Alexei Denisenko: Olympic Taekwondo winner

There is a stereotype that in the oriental martial arts only Koreans, Chinese, Japanese dominate. However, the gypsy from Bataysk, Alexei Denisenko, during his career achieved serious success, becoming the winner of the Olympics in London, Rio, taking away from the biggest competitions medals of different dignity. And he took his first great award in 19 years.

To a dream across the Don

Alexey Denisenko was born in August 1993 in the city of Bataysk. Like all the boys, he could fight with peers, but his father decided to direct his energy in the right direction and gave it to the section of taekwondo at the school. The first coach of the boy was Alexander Shin, who taught him the basics of ancient martial art. After this, the fights in the school stopped, and the guy began to disappear in training and fees.

At first, Alexey Denisenko worked for health, but he had first achievements to high school, and he began to work in training at the limit of opportunities.

It was especially difficult for him when there was work on the bridge over the Don. I did not go public transport, and the athlete was forced to get to the training hall on the boat.

The first Olympic attempt

In the biography of Alexei Denisenko, you can trace a very sharp transition from the junior to the adult level. Back in 2011, he competed in youth tournaments, and in 2012 he already won the right to represent the country at the Olympic Games in London. The Olympics became in fact the first major tournament of the Bataili athlete at the adult level. Prior to that, he won at the junior championships of Russia, Europe, the world, but he was practically unknown among specialists.

However, his mentor Stanislav Khan set before Alexei Denisenko the most difficult tasks. Ambitious coach set up his ward to win in every fight. He acted confidently and managed to pass into the semi-finals, where he was waited by experienced Daihun Li from Korea. Athletes competed in the weight category up to 58 kg, but the Korean was a champion in a heavier weight, and before the Olympics drove the weight and had time to become the winner of the championship of Asia.

The battle of Alexei Denisenko against Daihun Li became one of the most spectacular events in the tournament. The Korean defeated the Bataysk sportsman in the first round, but he did not give up and managed to reduce the gap to one point. In the last seconds of the battle, the Korean literally ran from Denisenko and was on the verge of a remark that would bring a point to Alexei, but managed to hold a shaky advantage.

The defeat did not break Alexei, the young fighter wanted rewards and confidently beat the Australian Safwan Khalil in the match for third place.

Taekwondo Alexei Denisenko in Rio

In the capital of Brazil, the Russian athlete was already in the status of the favorite of the Olympic Games. However, among its competitors were the world champions, Europe. Coaching staff prepared Alexei for fights against favorites from Turkey, Belgium, seriously modeled fights against each of them.

Already in the quarterfinals Alexei Denisenko got one of the strongest competitors. Turk Servet Tazegul was the world champion, Olympiad and already won the Russian in three previous matches. However, the fight went clearly not according to the scenario of the Turk. Alexei Denisenko decided to break the opponent from the very first seconds, imposing him a fierce exchange of blows. Discouraged Servet frantically fought back, having managed to score points only thanks to remarks to Alexei from the judges.

Already in the second round the difference in the score became double-digit, and the referees stopped the fight for the clear advantage of Alexei Denisenko. The grieved Turk was so crushed that several minutes after the end of the fight could not find a way out of the hall.

The next opponent was Yauad Ahab from Belgium, who won the lighter weight category at the last World Championships. Opponents were cautious, did not go into open exchanges with blows. Only in the third round the Belgian could not stand his nerves, and he jerked into the attack, having received a combination of blows to the head in return.

In the finals Alexei Denisenko met with the "dark horse" of the tournament - Jordanian Ahmad Abagosh, who already knocked out of the competition two of the strongest athletes. The Arabian sportsman caught courage and struck one exact blow after another. So he became the first Jordanian who won the gold of the Olympic Games, and Alexei Denisenko took a silver medal from Rio.

Personal life

All the life of the athlete is in training and training, so it's no wonder that the Bataysky fighter found his life partner in the Russian Taekwondo team. Friendship with Anastasia Baryshnikova grew into a close relationship shortly before the Olympics in Rio. In 2016, the guys legalized their relationship, and after the wedding they stayed to live in their hometown of Alexey - Bataysk.