One

Alexander Maltsev had a dream, and he was a step away from its implementation. But she was taken away, and he himself was turned into a meme

Even those who are not at all interested in sports have probably seen this picture. Games BRICS, podium of honor, and on it is the winner in synchronous swimming in men Alexander Maltsev. One. The winner - and he is the only participant.

All, of course, joked, molested that they did not dive into the pool in Kazan that day (then they could become medalists). They did not forget to recall that in another form of the program, Maltsev still had one rival-from Thailand. The result of that guy was such that a person diving directly from the rostrum had a chance to take a silver medal from him.

This story, of course, said a lot about the Games of BRICS, in which there was through the edge of propaganda and very few sports.

There are more medals than participants, Russia and a little Belarus, taking all the first places. Sports in which in the morning it is not clear who will start to start in the evening. Countries that have not reached Kazan, but proudly included in the list of participants. And the lack of doping control, which athletes do not speak under the record.

But no one got so much irony, they did not poke a finger at anyone as often as in Alexander Maltsev.

And this is not funny. This is a real drama. And now I will tell you why.

Sasha Maltsev (the full namesake of the great Soviet hockey player) was born in 1995. By the way, on June 29 he turned 29 years old. When Sasha was seven, his mother decided to take him to the pool in St. Petersburg: it is good for health. And the boy will not sit idle.

Then (in 2002) they decided to recruit an experimental group of boys in synchronized swimming. Synchronous swimming was no longer exotic, but it was not the sport in which our national team was guaranteed gold, as except perhaps in rhythmic gymnastics. The two most “Russian” sports. But then everything was just beginning. The first gold medals by our synchronists were won only in 2000 in Sydney. And Sasha Maltsev came to the section in 2002.

The boys section quickly closed. Because "this is not a male business." Moreover, in our country, where ... here, drive in Yandex in the search “Alexander Maltsev Synchronized Swimming” - the most popular request: “Orientation”. "Normal man" will not do this!

And Sasha liked it. And he remained in synchronous swimming. And without the slightest prospects.

For understanding. There are Olympic sports that open all possible horizons in front of the athlete. There are neolimpian species. Ball dances, for example. It is very popular, but you will not receive state support and financing and will build your children’s career in such sports exclusively at your own expense and for your own interest.

And there was no male synchronous voyage at that moment! As a sport. In rhythmic gymnastics - since I remembered this one hundred percent of our sport - there were no men, by the way, too.

And this schoolboy Sasha for the sake of pleasure is engaged in a sport that does not formally exist!

Contrary to bewilderment and ridicule. Contrary to ... envy from the girls! Because Sasha had a unique stretch and generally exceptional natural data, which the girls could only envy (and envied).

For eleven years, Maltsev was engaged in his Peter, and when he graduated from school, he moved to Moscow, to school to the famous coaches of Maksimov - mother and daughter. They took a guy who still did not have any sports prospects. Just because his desire and enthusiasm could not but cause admiration.

In 2014 alone, the International Swimming Federation decided, as part of the promotion of gender equality, to allow mixed duets to world championships. And then it turned out that in Russia there is already such an athlete! And a year later, at the World Cup, Maltsev debuted with his partner Darina Valitova and won gold!

The boy who came into synchronized swimming, withstanding all the ridicule and twisting with his fingers at the temple, became the world champion! Do you know where the world championship was held? In Kazan! In the very pool where Alexander Maltsev now stood on a pedestal alone, turning into a meme.

By the way, men engaged in synchronized swimming, in the world are still units. Even if they all suddenly decided to come to the Games of BRICS, there would not be sure to run out of crowds. But Maltsev was not going to Games Brix, but for the Olympic Games - to Paris. This year, men should have debuted there. Maltsev - four -time world champion, six -time European champion. The probability that he would become a champion in Paris, if not one hundred percent, then very close to this.

Imagine this movie! Since childhood, contrary to everything and contrary to everyone, the guy goes to his dream, which is absolutely ghostly. It seems to be not even existing - after all, it was not at the moment when the seven -year -old Sasha decided to stay in synchronous swimming, no synchronized swimming for men. Maltsev - and several more of the same enthusiasts in the world - forced sports officials to meet themselves, introduce this discipline so that the guys can compete along with the girls.

But in 2024, Maltsev will not go to the Olympics. Because after February 2022, our athletes fell under sanctions. And Maltsev did not even have theoretical chances of getting to games as a neutral athlete, because men were allowed to Paris only in group exercises. And the group is a team, and it is forbidden to perform neutral athletes in teams.

The native country promised to organize athletes in the consolation of the game of friendship. With prize at the level of the Olympics, and in fact even higher. And she flavored noisily with this project, telling how he was afraid of the IOC, fearing that our alternative threatens the rotten Olympics. And here are the games of friendship ... canceled. They were moved to 2025, but in fact there will be no games at all. There were Games BRICS, where it is much easier to turn into a meme than to gain sports fame.

And it goes to the pool Alexander Maltsev. One. But he is alone since childhood! And he acts - as he is used to, in full, not making discounts and not paying attention to how many rivals he has and whether they are. He honestly and well does his job. He had a dream, and he was a step away from its implementation.

Instead, Sasha Maltsev stands alone on this pedestal and becomes the object of ridicule. And this is a monstrously bitter image of our entire sport and the position in which he ended up now. But this is also a personal drama of a good guy and a real athlete who becomes a hostage and a victim of acts of completely different people.

He is only twenty -nine. Perhaps he will still have an Olympic chance. But the next games will be held in Los Angeles, and will Russia go to them at least in any capacity? Who is now interested in this now!

But the most popular request in Yandex named Alexander Maltsev is “orientation”.