It seems that the Russian team at the 2016 Olympics is doomed to an ongoing series of scandals. The passions surrounding the admission of Russians to the Games had not yet subsided when internal strife began to boil.
On August 10 it became known that Main coach Russian Olympic boxing team Alexander Lebzyak. Moreover, this did not happen now, but even before the start of the Olympics.
As Lebzyak said in an interview with the 360 TV channel, not only the coach himself, but also the entire team headquarters wrote letters of resignation and sent them to the Ministry of Sports 25 days before leaving for Rio de Janeiro.
Lebziak explained that this was a deliberate step because “the coaching staff was not allowed to work.”
“We were told that the coaching staff was doing everything wrong, so we decided to leave and let others work. We have come to Vitaly Leontievich Mutko with resignation letters. He said: “You work, then we will do an analysis and make a decision.” I would like to thank Vitaly Leontievich, who received us and listened to us,” the 360 TV channel quotes Lebzyak as saying.
“I don’t see in the guys’ eyes that they want to win”
According to the coach, the main reason for leaving his post was that the decision on the composition of the team was made not by him, but by other people: “Before the Olympics, I was presented with a fact - these are the ones who are going. And we arrived - as passengers. These are tourists! I don’t see in the guys’ eyes that they want to win.”
Lebzyak did not talk about his statement, but his patience ran out after four Russian boxers dropped out in the early days of the Olympic boxing tournament.
The mentor complained about the peculiarities of refereeing, but did not see this as the main reason for the failure.
“They are happy about getting to the Olympics. They don't care if they lose. They injure a finger and ask if it is possible not to “stand” in pairs today. The left one hurts - train the right one, both hurt - train your legs! When you gave everything, even if your opponent was stronger... You lost, but you fought. When you leave the ring, you are not ashamed in front of the audience. You were beaten, but you gave everything,” Lebzyak quotes the words of the members of the Match TV national team. “When you beat them with a whip, they write a statement saying that you are humiliating and insulting them.” I went through all this and still remained who I am. You won’t achieve anything without hard work, you have to be the first to come to the gym and the last to leave the gym in order to achieve something.”
Alexander Lebzyak. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
However, Lebzyak praised some of the losers: “Yesterday they sued Vasily Egorova, he came out all blue, he had no strength, this is how the guys should fight, and not on a light wave, they say, he got to the Olympics and shouldn’t fight anymore, they should take care of him.”
According to the coach of the Russian boxing team, at the current Olympics it would be more correct to try out promising young people who can successfully perform at the 2020 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Ramzan Kadyrov is dissatisfied with his coach
Many did not like Lebzyak's statements. A famous boxing expert, the head of the Chechen Republic, criticized the coach Ramzan Kadyrov.
“It was with great surprise that I read the interview the head coach of the Russian national team Alexander Lebzyak gave to the Russian media the previous afternoon. The tone of the conversation indicates that the coach feels like a tourist at the Olympics,” Kadyrov wrote on his Instagram page. “Otherwise he wouldn’t call Russian boxers tourists, passengers, people in whose eyes he doesn’t see the desire to win, guys feeling sorry for themselves... What’s going on? Our entire huge country was worried about the Olympians, made great efforts to remove barriers on the way to Rio, and the head coach exhibits boxers as children from a kindergarten or tourists at a Brazilian masquerade.”
We were looking forward to the fight between our younger BROTHER, boxer Adlan Abdurashidov and Algerian Reda Benbaziza. Unfortunately, the fight was lost. According to the general opinion of sports experts, Adlan fought with dignity and showed character until the last second. But sport is sport. Many factors influence the final result. And they are not always related to what happens directly in the ring. It was with great surprise that the day before I read the interview of the head coach of the Russian national team, Alexander Lebzyak, with the Russian media. The tone of the conversation indicates that the coach feels like a tourist at the Olympics. Otherwise, he would not have called Russian boxers tourists, passengers, people in whose eyes he does not see the desire to win, guys feeling sorry for themselves... What is happening? Our entire huge country was worried about the Olympians, made great efforts to remove barriers on the way to Rio, and the head coach exhibits boxers as children from a kindergarten or tourists at a Brazilian masquerade. I responsibly say that Adlan’s defeat is a clear loss for the coaching staff, because such statements should not have been made under any circumstances! In what mood should guys enter the ring when, instead of wishing them victory, they hear the word “tourist,” which is offensive in this situation? Adlan will still be able to prove that he is capable of winning! We do not consider him a tourist, and we will greet him with dignity, as a fighter and warrior! #Kadyrov #Russia #Chechnya #Rio2016
The head of Chechnya came to the conclusion that Lebzyak’s words caused the defeat of another Russian boxer Adlana Abdurashidova, for whom Kadyrov actively supported.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about this.”
After information about Lebzyak’s resignation was made public, very interesting things began to happen.
The head coach of the national team in an interview with TASS explained how the matter stands: “Now I didn’t submit anything, it was 25 days before flying here, the coaching staff wrote a letter of resignation, but Vitaly Leontyevich said that we need to work, and then we’ll sort it out.” . There is an expression: “I would be glad to serve, but being served is sickening.” I want to work, train, especially since there is a new cycle ahead, the majority are our army men, who, in addition to good technical and tactical skills, are humane and normal guys, they will always say good morning.”The Russian Boxing Federation reacted interestingly to the news about the resignation. “The information about Lebzyak’s resignation is not true. This is the first time I've heard about this. Alexander Borisovich works with the team and prepares it for next fights“R-Sport quotes the words of the director of the Russian Boxing Federation Evgenia Sudakova.
Alexander Lebzyak. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Alexander Lebzyak: I can’t do boxing
Alexander Lebzyak led the Russian national team in 2005-2008 and again took over as head coach in 2013.
When Lebzyak himself performed in the ring, he was rightfully considered one of the most courageous boxers. A prize-winner at the 1991 World Championship as part of the USSR national team, Lebzyak was considered one of the favorites of the 1992 Olympics, but a few weeks before the Olympics his lung burst due to intense weight loss. Then he was able to quickly recover, but he failed to go beyond the second round.
History repeated itself at the 1996 Olympics, where a relapse occurred during the first round fight.This could have broken anyone, but Lebziak showed great courage. Having moved to a heavier weight category, Alexander Lebzyak, the long-time captain of the Russian national team, won the European Championship, the World Championship, and at the 2000 Olympics he took a well-deserved gold medal.
No one is immune from mistakes, and, of course, the failures of Russian boxers in Rio are also the fault of the head coach. But if anyone has the right to demand courage, perseverance and utmost dedication from his players, it is Alexander Lebzyak.
The head coach of the Russian boxing team, Alexander Lebzyak, told why he decided to “start” the team with offensive words about “tourists” at the Olympics, and commented on the critical statements addressed to him by the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
The mentor of Russian boxers at the Olympics, Alexander Lebzyak, previously said that a month before the Games he wrote a letter of resignation because the leadership of the federation interfered in the formation of the roster. He noted that after a conversation with the Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko, he did not submit this application.
On this moment Four Russian boxers have already completed their fight at the Olympic tournament in the early stages.
“Sometimes there are moments when I say something to anger the boxers so that they won’t be so... spineless,” the coach, who himself became an Olympic champion in 2000, began a conversation with reporters after the fight of Evgeniy Tishchenko, in which he came out in semi-final and guaranteed himself at least Olympic bronze. - Otherwise, we have guys who won a ticket to the Games and calmed down. This doesn’t do that, but we need to prepare for the Olympics. Practice your techniques - each boxer should have two or three of them in reserve.
I congratulate Zhenya - we have at least bronze. As I say, don’t care and forget and move on.
— So Zhenya is not a “tourist”?
- No, Zhenya is not a “tourist”. You know, this was said to get the guys going. Because they arrived: that’s not the case here, then...
— So you think that this will benefit the team and not harm it?
- Those who analyzed my words took it personally - for God’s sake. I wanted them to be angry, so that they would come here not just to see Brazil, but so that they would have the most important thing - the square of the ring. So that they give everything there to win a medal.
Apart from Zhenya, today I have no complaints about ( already dropped out of Olympic competition. - "Gazeta.Ru") Vasily Egorov and Adlan Abdurashidov.
You saw everything yesterday: yes, he lost, but he came out of the ring almost all black - he gave everything. So I want everyone to leave there with no strength left.
— How did the situation even arise that the team is not the one you would like to see?
Today, those who got there like that have already lost.
— Couldn’t you say: since you decided so, train yourself?
— I think that all conclusions and proposals will be made after the Olympics.
— Don’t you think that this whole situation is initially turning against you?
- Yes, there is such a thing.
We talked with Adlan. I told him: sleep with it, brain it. I say: “Are you going to practice boxing?” - he answers: “Yes.” He says: “Ramzan Akhmatovich will train me.” And I say: “And I’ll still help him with this.”
Nothing wrong with that. The main thing is that the guys show dedication - so that we are not ashamed to look the fans in the eyes.
— You probably read how Razman Kadyrov spoke to you?
- I didn’t read it, they told me. It’s okay, these are emotions - he said the same about football and other sports. It's his right.
“If you could go back, would you still say that?” Many were offended, and Tishchenko has now confirmed this.
— There are guys who lost, but could have done better. They did not fulfill the plan that was set for them.
It hurt Tishchenko - and good! Look how he worked today! He was evil - I need this!
— So you already talked to the guys after it was said about “tourists”?
- Yes. We talked and discussed. I explained that I said this on purpose. Yes, it hurt them.
Let them have this anger, let them swear at me - well, in their souls. But let them give all this anger in the ring.
— And if we return to the composition. Have you tried to challenge this decision of the federation?
- It was already late - a letter had already been sent to AIBA (International Amateur Boxing Federation) that these and these were coming. It was already too late to rush...
— How do you see the development of this situation within the federation: after the Olympics there will be re-elections, a change of leadership is possible?
- Let's see. Now we have the Russian Championship in November, and when the elections will take place, the federation’s leadership will decide.
— Do you need a shake-up of the federation?
- It’s not for me to decide - how many people, so many opinions. But I think that some adjustments will be made.
I am a working coach - as I coached in the gym, so will I. I want the guys to improve their skills and not stop. One of them says to me: “Why are you attacking me? I am the European champion! I say: “How much time has passed?” - "Four years". So I say: “And in four years, you lost everything you could.”
There is no need to live on old merits: you were happy, high, rested - you need to forget and go towards your intended goal.
I don’t want the athletes to discuss it with me: if they told you to do this, do it. It’s not like he forgot his jump rope, or forgot his tennis ball, or was late for exercise.
This didn’t happen just now; it accumulated: it went on for a year or two.
I tell young people - look up to the champions. And here it is. They tell me that we don’t want to be like them. In addition to the fact that these are champions, they need to be people so that they treat each other normally. And it’s not like your friend is boxing, and you went to bed or went shopping.
— Were the guys in the stands at the Tishchenko fight now?
- Yes, everyone is sitting, crowded together, with flags. This makes me happy!
We talked... Well, it’s also nice for the guys who perform: he sees that people are rooting for him. And then two people are sitting...
— Did the conversation among the team go without injuries?
- Everything is fine. These are our working moments.
Maybe I was too harsh, but all means are good to achieve the goal. Now I'm happy with everything.
— Despite these failures of the boxers, the medal plan at the Olympics has not changed?
- Where should I change? We have 1-1-2 ( gold-silver-bronze. - "Gazeta.Ru"). We have five people left. I think that the guys have become more united among themselves.
I know who is taking things apart and creating discord. But I can discuss with a boxer, but when people are far from this, they have never worn gloves, they tell me: you are training incorrectly... I ask: “How should it be?” - “We don’t know yet.” How can I communicate?
So it’s clear that poop is boiling inside me - but what to do!
— You wrote a statement addressed to Mutko. Is there any support from him?
- Yes, he accepted us, I feel his support. This is one of the few leaders who listened to us and said: “Go to work, after the Olympics we will sort it out.”
You can get acquainted with other news, materials and statistics at Rio 2016, as well as in the sports department groups on social networks
Before the start of summer Olympic Games There is less than a month left in Rio de Janeiro, and the previously announced permission of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), according to which professional boxers can take part in the tournament, unfortunately, will not affect the composition of the Russian team. Russian national team coach Alexander Lebzyak, in a conversation with Life, said that famous boxers Denis Lebedev and Sergey Kovalev preferred commercial competitions to participation in the Games as part of the Russian delegation.
We had a conversation withLebedev and Kovalev. We asked them if they would like to participate, if there would be time - found out how and what, n Oh they refused. Uthem their promoters,preparation for commercial competitions...Now we have already been selected, the team has already been formed,” Lebzyak said.
Previously, Olympic champion Alexander Povetkin also intended to take part in the Olympic Games, but later changed his mind. The head of the promotion company "World of Boxing" Andrei Ryabinsky motivated this by the fact that it could damage the reputation of a professional boxer. Moreover, according to Ryabinsky, the Olympics - a challenge for young guys, not for accomplished athletes.
Well-known Russian promoter Vladimir Khryunov believes that in the busy schedule of professional boxers there is no time to participate in the Olympics, and AIBA is simply trying to capture the television market at the expense of big names professional boxing. That is, the question here is simply a commercial one.
As far as I heard, the last week ended in Venezuela qualifying tournament, in which some professionals took part, but, unfortunately, they all lost. That is, it was still necessary to take part in some kind of selection. Anda professional boxer has his own schedule of performances and, probably, the Olympic Games did not fall there,” noted Khryunov.- In my opinion, p AIBA manual made a rather cunning attempt to capturetelevision market, for professional boxing. I think the decision to attract professionals to the Olympics is due to this.
The promoter also noted that the Olympics are not in the boxers’ sphere of interest, including due to the lack of their usual fee.
Lebedev, Kovalev, Povetkin have the peak of their careers and completely different plans. A professional boxer is a separate life, he has a different motivation and different fees. If something like this happens and one of the professionals wants to compete at the Games, it will only be for the next Olympics,” concluded Khryunov.
Let us remind you that previously opposed to the participation of professional boxers at the Olympic Games many legendary boxers spoke out, in particular absolute ex-world heavyweight champions British Lennox Lewis and American Mike Tyson. Moreover, both athletes are Olympic champions. The first won the Games in Seoul in 1988, the second - Junior Olympics.
The fans booed the athlete, believing that the Kazakh Levit won the final
No, well, I told you that these same tourists are offended by words about tourists, but the real men who came to conquer Rio de Janeiro only get excited in a sportive way. Evgeniy Tishchenko is a prime example. The Russian reached the final, in which he was opposed by Vasily Levit from Kazakhstan, and eventually the 2016 Olympics. True, there was another boxing scandal: this time the judges got involved. We are trying to figure out whether they are right or wrong.
My first thought after the final in the weight category up to 91 kg: the helmets were removed at the Olympics, but the referees were left in place. Judging in amateur boxing, and especially at the main competition of the four-year anniversary, was, is and, apparently, will be harsh and merciless to our children's psyche. Trying to solve the problem of entertainment, AIBA completely forgot that the issue of judges is much more pressing, and if you don’t solve it, then no helmets, cancel them or not, will help. If the rules and scoring are not clear at all, after the results are announced, then they will simply turn away from the sport in favor of something more accessible.
However, let's get back to the topic. Judging scandals at the Olympics are common. Someone else will tell you about this much better. Russian boxer, who, unlike Tishchenko, did not have the honor of standing on the highest step of the Olympic podium - Roy Jones Jr.
There was a robbery there, yes. What happened in Rio is an ordinary situation, where in a generally equal fight the judges saw an advantage where the fans did not see an advantage. Alas, it is very easy to confuse the viewer.
It’s enough just to move forward, to create the appearance of activity. Often this also captivates judges, but not this time. Levit's blows cannot be called a model of accuracy: for the most part they flew into Tishchenko's block and did not cause any damage to the Russian. And those attacks that did achieve their goals did not go unanswered. I think this is the main reason why the unanimous decision was in Zhenya’s favor.
By choosing a counterattacking style with a pronounced knockout, Tishchenko took a risk precisely in terms of the referee’s decision: I do not rule out that for other referees Levit’s activity could become a determining factor. But it worked to achieve the result: cutting with the puncher would have been the worst of all possible decisions that the coaching staff of the Russian national team could have made.
As for the rest, the Kazakh fought a ragged battle, openly rushing at his opponent, completely miscalculating his strength, and often beating the air. In the second round, Tishchenko finally remembered about the jab with his front hand and scored with it the number of points that was necessary.
Activity is a good thing. But if amateur boxing wants to compete with professional boxing, then quality is also needed. In performance Russian athlete there were more of them - that’s why he won. So, this is one of the rare controversial decisions in amateur boxing that can still be explained.
And, yes, I completely forgot. Russia is definitely not the country that will be favored at these Olympic Games.
EXPERT OPINION
Vyacheslav YANOVSKY, champion of the Olympic Games in Seoul in boxing:“There are five judges who unanimously gave victory to Evgeniy Tishchenko with a score of 29:28. They are sitting in different angles. You can persuade two or three arbitrators, but five are impossible. Moreover, most importantly, our team is now in a situation where everyone is opposed to Russia. But the judges are all different, representing different states. I made small mistakes in the ring, but this is a human factor. When you start explaining to people in a reasoned manner, not using emotions, but in professional language, boxers understand. But the boorish behavior demonstrated by the guys supporting their Kazakh brother shows that they misunderstand a little about boxing. And Zhenya is handsome! I congratulate him from the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of my heart, especially congratulations to Oleg Menshikov, who put his soul into this guy. But I’ve known this coach for a long time, we even boxed against each other once, it’s not surprising that he trained such a great fighter.”
The Olympics are just gaining momentum, and in one of the most popular, spectacular and medal types sport - amateur boxing, the Russians perform not just unsuccessfully, but catastrophically poorly. It's about about men. Of the nine people registered for the Games, four (almost half!) can already pack their bags and fly home.
Fiasco in the first battles
At the same time, not all are masters leather glove started their journey. Only five boxers had their fights. We lost in the first battles Petr Khamukov(weight category up to 81 kilograms) Andrey Zamkovoy(up to 69 kilograms), Vasily Egorov(up to 49 kilograms) and Adlan Abdurashidov ( up to 60 kilograms)
Moreover, the last two were generally considered as, if not the main favorites, then certainly capable of winning a medal. After all, both Egorov and Zamkova are silver medalists at the World Championships in Chicago, and Zamkova is also a bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Moreover, many specialists, including the head coach of the Russian national team, Olympic champion 2000 Alexander Lebzyak, We believed that the draw for most of our fighters, and in particular for Zamkovoy and Egorov, was quite successful. In the first rounds they were confronted by far from the strongest opponents.
Lebzyak blames the federation and calls the fighters tourists
After such a start, many questions naturally arose. Alexander Lebzyak did not wait for the end of the tournament, and emotionally expressed many points on one of the sports sites. Egor’s quote “about tourists” went viral instantly.
— Of the nine Russian boxers who went to the Olympics, I would change four. Passengers arrived in Rio. They're just tourists! I don't see in their eyes that they want to win.
- They feel sorry for themselves. They got to the Olympics - and that’s it: “Here I have to be fresh. There is no need to do this." And you must plow! I don't need participants in the Games. I need fighters. You have to crawl out of the ring. Even if you lost, you are not ashamed in front of your fans.
But a reasonable question arises: where was the head coach himself looking when he was taking these boxers to the Games?
And here it is appropriate to recall the words that Alexander Borisovich spoke to the SP journalist a couple of weeks before leaving for Rio de Janeiro. Then, let us remind you, the Russian national team in all sports did not even know whether it would get to Brazil. However, the boxers continued training, no matter what.
“I’m worried about a lot,” Lebzyak said then. “We have the presidium of the federation, which put me in such a framework that it sent an application to AIBA (International Amateur Boxing Federation) for specific people. Young guys appeared. I could have taken them to the tournament, but they were afraid from above. The team was formed without the decision of the coaching staff. I just won’t abandon people right before the start, but after the Olympics certain conclusions will be drawn. I don’t hide the fact that I have huge disagreements with the head of the federation ( Boris Ivanyuzhenkov- “SP”).
Boxers see this and no longer train as they should. If you start acting harsher, he runs to complain that they are shouting at him.
Based on the principle of equalization
Despite all of the above, the coaching staff does not abandon their initial plans to take four medals at the Games (gold, silver and two bronze). And in principle, despite the significantly thinned boxing army, there are chances.
In order to understand this, you need to know the general situation that now exists in amateur boxing. Radical reforms of AIBA (removal of protective helmets from athletes, formal admission to olympic competitions professionals) have not yet helped to significantly increase the viewership of fights and the influx of sponsorship money. In this regard, officials are trying their best to prevent representatives of 1-2 countries from dominating others. The wider the geographical range of medalists, the better.
Amateur boxing judges have a lot of freedom of maneuver. And in order to avoid unnecessary excitement, the “draining” of an unwanted favorite often occurs long before the final. Suffice it to recall London and how they were drawn to Olympic gold local heavyweight Anthony Joshua(now IBF professional world champion). In the first fight he was completely defeated by the Cuban Erislandy Savon, nephew of three times Olympic champion Felix Savon. However, Joshua moved on. In the final he was beaten by the most experienced Italian Roberto Cammarelle, but the referees again did not dare to disrupt the planned celebration on the British street.
And an example Roy Jones at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, when in the final he was condemned in a fight with a local boxer and has probably remained for centuries.
Hand on heart, from these unspoken rules AIBA will suffer the most from Cuban boxers, whose training system is still at a standstill. the highest level. In 9 weight categories out of 10 (for men), according to bookmakers, representatives of Cuba are among the top three contenders for gold in Rio. Even adjusted for the leveling, they seem to be the clear favorites in the medal standings.
