Translated material
Amplitude of the Games
Ilya Kukin, Sergey Avdeenko
At every Olympics there are people thanks to whom it will be remembered for a long time
At every Olympics there are people thanks to whom it will be remembered for a long time
Crusher
(Photo: ERA )
In Sydney, Russian Olympians had to win at least three crushing victories. It was expected that the fastest swimmer on the planet, Alexander Popov, would simply “re-register” the Olympic “gold” for himself again; the best “flying” gymnast and “Playboy” star, Svetlana Khorkina, will confirm her superiority over the rest of the world; and for the hero Alexander Karelin it will be enough to just go out on the carpet...
Karelin, a three-time Olympic champion, was talking about the fourth gold medal in Sydney as if it were a given. After all, the last time the great gladiator left the mat “on the shield” was 13 years ago - at the USSR Championship. But the American Rulon Gardner, not burdened with any serious titles, was not afraid of Karelin’s unconditional authority.
There is a great temptation to explain the tragedy - and the silver medal for Karelin is a real tragedy - by the fact that a year ago the great wrestler unexpectedly for everyone (and, apparently, for himself) fell into politics and was forced, to the detriment of training, to devote himself to wrestling that was by no means Greco-Roman . But most likely the point is not that the wrestler one fine day decided to help the judoka gain power. It’s just that Karelin’s era ended a little earlier than the last Olympic fight in Sydney. Didn't leave on time?
Popov grabbed his silver medal in the 100m. Swimming sprint is a lottery. The competitors at the finish line are separated by half a meter - one stroke. So making any claims against Popov, the leader of the 90s in these disciplines, is at least incorrect.
But our gymnastic prima - Khorkina - is possible. No matter how hard the fight gets, the leader of the team should not give in to emotions. Having become limp from failure on a “substandard” horse (the apparatus was 5 centimeters lower than required, which led to a fall), Svetlana fell on the next apparatus - uneven bars - and could no longer qualify for medals in the all-around.
And the last failure is the super heavyweight category for weightlifters. In this discipline, competitors have stepped far forward in four years, and Atlanta champion Andrei Chemerkin, although he added 45 kilograms of his own weight, did not achieve any noticeable progress in his results. The result is that for the first time in 40 years, the gold medal among the “heavyweights” was not won by us.
(Photo: AP )
Grasshopper in the rain
“And then the weather turned bad,” wrote the classic. And it became clear - let's continue on our own - that perhaps the loudest sensation of the Olympic Games was born in the high jump sector. Because when it started to rain, only the Russian Sergei Klyugin managed to overcome a height close to the “grandmaster” level - 2.35.
Although it's not just the vagaries of the weather. There have always been many surprises in this prestigious discipline at the Games. Back in 1960, Shavlakadze and Brumel “jumped over” the world record holder, American Thomas. So Klyugin could be inspired by examples from the past. Moreover, they say that Sergei’s “golden” Olympic future was predicted by the champion of the ’72 Games, Yuri Tarmak, in his youth. The prophecy was made in Leningrad after Sergei won the all-Union competition "Grasshopper" for the prizes of the magazine "Koster". The main judge of the tournament was Tarmak. There is no Union, no “Grasshopper”, the “Bonfire” has long since burned out. And the Russian “grasshopper” justified the forecast.
The winner seemed embarrassed; he did not allow the public to see the fight between world record holder Sotomayor and the owner of the best result of the season - Voronin. Although there was no need to be modest. That evening he stood among the greats.
A "dream" or "tim"?
Since professionals were allowed to participate in games and world championships, the world championship of Americans in basketball has not been disputed by anyone. At the 1992-1996 Olympics and the 1994 World Championships, NBA representatives had no problem confirming their inaccessibility. However, the “Dream Team” of the fourth convocation, which arrived in Sydney for the next Olympic gold, met with a rather cold reception. Even before the tournament began, many said that the selection of Team USA names did not produce the same magic effect. Moreover, some dared to claim that this team could be beaten.
This is, of course, an exaggeration, but a symptomatic one. Team USA continued to cause fear among their opponents, but did not receive the public's delight. The team fielded in Sydney is not much weaker than the “Dream Team #1” that captivated the crowds at the Barcelona Games. But then fans from all countries sincerely admired the performance of the legendary “dozen”, which in a few days demonstrated the quintessence of what North American basketball is famous for. The amazing show they put on became one of the symbols of that Olympics.
The cool attitude towards the American team in Sydney is apparently due to the fact that there were not many “new wave” stars in its ranks. The NBA's current trendsetters - Hill, Duncan, Bryant - stayed home for various reasons. Undoubtedly, high-quality basketball players came to the Olympics, but this team did not have such charismatic figures as Jordan or O'Neal. And the routine victories of the Americans, which did not become a spectacular performance, no longer suit the public.
Native stars
(Photo: AP )
At every Olympics, the hosts have their favorites. But there is a category of athletes who become “first among equals” in terms of audience recognition. In Sydney, two became such idols - swimmer Ian Thorpe and runner Katie Freeman.
Of course, this was a demonstration of political correctness - a representative of the Australian Aborigines was entrusted with lighting the Olympic flame. The protracted opening ceremony of the Games at some point began to cause boredom, the episode with the lighting of the fire made the audience perk up. And this scene will be remembered for a long time - Katie, petrified by the awareness of the importance of her mission, and in an unknown “cosmic” way, a bowl with a blazing flame and streams of water pouring down above her.
And a few days later, in a more familiar element - on the athletics track - Freeman fully justified the hopes of her compatriots, winning the Sydney Olympic gold in the 400 meters. And here she appeared in a “cosmic” guise: the only one of the participants, she went to the start in a tight jumpsuit with a hood. Of course, the Atlanta silver medalist had to win at home. After all, since 1997, she has started in 42 400-meter competitions, in 41 of which she was first. And so it happened.
The successes of 17-year-old Ian Thorpe, nicknamed, naturally, Torpedo, in the swimming pool gave rise to real “Torpedomania”. The 17-year-old master of short and middle distance freestyle was already a crowd favorite. The holder of two world records was expected to win a pair of gold medals at the Olympics. Thorpe fulfilled the "triple quota". Now he is not just a favorite, he is an idol.
It gives reasons for universal respect not only on the pool paths. At the behest of his heart or on the advice of well-wishers, he proved himself to be a man ready for noble deeds. For example, participation in various charitable foundations that help disadvantaged children.
(Photo: ERA )
Beaten favorites
Brazilian football players at any tournament, be it the World Cup, the South American Championship or the Olympic Games, are considered one of the main favorites. But Olympic “gold” was never given to them.
In Sydney, the defeat was absolutely shameful - the Brazilians were beaten by the Cameroon team, playing with nine against eleven. Previously, the failures of the Brazilian team at the Olympics were explained by the fact that not all the best football players played on its roster. After FIFA relented and allowed professionals to compete at the Games, albeit with age restrictions, such arguments are no longer valid. So now the coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, finds himself in the role of a scapegoat.
Many in Brazil believe a change in leadership is necessary. The main national team of the country, which is also led by Luxemburgo, risks not getting to the World Cup at all: its performance in the qualifying tournament is unstable. However, the coach himself claims that he will remain at the helm of the national team, and this issue has been resolved at the level of the leadership of the national football federation. The leadership of the federation has not yet made any official statements on this matter. But it is unlikely that it will dare to go against public opinion.
My own game
(Photo: ERA )
When a clear favorite wins at the Olympics, emotions depend on who exactly came first: one of your own or someone else’s. Accordingly, the hierarchy of interests of the world sports press is built. For example, in many American newspapers you cannot find a single line about the successes of Europeans. But gymnastics, which aroused the highest intensity of passions in Sydney, could not be ignored in the States. Alexey Nemov made an indelible impression on American reporters. However, since the hero is not his own, he must be “mastered”, Americanized, provided with understandable and familiar attributes of a Hollywood playboy. “The Russian with the biceps of an action hero simply did not see any rivals among the men in the all-around final,” a correspondent for the reputable New York Times carefully outlined the topic. And the New York Post newspaper, intended for the unassuming reader, claims that Alexey has a chance to become “the most outstanding sex symbol that has ever appeared on the expanses of the Russian steppes, eclipsing,” the analyst chokes with delight, “himself ... Rudolf Nureyev "According to the results of polls, Nemov was among the 50 most handsome men in the world. He loves fast cars and parties, as well as girls, which could not be said about Nuriev." Political correctness apparently requires that idols alternately represent different “population groups.”
Individual patriots
(Photo: AP )
Tennis is a sport of egoists. Here it's every man for himself. So the Williams sisters are racing to the top of the world rankings.
A professional tennis player is largely deprived of even his national identity. He rather belongs to the brotherhood of his own kind, traveling in one large team from tournament to tournament across countries and continents.
But come the Davis Cup, where the flag of your country is brought onto the court, or the Olympics - a world fair of national vanity - and the recent lone wolf, whose career and earnings are not affected by all these performances for the country, turns out to be an ardent patriot.
You can treat Yevgeny Kafelnikov in any way you like. Some people don’t like his style of play, others don’t like his habitual unsociability. But in Sydney, with his victory, Kafelnikov (like Elena Dementieva, who won silver among women) again confirmed that he considers it an honor to compete for Russia. Of course, he also had personal reasons to strive for success at the Games. Not the most successful season, wounded pride: the recent junior partner Marat Safin suddenly found himself much higher in the ratings. It was not for nothing that Kafelnikov said that he would give everything else for the title of Olympic champion. And he fought for three and a half hours in the final against the German Haas, like the last time. There was no need to give anything away; Kafelnikov simply added the “gold” of the Games to his numerous trophies.
(Photo: Alexander Chernykh )
Golden Autumn of the Patriarch
After Sydney, 38-year-old English rower Steve Redgrave, who won his fifth gold medal at the fifth Olympics in a row, took his place on the list of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
The patriarch of rowing will be given a grand reception at Buckingham Palace, where he will be knighted by the Queen. It would seem like a worthy crowning achievement for an athlete’s career, especially if you remember what exactly he had to overcome on the way to fame. As a child, he suffered from dyspepsia, and three years ago he was diagnosed with a severe form of diabetes. The athlete is forced to inject himself with insulin six times a day and consume six thousand kilocalories of food per day to “maintain strength.” Already in Atlanta, Redgrave swore that these were his last Games, and he would never take the oars again. “If anyone sees me near the boat, let him shoot me,” the tireless Olympian said four years ago.
However, after the hero of Great Britain won another “gold”, reports appeared that he was allegedly ready to challenge the young people at the next Games. In any case, when questioned by journalists, Redgrave quoted British superspy James Bond - “never say never.”
(Photo: AP )