known that CAS rejected the Chinese woman’s appeal, and the federation must make changes to the protocols.

For a long time I could not comment on anything, since there were no official conclusions, and I did not receive any letters from either the international federation or ours. And only a month ago I received documents that say that I am moving to first place. But I don’t have a medal yet, they asked me to return the silver one, I returned it. In response, they said that they would give back the gold one in the near future.

Oksana Slivenko: You can do CrossFit from the age of three. At the moment there is information that the gold medal is in Russia, in the Olympic Committee.

On your Wikipedia page it says Beijing 2008 - gold. Did you see it? - Yes. In general, everything is clearly spelled out in Wikipedia. Sometimes I even forget competitions in which I was involved before. I go to Wikipedia and immediately remember where I participated and in what year.

Do you think your case may indicate that the IOC is not biased towards Russian athletes? - It’s very difficult for me to judge this. There may be some truth on the part of the IOC in the latest decisions of the International Olympic Committee regarding Russian athletes. But there are also arguments on our part that legally everything was illegal, so it is very difficult in this situation to understand who is right and who is wrong. I can only answer for myself: I’m glad that I moved from second place to first. Although the emotions after a few years are no longer the same as they were before.

I want the sport to be clean and fair. And so that he would be like this all over the world.

Slow bent over row; Rope pull-ups with slow lowering; Push-ups on rings with a slow descent and stopping at the lowest point; Slow dilutions; Pumps 30 s. #geraklionsport #geraklionteam #salutgeraklion #functional all-around

Aug 31, 2017 at 8:40 PDT “OLYMPIADS 2020? THERE IS DESIRE AND AMBITION"

How do you feel about the fact that our athletes will compete under a neutral flag? “I support the performance of our athletes, because they have been preparing for this tournament for many years, and it would be wrong to take this opportunity away from them.

Can you say that with the IOC’s decision, a psychological burden has been lifted from your shoulders? - There was no psychological burden. To some extent, this whole doping story turned out to be unpleasant, because of which the gold medal came after so much time. But I tried to abstract myself from all this. I have a lot of work to do as president of the Federation of Functional All-Arounds. The positive in my case always outweighs the negative.

Are you setting a goal to go to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo? - Hard to tell. I continue to train, I never stopped playing sports. Over the past few years, I have stopped participating in weightlifting competitions, but I continue to compete in CrossFit and functional all-around events.

I feel that I have strength, and I could participate in some Russian competitions. I myself am interested in trying out how my body can perceive the loads that are necessary for higher-level competitions. After this, it will be possible to clearly say: am I ready for the Olympics or not. So far I'm in average shape. To compete in the most prestigious tournaments such as the Olympics, you need to be in optimal shape. But there is desire and ambition.

“WEIGHTLIFTING CHOOSE ME, NOT I CHOSE IT”

Many people are surprised how a woman can do weightlifting. - Personally, I started playing just women’s sports. For example, rhythmic gymnastics. Then there was synchronized swimming. Later she switched to more powerful sports: martial arts, karate. And only after that, at the age of 12, I started weightlifting. My choice was influenced by the environment and infrastructure. Where I grew up - in the city of Chekhov - there was little to choose from. Of course, I could have engaged professionally in any sport listed above, but it so happened that I chose this path. By the way, purely by chance I went to the gym with my friend.

I was noticed in weightlifting because by that time I had good physical training. They gave me test exercises, and I completed them, and many guys couldn’t do it, but I did it.

Evacuation plan. Why did the International Weightlifting Federation ruin the World Championships?

Was this interesting to you yourself? - When you are singled out not only among girls, but also among boys, it encourages you to take it seriously. Therefore, weightlifting chose me rather than I chose it.

How did your parents react? - At first they were against it, but then they began to support me in my desire to achieve high results.

Perhaps for ordinary people, weightlifting is not a feminine sport. But those who go to fitness clubs more or less calmly look at the fact that a woman lifts weights. At first I took small weights, then increased the load. The female body also has the ability to grow stronger and adapt to heavy loads.

That is, the stereotype that a woman and a barbell are incompatible things has been destroyed? - I think the stereotype still lives. There is a category of people who go, for example, to theaters. For them, such a spectacle is unacceptable, and they will probably be against it. Although since ancient times in Rus', women have been carrying heavy buckets, which can, in a sense, be considered weightlifting.

If a woman chooses weightlifting, does she sacrifice her family and children? - In my case, yes. Sports always came first for me, and no personal relationships bothered me. When you show results as a child, you are immediately selected for the national team, and you physically have no time or temptation to engage in your personal life.

When you start winning and taking medals, it further motivates you; you want to show new achievements. A kind of drug.

But you ensure a comfortable existence for yourself, new horizons open up. Then you can start a family and arrange your personal life, as happened in my case. I'm married now.

I’ll try to answer the question, what’s wrong with the second option? Weightlifting is the only sport in which you need to front squat or clean or push a barbell with a maximum weight. I emphasize “on the chest”, not on the back, and precisely with maximum weight. Therefore, how you hold the barbell “on your chest” is of great importance. The first version of the picture is suitable for squats, chest jerks and cleans. To hold maximum weight on your chest without breaking your back, it is necessary to achieve the most straight position of the spine, so that there are no bends in the thoracic, lumbar and cervical regions. This position makes it stronger, like a rod, the weight is as close as possible to the center of the body, is evenly distributed throughout the entire spine, allows you to more effectively hold maximum weights and avoid spinal injuries. Otherwise, the maximum weight will simply break you in the thoracic region and roll forward. As shown in the second picture. As they say, it is weak and breaks where it bends. #geraklion #geraklionsport #geraklionteam #salutgeraklion #functional all-around #werksan #weightlifting #weightlifting #sportlife #weightliftinggirls

Posted by Oxana Slivenko (@oxanaslivenko)

Dec 14, 2017 at 10:16 PST I PERSONALLY DO NOT TAKE MALE HORMONES

Have you ever felt complex about your figure? - It happened before. And now I see a lot of athletic girls. And they are, as they say, in trend among men. In life, in an evening dress, the figure may not look very advantageous. But when you're in a tank top and shorts at the gym, it's very sexy. This figure looks especially impressive at the age of 40-50 years.

I recently went to a CrossFit competition in America, where I saw a woman of about fifty with a toned figure. You will give her a maximum of 30. This once again shows that it is not diet and cosmetics that help maintain appearance, but exercise. At the same time, you need to train competently, not to exhaustion.

Tell me: do female weightlifters take male hormones? - I can’t speak for everyone. Me not. In general, I am against even the slightest artificial approach to strength sports. You can gain muscle mass to a certain size naturally without taking anything. I do not deny that someone can take this, because any doctor can prescribe male hormones even to ordinary women for the treatment of certain ailments.

Who is now number one in weightlifting in Russia and in the world? - I think Tatyana Kashirina is in Russia, she has great prospects. And in the world - Lydia Valentin, Spanish. She still performs at a high level, despite the fact that she is already over 30. Typically, the age limit for women in weightlifting is 26-27 years old. And Lydia breaks all these stereotypes and takes decent places at all prestigious tournaments.

How do you feel about women who compete in mixed martial arts? - I respect them, because it’s a lot of work and it’s even tougher than CrossFit. You have to have a strong character to endure such blows. I don’t like cruelty at all, I’ve been repeatedly invited to mixed martial arts tournaments as a guest of honor, but I’m afraid to go there. You have to have a certain psyche to see it all live.

Are you watching football? - No. It’s not that I don’t like it, somehow I’m not attracted to it, apparently it’s not mine.

58 - Internal news page

Svetlana Ulyanova from Nizhny Tagil today became the champion of Russia in the category up to 53 kg...

10:14 16.02.2005

European champion 2003 in weightlifting in the category up to 48 kg Svetlana Ulyanova from Nizhny Tagil today became the champion of Russia in the category up to 53 kg.

As reported by the panel of judges at the championship, which takes place in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Territory, Ulyanova won with a double-event total of 185 kg /80 plus 105/. The title athlete competed against Marina Guzhevnikova from Kemerovo, who scored the same amount in the biathlon, but lost in her own weight, eventually becoming the silver medalist of the Russian Championship.

Won the bronze medal Regina Mavlyutova from Ufa - 170 kg /75 plus 95/.

At the 2003 European Championships in Greece, Ulyanova excelled in the up to 48 kg category with a result of 175 kg /75 plus 100/, and at the 2004 European Championships in Kyiv this result was no longer enough - the Bulgarian weightlifter won gold Isabela Dragneva- 180 /82.5 plus 97.5/. The athlete's transition to the next weight category is most likely temporary - there is still time before the April 2005 European Championships in Bulgaria to “shed” the extra pounds.

In the lightest category for women, up to 48 kg, she won gold today Rogneta Kardanova/G. Tyrnauz, Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria/ - 147.5 kg /65 plus 82.5/, "silver" - Iraida Tsybareva/St. Petersburg/ - 137.5 /62.5 plus 75 kg/, "bronze" - Ilzara Minieva/G. Ufa, Republic of Bashkiria/ - 130 /55 plus 75/, ITAR-TASS reports.

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Two-time European weightlifting champion Olga KOROBKA: “I can’t imagine a husband who would carry me in his arms...”

At the recent World Championships in Thailand, the Ukrainian weightlifter took three bronze medals
Olya was born in Bobrovitsa, Chernigov region. He's been lifting weights since he was nine years old!

Many sports fans are skeptical about competitions where women compete in seemingly purely “male” sports: they thrash each other in the ring, engage in wrestling matches, lift weights, play football and hockey... They say that this is not feminine case. But such views seem to be a thing of the past... In April 2007, the world press reported that the Ukrainian team distinguished itself at the European Weightlifting Championships in Strasbourg, winning four gold medals. The real heroine was 21-year-old weightlifter Olga Korobka, who not only took three golds, but also set a new European record, which had stood for seven years. Olya was born in Bobrovitsa, Chernigov region. He's been lifting weights since he was nine years old! Now she, a two-time absolute champion and European record holder, is recognized as the strongest woman on the continent. Height - 185 centimeters, weight - 167 kilograms. And tell me, please, where, besides weightlifting, a woman with such an impressive build could shine so much? To talk with Olga, I went to the Olimpiyskaya training base in Koncha-Zaspa, where the Ukrainian athlete was preparing for the World Championships. It was lunch. I looked into the dining room and immediately noticed her: she towered above everyone, like an iceberg in the ocean. To my surprise, I didn’t wait long, about 15 minutes. Olya came out after the meal peaceful and satisfied. Apparently the lunch was delicious.

“IF SOMETHING DOESN’T WORK OUT, I’LL TURN UP AND CRY. I TRY NOT TO SEE ANYONE"

— How was your day before lunch?

- Well, how? I can't say anything new. We have a monotonous sports life: every day you get up, do exercises, have breakfast - and go to the gym. Today there was one training session, it ended at 12 o'clock. At one o'clock we went for lunch...

-What did they treat you to?

— Red borscht with pampushki, buckwheat with krucheniki, cabbage salad and compote. I’m not picky when it comes to food, I don’t go overboard - I eat what they give me and as much as I want. I love everything! And when my mother cooks, I don’t order any special dishes. And I rarely have to cook myself.

— Why did you get up from the table so quickly?

— You get tired after training and want to quickly go to your room to sleep.

— Do you pass out immediately?

“On the contrary, sometimes you overtrain so much that you can’t sleep.” You just lie down and relax. You are thinking about something pleasant.

- For example?

— At the age of 17, I went to the World Championships for adults and became third. I couldn't believe I had a medal. It was so unexpected! And here, at the Olympic base, when I can’t sleep, I lie and imagine how I’m standing on the podium. The Ukrainian flag is raised and the anthem sounds. Everyone congratulates you, hugs you, kisses you.

-Who kisses first?

— Head coach Vasily Grigorievich Kulak, his assistants Alexander Vladimirovich Rykov and Yuri Pavlovich Kuchinov. All this passes before my eyes. I smile, happy, and gradually fall asleep.

— Don’t you get tired of training?

— Probably every athlete has moments when nothing is nice. You almost scream: “Leave me alone! I want to be alone!". You are tempted to pack your things and go home, but then you realize: there is no point in this. Plow so much and suddenly give up everything? After all, in a year - the Olympic Games in Beijing. This is a chance, and we must take advantage of it. And again you set yourself up to go forward and only forward!

- Does it bring you to tears?

“Sometimes, if something doesn’t work out, I turn away and cry.” I try not to let anyone see. It seems that if I complain, they won’t understand me. Although coach Vasily Grigorievich is a responsive person. If any problems arise, I can always take him aside to calmly “indulge” him. Once a month, on weekends, he lets me go to Bobrovitsa to visit my parents. I leave on Saturday and return on Sunday.

— Do you have your own apartment?

- One-room. In Chernigov. They gave it to me after the World Championships, where I took third place. Then, for the first time in my life, I received a monetary reward - about three thousand hryvnia. It was a lot of money for me. And they set my salary - about a thousand. This was already good, because there was no need to drag it out from the parents.

— What did you spend this money on?

“I used them to renovate the apartment and buy furniture.” What else did you buy? Oh, to be honest, I don’t remember anymore. And now sponsors from the sports club ISD (Industrial Union of Donbass) help me. I am very grateful to them.

- Who were you born so strong into?

— I took after my grandfather, my mother’s father. He was tall and well built. He loved us very much - me and his older brother, and always said with pride: “These are my grandchildren!” My birth weight was 4100 - more than my brother's, but this surprised no one.

— Why did you choose weightlifting?

— In our city, other sections simply did not work. There was a famous basement where European weightlifting champion Vita Rudenko, who is five years older than me, trained. Me and my friend came there and looked. It was interesting: how does this girl lift such weights? We approached the coach, he said: “Try it.” We started training, but my friend had already finished training, and I...

— Who was your first coach?

- Nikolai Nikolaevich Molchenko. He paid me more attention than others, rewarding me with candy if I lifted the most. I was still little, I wanted to go for a walk, run with other children... It happened that I missed training. Then he came to our house and told me to continue studying, that I had a future. He came up with all sorts of games to get people interested; he was great at this.

When I was in third grade, Nikolai Nikolaevich took me to my first competition in Nizhyn. There I lifted 17 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and 10 in the snatch. I received a bronze medal and a gift. At the age of 13, she fulfilled the standard of a master of sports, and at 14, she became an international master of sports. I was invited to the team.

— When did you start to stand out in height and weight among your peers?

- Since the eighth grade. When I graduated from school, I weighed 110 kilograms.

- Were you teased?

- Only at the beginning: “Oh, how healthy she is!” Everyone understood: if you seriously engage in weightlifting, you must have weight, you need to pump up your arms and legs. I was always in shape, I ran and jumped a lot - that is, it was not very noticeable that I was so fat. And now I don’t really care who looks at it or what they say. Sport is a part of my life, and I do it not only for myself, but also for my country.

— How do you endure grievances?

“It can be unpleasant, of course, but I’m quick-witted—I can’t hold a grudge for long.” If I see that a person smiles in your eyes, but he himself is hiding bad things against you, I try to distance myself from him and not have any contacts.

— Did your parents dissuade you from weightlifting?

“Mother didn’t object, but father didn’t live with us then.” He left the family when I was nine years old, but is now back with us.

- Have you and your mother forgiven him?

- But of course! Father is father. I believe that everyone makes mistakes in life, and we have no right to judge anyone. We must be able to forgive.

— When did you feel independent, independent from your parents?

— When the first money I earned appeared. Being with my mom and dad until I was 20 years old—I never experienced that. At the age of 14, I kind of left the family. Experience has appeared, thinking has become adult. I already understood that in life I have to fight for myself, try not to depend on anyone.

“FOR ME WEIGHTLIFTING IS LIGHTWEIGHTS. AND ATHLETICS IS WEIGHTFUL"

— What do you say to someone who is convinced that lifting weights is an unfeminine activity?

- It's OK! I think, for example, that trampolining is more suitable for women. And men jump too, and no one pays attention to it. Everyone has their own hobby.

— Are you probably tired of lifting iron all the time?

— For me, weightlifting is easy. You come up, once you pick it up - and that’s it, you rest. But athletics, in my opinion, is a very difficult sport. There you have to jump, run, take kilometers and all that stuff...

— When you come to your parents, do you have to lift weights?

- Now no one burdens me with housework at home, I do practically nothing. And as a child, I went to the village to dig potatoes and carried sacks. For me, a 50 kilogram barbell is not weight. You just get comfortable and know the technique. But lifting a bag of sugar is already difficult - it’s awkward to grasp, although the weight is the same.

— Do bullies and molesters pass you by?

- Yes, I’m actually a calm, non-conflict person. And I have never encountered anything like this.

— Did the chairs break under you?

- Only once - in the Dominican Republic, where the World Championships took place last year. After the competition we went to the pool. There were plastic trestle chairs there. I lightly sat down on one, and my legs immediately spread out in all directions. There were athletes from different countries around, and I felt so uncomfortable...

- It happens to everyone! What was the most unpleasant thing in your life?

— Performance at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. I then took seventh place among 14 participants. For me it was a failure. I showed good results before the Olympics, and if I could repeat them, I would have a medal in my pocket. But nothing worked out for me. I was mentally unprepared.

I was 18 years old then. We arrived a week before the competition. It’s hot outside, your rivals are in front of your eyes. Great competition, great responsibility - you understand that everyone expects results from you. All this made itself felt. The very name of the Olympic Games was already overwhelming. I approached the barbell and didn’t know what to do with it. The coaches told me something, instructed me, but I almost didn’t hear them, their voices came from somewhere deep, although they were standing nearby. I was at a loss and forgot about the technique.

I was able to lift 167 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and if I had lifted the weight, I would have brought the team bronze. There was a pounding in my head: a goal had been set for me, they were counting on me. This also got in the way. The approach failed. She also received an injury. Very unpleasant memories! Mentally broken.

- For how long?

- Almost six months. It was terribly disappointing that, after working so hard in training, spending so much effort, I achieved nothing. Some two hours of competition - and everything went to dust! I lost the desire to train or do anything at all. I did not appear in the hall. I wanted to quit weightlifting altogether and find some kind of work for myself. All the time I delved into myself and realized: it was not the coaches who were to blame, but myself.

— What have you been doing all this time?

— I went to Alushta for two weeks. There was no feeling that I had rested. It’s very difficult to overcome myself, but I gathered my thoughts, thought and decided: I will persist, I won’t give up! Before the New Year, I arrived at the base and started training. I started with 50 kilograms, gradually increasing the weight. I went to the World Junior Championships in Korea and won a gold medal there. This was encouraging. Everything gradually returned to normal. Now I’m preparing for the new Olympics, but I don’t want to reassure anyone. I'm just training.

— Do you have competitors in Europe?

- Not yet. My main rivals are Chinese, Korean, and American. At the world championships you try to use every approach, there is a one-on-one fight. And at the European Championships, after other athletes have finished the competition, you are already the first and do not make any special efforts to achieve a better result. If you didn’t lift the weight, don’t be upset.

— In China, where the Olympics will be held, the support for their athletes will be crazy...

— What do Chinese women take? Are they as big as you?

- I would not say. Their champion, weighing 110 kilograms, pushes 180. This is a mystery to me, I don’t know how this can be.

- Do you believe in omens?

- No, I'm baptized. There is a church not far from the base. Before big competitions, coach Vasily Grigorievich and I go there, light candles, and draw sacred water. Before going on the platform, I spray it on the weightlifting bars and on the shoes I’m wearing.

“WHEN I FINISH MY SPORTS CAREER, I WILL LOSE 50 KILOGRAMS”

— I wonder when you lift weights, don’t your chest get in the way?

“So we’re holding a barbell around our necks.” You might think that the chin gets in the way. But it’s all removed.

— Women have their own physiology. If “critical days” fall during competitions, how is this transferred?

“There is a doctor on the team who specifically monitors this and writes everything down. When we have a training cycle, he tells the coach who to reduce the load. And before the competition, you can take pills that lead to a delay or, conversely, to make it happen earlier. But I have no problems with this: as it is, so be it. When I take medicine, my back starts to hurt a lot.

— And this doesn’t affect your performances?

- I have no. But every athlete has her own body.

— Do you manage to find time for your personal life?

— If you are preparing for such important competitions as the Olympic Games, it is better not to be distracted by your personal life. All my energy goes into training. We don’t go to the city, we are constantly at the base. I love a quiet life, but I don’t like traveling. But it’s nice if you have free time and don’t have to prepare for anything, you can go to a disco with your friends. Still, sometimes I want to dance and unwind.

-Can you dance?

- Well, like everyone else... I don’t know how to rock and roll, nor can I waltz. Mostly modern rhythms, fast.

— And in which nightclub can I see you?

- At home, in Bobrovitsa. There is no disco here at the base.

— What drinks are allowed?

— Red wine, some cocktails. Beer - no, vodka - no. I try to look decent.

— What kind of music do you listen to?

- Various - chanson, Ukrainian, and foreign. I don't care.

— Can you highlight any of our singers?

— Do you like to go shopping?

- Yes. Especially in specialized ones, where I can choose something for myself. It's not that easy with my figure. It's very rare that something suits me. Mostly I buy things for myself in Kyiv, at the Bogatyr store on Lesi Ukrainka Boulevard.

— What dresses do you wear?

— I don’t wear dresses. I don’t have them in my wardrobe, and I don’t have any tops either. (laughs). There is only a skirt, and that one is from the uniform - sewn for the Olympics. I only wore it once, and never again. I only wear pantsuits, mostly sports ones.

— What if it’s a presentation?

- I'll put on my trousers.

— Do you go to the beach without hesitation?

“I used to be more shy, now I’m less shy.” In general, I like to gurgle in the water and swim far. When we were in Koktebel, the girls were surprised: “Olya, how can you swim so far?”

— How much weight can you lose if you want?

— 45-50 kilograms easily. After my failure at the Olympics, my weight began to drop sharply on its own; I lost six kilograms on my own, but I began to feel dizzy. Therefore, I do not advise you to suddenly lose weight. I don’t believe in pills or tea for weight loss. You need to run, go to the gym, exercise yourself physically so that the skin does not hang, in order to be toned. This is what I will do when I finish my sports career. In the meantime, I need my weight. If I start losing weight, my muscle mass will suffer.

- So, sports take up almost all your time, and you don’t even look at men...

- Why don’t I look? Our team has men's and women's teams. We communicate as friends, as brothers and sisters. I believe that this is how it should be. Helping each other.

- Does anyone have an intimate relationship?

- We don’t have that.

- Here you are watching TV, and on the screen the men are cool, successful, handsome... Is no one touching your feelings?

- Of course, there are people I like, but I don’t really... I just don’t bother myself with it.

— What should an ideal husband be like in your opinion?

- How he will look externally is not so important. The main thing is that he appreciates me and treats me normally. So that there is mutual understanding between us.

- And to cook and wash. After all, athletes have no time to do this?

- Yes Yes Yes! But it’s hard for me to imagine myself as a wife. If I have a family, I will have to give up weightlifting right away. We have athletes who give birth to children and then return to sports. And my opinion: if you already have a child, you need to be with him, and not travel around to training camps and competitions.

-Can you imagine a husband who would carry you in his arms?

- I can not (laughs).

-Will you wear it?

- And then what will he start to think about himself? (laughs)? No, a person cannot relax.

—Where do you study?

— In absentia — at the Lviv Agrarian University, I entered the second year. My future profession is land surveyor. Her trainer recommended her to me. We were invited there and we agreed. Of course, there is little time to study, but I still pick up my textbooks when I come home. You don’t always understand what you read, and there’s no one to explain it to. It's not easy to understand.

— Do you see yourself as a coach in the future?

“I wouldn’t want to be one, I think it’s very hard work.” But in life there are all sorts of upheavals, I won’t think ahead.

—What weather do you like?

— I love rain, especially thunderstorms when it starts to get dark. And in winter I like to watch the shaggy, fluffy snow falling against the background of the street lights. And you start thinking about the New Year. This is the only holiday for me that I can spend with my family: with my parents, with my brother, with his wife and niece. And so you even have to celebrate your birthdays at training camps and competitions. But I'm already used to it.

HEAD COACH VASILY GRIGORIEVICH KULAK: “OLYA DOESN’T FIT IN ONE SEAT ON THE PLANE, AND I LEAVE MINE TO HER”

— When I first saw Olya at the training camp, she was a fairly large girl (weighed 115 kilograms), and, frankly speaking, no one thought that she would become an outstanding world-class athlete. Her personal children's coach Nikolai Molchenko suggested working together, and we have been cooperating with him for more than five years.

Olya is the only athlete in the world who is not weighed. It usually weighs 160-167 kilograms, and the scales are designed for 150. There was such a case in the Dominican Republic. It was necessary to note how much it weighs, and without thinking, for some reason I wrote: 152. This information was spread everywhere. We're flying home. At the airport, the worried mother asks the first question: “What’s wrong with Olya? She left with a weight of 167, and now she has 152? She got sick?". I barely convinced her that this misunderstanding was my fault.

There is an inconvenience on the plane: Olga does not fit in one seat. Therefore, if all the seats are occupied, I give her mine, and I sit in the aisle on the floor, at her feet. Previously, she was embarrassed that everyone was paying attention to her figure, she felt discomfort, but now she has overcome this complex.

At competitions in Europe, where she is much ahead of her rivals, Olya does not want to give her all. There is a huge barbell in front of her, and she is perplexed: “Why should I go to it, since I’m already a champion?” We have to come up with some tricks. We cannot be complacent, because competition at the global level is very high. Thank God that we have such a strong athlete, and we hope that everything will be fine at the Beijing Olympics.

When she loses heart, I tell her: “Olya, if your mother sees you not lifting the barbell, won’t you be ashamed?” She is immediately transformed: Olya’s mother is sacred.