Not for the faint of heart. Alexander Volkov: volleyball as the meaning of life Alexander Volkov volleyball player personal life

Nine aces of Pankov and entertaining arithmetic of the 12th round

“Comebacks” in Novokuybyshevsk and Nizhnevartovsk, broken records and a round match in Belgorod – passions are heating up, the championship is approaching the equator.

“No one will challenge my mother’s decision”

- Why did volleyball become a priority sport for you from the very beginning?
- Yes, I didn’t have much of a choice: in first grade, my mother insisted that I go to the volleyball section. It was her decision, and I had no right to disobey. My mother graduated from the Malakhovsky Infizkult, and at one time she was involved in athletics. And her friend coached volleyball players. And my mother brought me to her. However, my mother taught me the basics of the game, and from the age of six I was already standing against the wall and practicing with the ball.

- But your uncle, the famous volleyball player Evgeniy Petropavlov, probably played a certain role in this choice?
- At that time he played for “Nova” from my native Novokuibyshevsk. And since the fifth grade, I have not missed a single match of this team - I served balls, wiped the floor.

I must admit that my back has bothered me before. But I endured the pain. Moreover, she appeared sporadically.

I always tried to be like my uncle, spent a lot of time with him, asked questions that interested me.

- And again, did your mother assign you to the TORCH club system?
- I had offers from other clubs. But my mother went to Anapa, where the FAKELA youth team was based at that time, she liked everything there, and together with the coach they decided that this option was the best for me. So at the age of 16 I left home to start a new life.

- Did any of the current players on your team start with you back then?
- Ilyusha Vlasov. He came from Ufa. The rest of the guys who are on the court with me today were added a year later.

- So you graduated from school in Anapa?
- Yes, I studied there in the 10th and 11th grades, and then immediately entered the University of Physical Education in Krasnodar, where I still continue to study. But I’m going to defend my diploma next year. I was not alone: ​​after graduating from school, many of the guys went to college and some to university.

- And you ended up in the youth team quickly enough?
- In the first year of playing for “TORCH”. Since childhood, I dreamed of wearing a T-shirt with the word “Russia” and was proud when it happened. At 16 years old!

- But very soon a misfortune occurred - a back injury.
- I must admit that my back has bothered me before. But I endured the pain. Moreover, she appeared sporadically. At some point, when we were preparing for the World Championships in Mexico, I felt unwell all the time. But at the championship I played all the matches, we won gold. And when I returned home, I realized that I had to do something. After visiting a number of doctors in Moscow, who, after examining me, recommended quitting volleyball and going to study, I came to the conclusion that it was useless to contact Russian traumatologists with serious problems. In other countries they recommended surgery, but they did not give a 100% guarantee that after it I would be able to play. And then Gurgen, the doctor of the Russian team, found a clinic in Switzerland, where - thanks to our All-Russian Volleyball Federation - we went for another examination. It was there that they decided that the operation was not necessary, and developed a clear program of treatment and rehabilitation. And for six months I had to follow all the instructions of the Swiss doctors at home, in Novokuibyshevsk.

- Why not at the club?
- This question is not for me, but for the then leadership of FAKEL. They actually refused my services. They probably didn’t believe that I could return to duty. And at that moment, Nikolai Vasilyevich Kapranov, at that time the manager of the Russian youth national teams, helped, who was able to get a referral for rehabilitation to one of the sanatoriums near Moscow, where I spent a month. Plus, for another month, Alexey Sergeevich Konstantinov, the current physical training coach of TORCH, worked with me personally in Volleygrad, again not without the participation of the VFW. Since then I have not had any major back problems.

“Joined the squad at the age of 18”

But the injuries seem to stick with you all the time. Now your hand is in a cast again. And before that there was a fracture, again on the right hand.
- Yes, and very close to today’s turning point. This happened two years ago in my first season in the Super League. But I hope that all these ailments are not as serious as that back injury.

- After a year of treatment, you finally returned to the Novy Urengoy club.
- Not right away. At first I was invited to the training camp before the European Championship by Sergei Konstantinovich Shlyapnikov. We won the tournament, I was looking for a club. But what was offered did not suit me. And I ended up in “TORCH”, again not without the participation of Alexander Mikhailovich Yaremenko.

- How would you rate your debut in the Super League?
- For the first season, everything was successful: I quickly became a player on the roster, at the age of 18. And this despite the fact that the team had quite experienced guys of the same role - Dima Krasikov, Anton Fomenko.

I was lucky enough to live in the same room with Tetyukhin. And I got to know him not as a player, but as a person. This is a truly outstanding personality.

In general, everything worked out in the best possible way, and I even received an invitation to the student team, which also competed at the first European Games in Baku.

- Do you remember how you were invited to the first team for the pre-Olympic training camp?
- We knew about the expanded list of candidates in advance. I was glad to see my last name in it. And we discussed the chances of each of the guys. And between us it turned out that I had to go to the training camp. And when the club received a letter of challenge and forwarded it to me, the dream of my whole life was closer than ever.

"Oh, Rio, Rio!"

- Did you believe that you could withstand competition with more experienced players and get the opportunity to go to Rio?
- Initially, when I was going to Anapa, I thought more about the experience that I would get from training with Vladimir Romanovich Alekno and communicating with experienced “trainers”. Especially with Sergei Yuryevich Tetyukhin. This was my childhood idol, and so we ended up together on the same team, and at the Games also in the same room in the Olympic Village. Even during training in Volleygrad, I felt some awkwardness when I left the gym before him. About Rio at first I tried not to bother myself, but as the classes progressed I felt that I was no worse than others, I was not inferior to many in anything, and in some ways I was superior. Then I realized that it was quite possible for me to be in the Olympic dozen.

Almost until the last day, there were 16 players left on the roster, of which only 12 could go to the Games. When did Alekno announce the final roster?
- The day before departure. But by this moment, in relation to myself as a coach, I felt that Vladimir Romanovich trusted me.

- What is your impression of the first Olympics?
- First of all, I would like to thank Vladimir Romanovich again for believing in me and including me in the squad. Many complained about living conditions and other inconveniences. I liked everything. I walked around with my mouth open. The main thing is that I took part in the Olympics and plunged into its unique atmosphere. It was cool.

- What, in your opinion, prevented the Russian team from performing better at the Games?
- It’s probably too early for me to answer such questions.

- But you probably have your own opinion?
- Most likely it's a matter of injuries. Dima Musersky could not go at all, and Max Mikhailov could not perform at full strength. He missed almost all the training. He stayed in the gym for a long time - a real workaholic. But he couldn’t play the way he does, for example, today in Rio.

“It’s a shame that I’ll be left without volleyball for two months”

You had a very strong start to the season. And, if not for the injury, they could have remained the true leader of their team.
- I feel it myself. The summer pre-Olympic training camp helped a lot. The coach showed me a lot of nuances that helped me look at my game differently. I know about the mistakes I make. I’m working on them a lot in training now.

- And then this ridiculous injury. What do the doctors say?
- That you will have to spend a month in a cast, and then another month will be spent on rehabilitation.

- Now you have free time. What do you do? What are you reading, for example?
- I was lucky enough to live in the same room with Tetyukhin. And I got to know him not as a player, but as a person. This is a truly outstanding personality, even unique.

I liked everything. I walked around with my mouth open. The main thing is that I took part in the Olympics and plunged into its unique atmosphere.

The Russian team is facing perestroika. Have you seen any guys in the current national championship who could join the national team and replace the veterans?
- Nikita Alekseev added very nicely. Few expected him to shoot like that. I had a chance to play side by side with him. But then he did not act so strongly. And in “NOVA” he opened up. Handsome, I'm happy for him. And Vitek Poletaev looks very cool.

- Is it important for you who will lead the Russian team?
- No. The main thing is that I myself must prove that I am capable of helping our national team.

In an interview with R-Sport correspondent Vadim Kuznetsov, he spoke about injury and the magical properties of gold, borscht with black bread and World of Warcraft, and also advised which film to watch for the New Year.

Many athletes, due to superstition, refuse interviews, believing that this can scare away their luck. Has it ever happened in your career that in the locker room after a lost match, volleyball players blamed journalists for the failure?

I personally never blamed anyone for the defeat. If you lose, it's your own fault. Everything else is about a bad dancer.

Just recently you parted with the crutches that you walked with after surgery and which you probably got incredibly tired of.

You can't imagine how happy I was to get rid of them. It's not transferable. You can’t imagine what a joy it is to finally walk on your own two feet after two months with crutches. You realize how lucky you are.

Gold attracts gold

- In September, a photo of your car, Audi, was discussed on the Internet. painted gold. Do you remember your first car?

It was "eight". My friend Pavel Kruglov and I bought it to learn how to ride. We drove it for literally a month, learned, and then sold it. Then we bought an old BMW-7, and so we gradually bought cars.

- Why did you decide to repaint the Audi in such a bright color?

I like something original. You want something unusual, you get tired of everyday life. It's fun. You drive around the city - at least people at bus stops smile when they see you. They are not bored when they look at me. Well, like attracts like. Before this, I drove a “golden” Mercedes, and we became champions everywhere (smiles). So be it.

- Many athletes are fans of new cars, watch test drives, read magazines. Are you one of those?

I love cars like a normal man, but test drives and magazines are not my thing. I love big, beautiful and good cars, but calmly.

- In NBA clubs, it is customary for players to “measure” the coolness of a car. Isn't there something like this at Zenit?

No no. We are at peace with this. Moreover, after the Olympics, four of us have almost identical cars (smiles).

Borscht with black bread

Valerio Vermilio prepared Italian pasta for club television, Igor Kolodinsky went to a cooking show and shared the secrets of cooking eggplants. What would you cook if you were called?

- (laughs) That’s why I don’t go to such programs. I don't know how to cook. At all.

- You won’t even cook scrambled eggs?

You can cook anything - I just don’t do it. You can go online, read the recipe, collect the necessary ingredients, but another question is what will come of it. How tasty will it be? I don't cook, I don't like it.

- What is your mother’s favorite dish?

All! Mom's everything is delicious.

- Alexey Kazakov, when he played in Italy, admitted that he missed dumplings. What are you talking about?

For borscht. He's not there. For some reason it is impossible to find beets there, although I was told that they are there. But I didn't find it. Borscht was the first thing I ate when I returned to Russia.

- With black bread.

Certainly! By the way, there is also a problem with it in Italy.

After the Olympics, Alexey Obmochaev visited the football TV show “Head Blow”, Alexander Sokolov was in “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. You weren't invited?

We were invited to many shows, and, by the way, one of them, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” but Vladimir Romanovich Alekno did not let us go. We had a training session, we were preparing. And everyone was invited - Maxim Mikhailov and Kolya Apalikov. Those guys were in Moscow, it was easier for them.

Italy and the Sicilian

For many Russian legionnaires leaving for Europe and the USA, it becomes a revelation that there they have to solve many issues themselves, unlike Russia, where players are often “babysit”. How long did it take you to get used to this at Cuneo?

They completely rented an apartment, gave me a car, and they treated me very well at Cuneo, the club where I played. There were no complaints against them. Any problems were resolved by calling. The organization was at the highest level, I liked everything.

- Cuneo is a town with a population of 60 thousand. Was it hard after living in Moscow for so many years?

Great. Calm, quiet place. No fuss, no running around. You're not in a hurry. People smile at you, kind ones. Nature, food... Everything is very good.

Returning to the topic of food, what Italian cuisine impressed you the most? Not everything can be found in Italian restaurants in Russia.

You can find almost everything, but how they prepare it differently there. We have Italian pasta both here and there, but either the cooking recipes are different, or are they made correctly there? And the food is fresher there. We get Italian food that is imported, frozen, and then cooked right in front of you.

- Even after a two-week tour of Italy, you can fall in love with their coffee. Are you hooked?

I sat there for a long time having coffee. But that’s not the case here, to be honest. The coffee here is not like that. There in Italy it is a culture. If you go to any eatery, they will make you very tasty coffee. We have problems with this.

Soviet football players who went to Italy in the early 90s often had problems with local journalists. Did the press bother you?

It was a little easier for me. By the time I arrived I had learned a little Italian. We had coach Bagnoli, plus educational audiobooks, and volleyball Italian, the most basic terms, I knew. Plus there were guys on the team who spoke Russian. This is Vladimir Nikolov, Janis Peda. They helped with phrase construction, translation, words, and thus, after six months I more or less spoke Italian.

- A few months later you gave your first interview in Italian?

Literally after the first game. I had to say something. I don't even remember what I said. He said what he could.

Vladislav Babichev recently said that Valerio Vermilio very quickly settled into Zenit, as if he did not come from Europe, but was born in Russia. Are Italians really similar to Russians?

Do you know what he says to himself? "I'm not Italian, I'm Sicilian." I don’t know, apparently there’s a big difference between them. He's a cool guy, sociable. He really wants to learn Russian, he likes to play with us and live in Kazan. He does everything very quickly. And the same Reed Priddy lost 5 years in Kazan and Novosibirsk, but did not learn a single word of Russian. He didn’t want to and always said that let others learn English, and not him learn Russian. But Valera is different. And I like it. I like talking to him, he’s a very good friend of mine. You need to communicate in the language of the country you are visiting. It's my opinion.

- Noticed that you and Valerio still don’t communicate in Russian?

And I completely forbade him to speak Russian with me. I want to practice Italian, so I only speak Italian with him.

- If tomorrow the conditional Nikolai Apalikov goes on an excursion to Cuneo, what would you advise him to see?

The city itself is very cozy. The central square is beautiful, but to go there to look... There are Verona, Rome, Milan. These are the cities in which you should spend your time. Everyone usually goes there.

TV and news

- By education, if I'm not mistaken, you are an economist.

International financial and business administration.

- Follow the news of the financial world?

Almost not. To a small, small degree.

Professional athletes are often reproached for living in their own world, in which there are no problems inherent in ordinary people. Do you read newspapers, follow what is happening in the world?

That's how it is, in principle. The world for us is only a TV, from which we can learn some information, but this is true for all people. They watch the news and see what is happening in the world. As for the rest... I don’t specifically read newspapers.

- The latest news that caught your attention.

There has been too much sad news lately. You turn on the TV, and someone has been killed, something has been blown up, something has been stolen. It's better not to turn it on. I try to watch less TV.

Computer games are zombies

- Due to your injury, you have more free time. How do you spend it?

I wouldn't say there's a lot of time. I have the same training as the team when it is in Kazan. I train with them and my day progresses as well. Training process plus recovery. Only I have one workout moved from behind the gym to the pool - it’s aerobic, and the second one is in the gym, along with the guys. When I'm away, I make the program myself. I have the keys to the gym, I go there, I also have a day off, like the team. I live in exactly the same regime as the other guys, so as not to fall out.

- Some Zenit players are fond of computer games...

-...And I am categorically against games. This is zombification of people. This is a waste of time, I don't understand the point of this game at all. What's going on there? Well, he killed someone, why? And some online games never end at all. They can last for months, you play something forever, and every game must end. I had a period when I got hooked on computer games for about six months. After that my brain said what are you doing and thank God I got it. I don't waste time on these toys anymore. Communicating with real people is much more interesting and enjoyable.

- What kind of game, do you remember?

World of Warcraft.

Volleyball players often pass the time on planes by watching movies. Advise what people should watch during the New Year holidays.

I liked the cartoon "The Guardians of Dreams". Great cartoon, I really liked it. A picture with meaning.

- Do you prefer films with meaning or light comedies?

And with meaning too, but I love comedies. This is my favorite genre.

- Jim Carrey or Eddie Murphy?

Both. Both are great comedians.

- Domestic comedies or American ones?

But I don’t separate them that way. A comedy should be funny, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s Russian or American.

What is your attitude towards the remakes of legendary Soviet films, like “Gentlemen of Fortune” or “The Irony of Fate”, that are being made now?

Will "Gentlemen of Fortune" be getting a remake? Those paintings that existed cannot be remade or improved. Those films are legends. New films are for one time only. Those old films will be watched a hundred thousand times, but new ones are unlikely to be watched. If it works, then bravo to the director.

Alexander Volkov started playing volleyball at the age of 11, his first coach was Vera Sergeevna Kasatkina. In 2002, immediately after graduating from the Moscow sports school "Olympus", he made his debut in the Super League team "Dynamo" (Moscow), led by Viktor Radin. The 17-year-old center managed to attract the attention of the coaches of the Russian youth team. In April 2003, Volkov became the winner of the European Championship in Croatia.

In the fall of 2003, after the injury of Sergei Ermishin, Alexander Volkov firmly took his place in the Dynamo starting lineup, with whom he won the first medals in Russian competitions - “silver” in the Russian Cup and the national championship. The young Volkov was accompanied on the Dynamo front line for most of the season by the experienced captain of the French national team, Dominique Daquin.

In September 2004, Zagreb again became a happy city for Russian volleyball players - the team, already playing under the flag of the youth team, but still led by Sergei Shlyapnikov, won the European Championship. One of its key players, Alexander Volkov, soon moved to the Moscow “Luch”, which was essentially Dynamo’s farm club (Dynamo itself was strengthened by the Belgorod pair of blockers Alexey Kuleshov - Andrey Egorchev), and at the end of the Russian championship he was called up to the national team and He made his debut in it on June 4, 2005 at the group stage of the Euroleague in a match with the Estonia national team in Tallinn (3:2).

In August 2005, Volkov again competed as part of the youth team at the World Championships in the Indian city of Visakhapatnam. On the eve of the final, Alexander felt unwell, but, despite the temperature, he showed character by entering the court in a game with his peers from Brazil. Volkov’s contribution to the final victory of the Russians was enormous: thanks to his powerful serves, Yuri Marichev’s charges won back in the difficult third game, and having won it, they won the match.

After playing a season at Luch under the leadership of Vladimir Alekno, Volkov returned to the capital’s Dynamo. While playing for Dynamo, he graduated from the Faculty of International Lending at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

Alexander played infrequently in the national team under Zoran Gajic, but since 2007 he has become one of the key players of the national team. He played one of the most striking matches for the national team on December 2, 2007 in Tokyo, on the final day of the World Cup. In a difficult game against the US team, where Cup medals and a ticket to the Beijing Olympics were at stake, Volkov, having entered the serve with the score 1:2 in games and 16:16 in the fourth set, retired from it at 16:24, hopeless for the Americans. , after which the Russians’ opponents could no longer raise their heads and lost the fifth game, and with it the match. Alexander Volkov, who actually saved the Russian team from additional selection for the Olympics, became a bronze medalist at the Games in Beijing.

After the Olympic Games, he spent two more seasons in Dynamo Moscow, and in the summer of 2010 he signed a contract with the Italian Cuneo. In 2011, Volkov won the Italian Cup and silver in the national championship, but Cuneo performed unsuccessfully in the Champions League - after a home defeat in the “round of six” from Dynamo Moscow, the volleyball players of the Italian team took revenge in Moscow, but then lost in “ golden set" and did not make it to the Final Four. At the end of the season, Alexander Volkov parted ways with Cuneo, returned to Russia and signed a contract with Zenit. As a member of the national team in 2011, he won the World League tournament and the World Cup.

Before the start of the 2011/12 season, Alexander Volkov was chosen as the captain of Zenit Kazan. On January 28, 2012, he underwent surgery on his right knee joint, but in March he returned to Zenit and helped the team win victories in the Russian Championship and the Champions League. In the summer of 2012, due to knee problems, he did not play a single match in the World League and missed part of the preparation for the Olympic Games in London. Despite the serious risk, Alexander Volkov went to the Olympics:

“We consulted with the coach and decided that we would sacrifice the knee but try to get some results here.”

A relapse of the injury occurred already at the Games themselves, after the group stage match with the German national team. According to the head coach of the Russian team, Vladimir Alekno, on each game day, doctor Yaroslav Smakotnin pumped out 30-40 ml of fluid from Alexander Volkov’s right knee; the athlete did not participate in morning training, but nevertheless invariably appeared in the team’s starting lineup in all play games -off of the Olympic tournament. The semi-final with the Bulgarian national team became his 150th official match for the Russian national team. In a difficult final match with the Brazilian national team, Volkov scored 6 points, in particular, he completed the third game with a spectacular single block in favor of the Russian team, which reduced the gap in the match (1:2) and eventually achieved victory.

On October 5, 2012, in Munich, Alexander Volkov underwent a new operation and completely missed the 2012/13 club season. At the end of January - beginning of February 2013, Volkov became one of the winners of the fan vote to determine the participants in the All-Star Game of the Russian Championship. The captain of one of the teams participating in this match, Maxim Mikhailov, chose Alexander as the head coach of his team.

(interview with Alexander Volkov)

According to many Russian fans, the main event of the year was the victory of our volleyball team at the Olympics in London. The victory is “valid”. A victory after many sports fans turned off their TVs when our team was hopelessly losing to the Brazilians during the final match. But the moments of triumph of domestic sports turned out to be even more joyful.

The Trud correspondent discussed the brightest moments of that success and all its circumstances with the leader of the Russian volleyball team, Alexander Volkov.

- You are a medalist at two Olympics. How would you compare your feelings before Beijing and before London?
- In 2008, I was not only a debutant in such a major tournament, but also, by and large, a debutant in the Russian national team. I didn't feel confident in my abilities. The thoughts were: if we’re lucky, we’ll become prize-winners or even champions; if we’re unlucky, we’ll take the place to which we really belong. And already before London, not only I, but also the entire backbone of the Russian team became more experienced. That is, our composition was, on average, not that old, but had already gone through many tournaments of various ranks. Almost everyone had experience of performing at the Olympics, and Tetyukhin - as many as four! And now I had this feeling: either we’ll perform really badly, or we’ll become champions. There was confidence that London would become something extraordinary for us.

How correct is it in the media that you won the Olympics against all odds and that your team was a whole hospital?
- Mikhailov twisted his leg in a control match the day before the start of the Olympics. Budko injured his meniscus a week before the Olympics. Khtey had a very difficult recovery from hip surgery and was also not completely healthy. Tetyukhin had heart problems; at first his doctors did not even allow him to participate in the Olympics.

- And what? Did they take a signature from him that he would take responsibility in the event of an accident?
- And this happened too.

- Did you really go to London injured?
“The doctors did not have such a conversation with me about the fact that a prolonged knee injury could worsen and cause serious complications. But I was in constant pain, and despite the appropriate injections, damage to the knee joint still prevented me from playing.

- Was there a risk that complications would reach the point where you would have to leave sports ahead of schedule?
- This is true. But I would regret even more throughout my life that I left the team right before the Olympics, just when I had a chance to become a champion.

- Why did you have a knee injury? Overload or bad fall?
- Both. I had two pieces of cartilage fall out on my knee. The accumulation of fatigue and micro-tears “came out” during an unsuccessful fall.

- Did you often receive painkiller injections?
- Every day during the entire Olympics - before the match or before training. Once a day. And in London I had to train in a very limited way, much less than my teammates.

- During the Olympics, how often did you call Russia?
- In my youth, my father played volleyball at a decent level, and now he very closely follows my performances and all the events in our sport in general. He expresses very competent judgments, so I listen to my father’s opinion. But before major tournaments, I already try to isolate myself as much as possible from the outside world, including from family and friends. I limit my circle of contacts only to national team coaches and teammates. So during the entire Olympics I only spoke to my parents on the phone a couple of times. And after every successful match, I received congratulatory text messages from relatives, friends and acquaintances, I was happy about them... but I didn’t answer anyone. But, on the other hand, during breaks in training, I try not to think about volleyball at all, in order to focus on communicating with people close to me, on books, on films.

- How is your daughter? Are you interested in sports?
- She is only seven years old. But for now, she is only interested in sports to the extent that her dad plays and is shown on TV. She congratulated me on the phone. And when we met after returning from London, all she had left of all the impressions of the Olympics was the joy of her father’s victory. Still small.

- From the perspective of the past three months, how do you assess: in what component have you surpassed the Brazilians?
- In physical endurance. We simply outlasted them. In the first two games they crushed us, and then they noticeably “sat down”, they didn’t move so fast anymore, they jumped weaker. And we remained at the same level.

- Did you have the feeling that the Brazilians felt like champions ahead of time and relaxed?
- No, they didn’t relax, they were tired. And when we “flooded”, they were simply confused and did not know what to do next.

- What feelings did you have when you, with the score 0:2, were still losing in the third game?
- I’ll only tell you about my personal feelings. They were like this: it is impossible to win in conditions when you are losing to the Brazilians with a score of 0:2, and even in the Olympic final. But I set myself two directives. First, we need to change something in our actions so that the game does not take place with such a clear advantage for our opponents. And the second: we are still in the finals of the Olympics, and I want to stand on this site for as long as possible, winning as many points as possible, and, if possible, one game. And at least this will please the Russian fans and all the spectators who watched the Olympic final.

As an experienced tournament fighter, did you set yourself up and instill such thoughts in yourself in order to improve your psychological state in such a difficult situation?
- No, I didn’t inspire myself with anything. I'm just conveying to you my feelings.

- How do you generally behave in such situations, when the score in the games is 0:2, and you still lose in the third?
- Just fight for every ball. Just try to win every point without thinking too far ahead.

- Like that frog that fell into the pot of cream...
- I know a parable about a mouse that floundered and floundered, although the situation seemed completely hopeless. But, in the end, she knocked down a hard layer of oil, along which she crawled out.

- After the match, how did you as a team perceive what happened? “What have we done?”
- Probably, I still haven’t fully realized what we managed to do. So far there are only some glimmers of awareness.

- Is this the most successful year of your life, except for your knee?
- Without a doubt, the most successful, even if you count the knee.

Alekno himself did not give interviews during the Olympics, and forbade all his players to do so. As a very friendly and responsive person, was it difficult for you to repel journalists’ attempts?
- Those of your colleagues who constantly write on the topic of volleyball and are well versed in our sport, apparently, have already been warned by our federation, and perhaps by Alekno himself. So those journalists with whom I was well acquainted even before London did not bother us during the Games. And I am grateful to them for that. After matches, we gave short comments on the game in the mixed zones, but not lengthy interviews. It’s better not to talk, but to do. Or rather: do it first, and then say something. We would not like to first tell how great we are, and then lose.

- Alekno admitted in an interview that he still hasn’t watched the London final...
- I haven’t watched it yet either. There's no point in it now. I don't want to waste my emotions again. They will still come in handy.

- When will you watch it?
- Maybe in a few years. I try not to think about it.

Alekno perfectly characterized the playing and human qualities of each of the players on his team. But only Volkov was called the real leader. Do you often push your teammates?
- “Shove” is the wrong word. I only try to cheer up my teammates or suggest something about the essence of the game. I always want each of my comrades to play to the maximum of their capabilities. Often it is clearer from the outside.

- Are you cheering me up in Karpolian? Do you use unprintable words?
- In no case. It’s not that I don’t swear... I even try to hide the irritation in my voice. If you communicate with a person violently, he will not properly perceive the necessary information. And whether he accepts it or not is at his discretion. I can't get him to play the way I want him to. With all due respect to the achievements of Nikolai Vasilyevich, his methods of work would be unacceptable in our men's team.

- What kind of training are you doing now?
- I only work in the gym, I try to do it together with the team. And when the team is away, I go to the gym on my own - three days of work in a row, then a day of rest. In training I load all muscle groups except the legs. For now I have to walk on crutches.

- What are the doctors' forecasts?
- They promise that in December I will get off the crutches and start walking without them. They will start giving me exercises for my legs, and in March, perhaps, I will already be playing volleyball.

- Do you even work while sitting with the ball now?
- A ball for me is like a bicycle. If you have ridden it before, after a long break you can sit down, ride it and not fall. Without incorporating footwork, there is no point in fiddling with the ball.

- While the Olympics were going on, did you watch other sports? Who were you personally rooting for?
- With that busy schedule - games plus training - it was problematic not only to get to the stadium stands, but even to watch television broadcasts of the competition. So I watched only occasionally in fits and starts. But there were soloists whose performances I planned to follow in advance. This is Usain Bolt and Mike Phelps.

- During the two Olympics, did you meet representatives of other sports?
- The situation was not conducive to that. We lived in a very intense rhythm, completely concentrating on our performance. Later, during the award ceremonies for the Olympic athletes in Kazan, I met the only medalist of the Russian shooting team - native Kazan Vasily Mosin, and now we communicate regularly and maintain friendly relations.

- Do you study at MGIMO?
- My university has the same profile, but it is not state-owned. Moscow Institute of International Economic Relations (MIER). I finished it a long time ago. Specialty - international finance and business administration.

- Is there a job option in this specialty?
- I don’t want to make a guess. I will decide at the end of my playing career.

- You told an interesting story about how they interviewed you in the subway...
- I haven’t taken the subway for a long time. Although I am a native Muscovite, I rarely come to Moscow. And I go down the subway on average once a year. But people actually took autographs from me on the subway.

- After the Olympics, did you become more recognizable?
- In Kazan - undoubtedly. Volleyball here is generally incomparably more popular than in Moscow.

Russians usually consider the Winter Olympics incomplete if our hockey players do not win. But if they win, failures in all other sports are forgiven. Did you feel that your “gold” was the most important in London?
- It so happened that volleyball became the only game sport where the Russians won. To my great regret - the only one. Thanks to everyone for their support, including the readers of Trud. We are happy that we brought joy to those who were rooting for us. And they gave us another reason to be proud of our country.

“Each game is somewhat similar to the other, but I remember unusual moments - for about a week. But after the next game you already forget about the previous one.”

Volleyball is not only a profession, but also a hobby, his favorite activity throughout his life. The Russian national team's middle blocker has been playing at the highest level for many years, managed to win many club tournaments, but considers the 2012 Olympic gold to be the pinnacle of his career.

Gradual rise

The famous athlete Alexander Volkov is a volleyball player whose height is 210 cm. With such solid natural data as a child, he simply had no choice - either basketball or volleyball. The tall boy hesitated until he was 11 years old, after which he made his final choice in favor of volleyball.

Alexander Volkov conscientiously studied the basics of volleyball at the Olympus sports center, his first coach was Vera Kasatkina. In 2002, a promising central blocker was recruited to one of the strongest teams in the Super League - Dynamo Moscow.

Also, the seventeen-year-old teenager made a favorable impression on the coaches of the country’s youth team, with which Alexander Aleksandrovich Volkov won his first trophy at the European Championships.

The Muscovite made his debut in the main team in 2005, but for several years he could not win a place in the main team in competition with veterans.

Only in 2007 did the young volleyball player firmly secure his place in the starting lineup after a brilliant performance at the World Cup.

First Olympic cycle

In 2008, middle blocker Alexander Volkov went to his first Olympics. The country's men's team has not been able to win big tournaments for a long time, so the final bronze medals were a good result.

After the Beijing Games, Alexander played for Dynamo Moscow for two more seasons, after which he decided to change the situation and try his hand at a foreign championship.

In 2010, Olympic bronze medalist in volleyball Alexander Volkov signed a contract with the Italian team Cuneo. Here he played great and helped the club win the Italian Championship and the National Cup.

True, Cuneo did not perform so well in the European Champions League, failing to qualify for the Final Four stage after losing to Alexander’s former club, Dynamo.

Alexander spent only one season in Italy, after which he returned to Russia in 2011, where he became a player for Zenit Kazan.

2011 was especially successful for the blocker, who won two major tournaments with the national team - the World Cup and the World League.

Olympic passions

In January 2012, the first serious injury appeared in the sports biography of Alexander Volkov. After surgery to remove a piece of cartilage from his knee, he returned to the club, but it soon became clear that the superficial operation did not eliminate the problem, but only masked it.

The question arose about a new surgical intervention, but Volkov dreamed of going to the 2012 Olympics, so he decided to sacrifice his knee in order to compete at the main competitions of the four years. The last word remained with the head coach of the national team, Vladimir Alekno, who, after much hesitation, finally included Alexander in the team.

Until the decisive matches of the Olympic tournament, everything was going well, but then the injury worsened sharply. According to Alekno, every day doctors had to pump out several tens of milliliters of fluid from Volkov’s knee. Thanks to these painful procedures, he was able to overcome the entire tournament through the pain, appearing in every match in the starting lineup.

His contribution was especially valuable in the victorious final match with the Brazilian national team. Alexander brought the decisive point in the third game with his spectacular single block, after which there was a chance for the team to return to the game with a score of 1:2 in sets.

Last years

Only after becoming an Olympic champion did Alexander Volkov agree to a complex operation on the knee joint, which took place in October 2012. The recovery period lasted a long time, the volleyball player completely missed the 2012/2013 season.

Only in September 2013 did Alexander return to the game, again became the captain of Zenit and won the national championship. However, at the end of the season, the ill-fated right knee failed again. This time Volkov injured his meniscus. So Alexander suffered for several years and only at the end of 2015 began to return to his usual level. He moved to Ural, where he was able to become a team leader and regained the trust of the national team coaches.

In 2016, the volleyball player played in his third Olympic Games, after which a whole series of transfers from one Russian club to another followed. Now Alexander Volkov is a player in the newly formed Zenit club from St. Petersburg.