Valery Borzov: biography, photo, personal life

Soviet sport, of course, was one of the best in the world. There were athletes in our country who forced the whole world to radically reconsider their views on this or that sport. After all, they argued that they can do things that until now were considered physically impossible. Valery Borzov, an athlete, also belongs to such athletes.

A unique athlete

In his entire career, he twice became the Olympic champion in 1972 and 1976. Also Borzov Valery Filippovich has repeatedly been the champion of Europe and the winner of many other competitions. And in the history of athletics, he entered as a completely unique sprinter, in a sense, created this sport in its modern form.

Valery Borzov: biography, childhood

Many outstanding people began their development in early childhood. Valery Borzov is no exception. He says that he likes to run from the age of four. Then he ran with his dog Tuzik: first the boy chased after him, and then the dog for Valery. Very quickly the boy liked to run so much that he started running after any car that drove along the street. Constantly fell, smashed his legs and arms into the blood. Mom was not particularly happy, every time meeting her beloved son in this form, but it was impossible to re-educate the future champion.

According to Valery Borzov, out of all the physical abilities of a person, speed is formed first of all. The constant running contributed to his further successes.

A talented young man was noticed by coaches

Almost nobody guessed that Valera would someday become a high-class sprinter and the winner of world competitions. Young Borzov was the most ordinary child, short and fat. How did Valery Borzov become in his best years? The height, weight of the athlete was in an ideal ratio: with an increase of 183 cm, he weighed 80 kg.

Valery loved to run, but few of the boys at this age do not like this business. However, just do not want to run Borzov and at the age of twelve he entered the children's and youth sports school of Novaya Kakhovka. Worked there was a well-known coach Boris Ivanovich Voitas, who also noticed the talent of Borzov. He became the first coach of the young sprinter and even gave him his photo with the inscription: "To the future Olympic champion Valery Borzov." Mysticism or psychological suggestion, but the inscription was prophetic.

Boris Voitas trained many more excellent athletes, in particular, until his death, coached the team of Saudi Arabia. However, Valery Borzov was for him the best student.

"Smart" running

Valery Borzov is famous for having brought to the track and field a truly "smart" run. This means that during the run not only the legs and the body in general work, but also the head. Borzov knew how to assess the situation on the track for a fraction of a second and, in accordance with the information received, change the speed. One German journalist, commenting on the style of Borzov, said that before him it was impossible to imagine that in the run of 100 meters there can be any tactic, because at this distance the athlete does not have time to restructure. Valery Borzov destroyed this stereotype and showed that it is possible to change tactics at such a distance several times. In addition, his performances have always been beautiful and easy.

The triumph of a white sprinter

For a long time, the leadership in running for short distances was maintained by black American athletes. In 1960 in Rome, the winner was the first white European - German runner Armin Hari, but this victory did not last long, and soon the champion became an American again. Valery Borzov was able to push black sportsmen from the top in the future. Moreover, he managed to retain his champion status for many years.

In the same 1972 in the 200 meters race Borzov Valery Filippovich made a "golden double" and at the finish he overtook just three Americans.

Borzov's achievements did not go unnoticed, especially as he demonstrated the superiority of Soviet people over the Americans - at that time even sport was given political meaning. The sportsman received all sorts of awards, among which - the Order of Lenin, "Friendship of Peoples", "The Sign of Honor", the highest awards of the Leninist Komsomol.

How Borzov trained

Many believe that victory comes to the athlete when he overcomes himself many times, takes not loads inherent in him, does what is beyond the scope of not only his capabilities, but also of human beings in general. But even this mythology was destroyed by Borzov, more precisely by his mentors Voytas and Petrovsky (the latter coached the champion when he entered the institute). These teachers deliberately limited young athletes, forced to run only at the level of standard training and avoid overload. Especially they tried to protect the nerve system of the runner from overexertion, which in this sport (and in any other) is a very important indicator. Such a setup allowed not to exhaust the physical and psychological potential, brought up perseverance and perseverance, a desire to win. All this young athlete took and subsequently used in his activities. After Valery Borzov - not only a practitioner, but also a scientist who wrote many works on sports topics.

While practicing at the Petrovsky Institute of Physical Education in Kiev, Borzov first learned how to run a hundred-meter mark in exactly ten seconds. I must say that Petrovsky was a very unusual coach for his time. He used an innovative scientific approach in the education of athletes, using mathematical calculations. After analyzing the results of many athletes, Petrovsky derived a special formula for Borzov, one might say the formula for success. This trainer was interested in the possibility of cybernetic control, which later also implemented.

Modest, intelligent athlete

Once in the Soviet team, Valery Borzov initially did not stand out. It can not be said that he was unsociable, but he behaved quietly and modestly, preferring to listen more than to speak. But this pleased the trainers, who noted his perseverance and methodical approach in achieving the goal.

His first major victory in the international tournament was a gold medal at the 1969 European Championships in Athens. At that moment, no one thought that this unremarkable sportsman would somehow prove himself. But he won - that's so simple, without blushing. The leadership did not even hasten to recognize his victory - Borzov got the medal only after careful study of photographic materials. But from this, its significance only increases, because it is extracted in a stubborn struggle.

Valery Borzov, whose photo you see in the article, is not only a wonderful sportsman, but also a loving spouse, a caring father. Together with his wife Lyudmila, they raised Tatyana's daughter. Their happy family you see in the photo.

Valery Borzov - athlete, to the level of which it is necessary to strive for everyone. He is the pride of his country. With such people, you always need to take an example.