Vlasov weightlifting. Weightlifter Yuri Vlasov: biography, family, sporting achievements, literary activity. End of competitive career

History of Yu.P. VLASOVA

(3registeredO and combined in this file by Y.P. AFTERNOON09 -10 .09. 20 06 from various samples frombooks andGAz of articles in different years)

"Burning Spirit"

(Alexey Samoilov, article from Aurora magazine No. 9, 1985. Recorded 01/09/1986)

"Formula of will: BELIEVE!"

(Extracts from the book by Y.P. Vlasov were made in the spring of 1986)

"Good advice"

(Selective conspect Moscow Koms O well done " from02/25/2005, page 7)

"Squall of Letters"

(Selective conspecteditorial in the newspaperMoscow Koms O well done "from04/15/2005, page 9)

Vlasov Yuri Petrovich

Article from the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" dated December 15, 2005.

Olympic weightlifting champion Yuri VLASOV: - "At 70 years old I I lift 185 kilograms " . ""celebrated the anniversary and after 9 years of seclusion gave an interview to a KP correspondent Once upon a time, only one was compared to Yuri Vlasov - Yuri Gagarin. To this day, weightlifters around the world recognize Vlasov as an ideal. The governor of the state of California, the famous actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, considered Yuri Petrovich his idol all his life and specially came to Russia to meet him. Nine years ago (at 1996.) Vlasov ran for the post of President of Russia, and then disappeared... They even wrote that he died. December 5, 2005 Yuri Vlasov very modestly noted 70th anniversary. But he was congratulated not only by his relatives and friends, but also by the President of Russia. This means that they remember him at the very top... Today Vlasov is still in excellent shape. Except that there are more gray hairs. His new book came out the other day Red Jacks". It is about life at the Suvorov School, about love, about dreams and hopes that have come true. “Is Vlasov alive?” - Yuri Petrovich, where have you gone? Why did it take so long, almost 10 years, not ohbtalked to journalists and didn’t appear on screen? After prezAndno one saw you during the 1996 elections...- First of all, I thank the editors of KP for the opportunity to meet with readers.
I would like to answer the question with a question: where have you gone? Yes, I participated in the presidential elections 1996 years and was faced with such lies and slander... I was repeatedly invited to the President Hotel, where Yeltsin’s election headquarters was located. I could make a choice. Or play by their rules, and then they offered me a party, money, a high rating, wide access to the media. Or a complete blockade in the press, zero percent in all elections, a very difficult future. And I made this choice... Then, two weeks before the vote, a “Special Issue” was broadcast across the country with an obituary that I had died... Now 2005 year. At a book exhibition to the director of the publishing house that has now published my book " Red Jacks", a woman came up and asked: " Is Vlasov still alive? "I know the ins and outs of the elections. - Why don’t you write a book about this?- Because it won't change anything. I wanted to write several other works, but the time has come when I can no longer procrastinate.
- But your old friend Arnold Schwarzenegger made a career for himself - he became the governor of California. Changeehas he been better since he left forOlitika?- You know, people don’t “go into politics”. If a person has earned respect throughout his life and is very popular, this is already politics. Has he changed? I can't judge this. - After leaving sports, many athletes disappear. Is it possible to do something else besides coaching?Abots?- I have always thought about the essence of sports: does the country need people who can only run or only jump? Does sport exclude life itself, love, knowledge, creativity? You are right, I knew many great athletes who later became drunkards and even committed suicide. Here everything depends on the person, on his will and strength of spirit, on his faith in life itself, his ability to suppress pride. It is not simple. But we cannot limit ourselves to the narrowness of victories, no matter how flattering they may be. Marina Tsvetaeva noted this well: There are people with a thirst for employment - they are always looking for something to do. And there are those with the gift of being busy - they are always busy I You. Race for a long ruble - Yuri Petrovich, in modern sports everything is built on the desire for big money. In your youth, sport was part of the ideology of the USSR. What is the point of sports anyway?- Why do you think climbers conquer peaks? Are they suffocating or dying? Why do they go to the North Pole? Why does Konyukhov sail the ocean on a yacht? Are they all looking for money? Anyone who bargains for fees very quickly ceases to be an athlete. Anyone who wants to be strong and brave becomes one. A real man cannot avoid sports. And if he loves a woman, he must be healthy, strong, generous. When I started training, I had no idea that you could make money from sports. Love for the Motherland was the leading principle. -Are you playing sports now?
- Yes, I train professionally 2 - 3 times a week. This is one of the very few activities that takes my mind off literature and military history. But I love sports wholeheartedly, without it I would be lost not only in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense. - What is your record now?- A year ago I wanted to raise 200 kg, but stopped at 185 - I became scared for the blood vessels. I don't need to imitate, I’ve been playing iron games all my life, and the loads for 70 very respectable years. But I wish everyone to find their own form of training. As long as a person is alive, nothing is too late. Sport gives you a feeling of youth. - How is your health?- Thank God, it’s normal. Everything turned out differently in different years. It’s impossible to say that it was always brilliant; I underwent three terrible operations: a tumor on my arm from being hit by a barbell and two operations on my spine, when my family was already warned that I was unlikely to survive. But my sport was not amateur, it was not fun, it was a duel with death. After the operation, I didn’t die only thanks to sports, I was very strong in spirit, sports raised my will. I was able to get up and went back to the iron. With minor absences due to surgeries, I train with 14 years. And now I 70 . But sport has never been the goal and the only meaning. He was always that help, those crutches that led me to solving other, more important, in my opinion, tasks. I ordered myself to lose weight - How do you keep fit?- Firstly, it is important to have a worthy goal in life, but a sick person will not be able to achieve it. There must be a desire to become healthy and strong. Secondly, never excess weight and always moving. Here's a great example - Amosov, Mikulin, Bragg. For example, I myself lost about a year in weight. 11 kg. Gradually. The weight was creeping towards 120 kg, this is both a lot and life-threatening. I ordered myself to leave 109 . Thirdly, get away from the chemicalization of life. "...And the Lord said: I gave you everything I cut grass and every tree ". On the advice of Amosov, I do not part with the plant antioxidant. I am not chasing longevity and do not want to achieve it at any cost, no, but the movement itself, the feeling of youth and health give me joy. And if a person is healthy, he can do a lot, he can help the weak. And this is the need of any normal person. A healthy person and one warrior in the field. Anabolic steroids cripple athletes - Recently it was proposed to exclude the barbell from Olympic events sports What do you think?

Biography of Yu.P. VLASOVA

In the world of sports, rich in star names, there are a number of giant athletes who stand apart. Their achievements, sports, and human traits personify the era. And in this cohort it takes its unambiguous place Yu.P. Vlasov. He has a special role in the history of sports and, without exaggeration, in world history - he expanded the ideas of earthlings about human capabilities. Yuri Vlasov was bornDecember 5, 1935 in the city of Makeevka, Donetsk region (Ukraine).Father - Vlasov (Vladimirov) Pyo tr Parfenovich (1905 - 1953 ), soldier, diplomat, man of bright destiny. WorkOmy lifePeterHe began as a mechanic's apprentice at the Voronezh Agricultural Equipment Plant. After serving in the army, he entered the1938 graduated from Moscow andnInstitute of Oriental Studies named after Narimanov. From May1938 years until July1940 worked in China as a TASS correspondent for a year. In May1942 the year was in vainVflax inYan'an (Special Region of China) as a liaison of the Comintern under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, at the same timeepermanently fulfilling the duties of a TASS war correspondent. Here he stayed until November1945 of the year. IN1946 year he is transferred to rAbot at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. WITH1948 year to1951 year - Consul General of the USSR in Shanghai. WITH1952 year - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to Burma. P.P. Vlasov is buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Mother - Maria Danilovna , originally from Kuban, from a large Cossack family.
She worked as a library manager. WITH early age she instilled withsNovy, Yuri and Boris, a great love of reading and knowledge. She was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.Spouse - Vlasova Larisa Sergeevna . Daughter - Elena .
The first and very confident steps in life of the future hero of the Roman Olympics Yuri Vlasov did in the military field. From 1946 to 1953 he studied at the Saratov Suvorov Military School, from which he graduated with honors. Here I became seriously interested in sports - I mastered many types of wrestling and boxing. I enjoyed doing athletics, throwing a sports grenade and putting a shot. He was a champion among his peers from Suvorov and Nakhimov. Surprisingly, he did not like the barbell - the sport that brought him world recognition. I read more about her in books. Idolized strong people, was engrossed in a book Georg Hackenschmidt "The Path to Strength and Health." He loved to exercise with dumbbells and kettlebells. After graduating from the Suvorov Military School, he entered the Air Force Academy named after N.E. Zhukovsky, where, contrary to his former logic, he became seriously interested in heavy
athletics. Academy named after N.E. He graduated from Zhukovsky 1959 year with honors and a gold medal. In February 1957 years under the guidance of a coach Evgenia NikolaevAndcha Shapovalova won his first victories in weightlifting and fulfilled the master of sports standard. The marshal presented the silver badge to the athlete CM. Batday. In the same year, Yuri Vlasov set a number of all-Union records and became one of the best weightlifters in the country. Now his mentor is Suren Petrosovich Bogdasarov. In the currente5 years (1959-63) the athlete won all competitions - the championships of the USSR, Europe, and the world. IN 1959 year Yu. Vlasov was awarded a high sports title- "Honored Master of Sports of the USSR." IN 1960 year at the Olympics in Rome, Vlasov established 4 record in super heavyweight: 180 kg in bench press and 155 kg in snatch (Olympic), 202,5 kg in clean and jerk and 537.5 kg in the sum of classical triathlon (world). Defeating a famous American heavyweight in an absentee match Paul Anderson, he was recognized best athlete Roman Olympics, he was awarded the title " The strongest man on the planet"On the Roman platform, Vlasov accomplished an inherently unprecedented feat: he turned the idea of ​​the strongest athletes in the world upside down in the minds of mankind. He proved by his example that a person can be both strong and highly educated, intelligent, smart. If before Vlasov’s triumph in Rome, weightlifters were looked at often viewed as representatives of brute force, possessing limited intelligence, then on the Roman pedestal - with the help of television, the press - the world community became acquainted with a man charming in all respects.
The hero turned out to be a great erudite. I could easily talk with journalists and admirers of his talent about music, sculpture, painting, the advantages and disadvantages of world literary classics, and not only in Russian, but also in French. Vlasov stated that strength, like intelligence, can develop indefinitely. Hundreds of thousands of athletes from various countries believed him. Thanks to Vlasov, the barbell has become one of the most fashionable and most attractive sports equipment. Weightlifting sport has found a “second wind” and rapidly gained high popularity on all continents. The “golden age” of not only the Russian but also the world barbell began. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 year Vlasov installed 2 world record: bench press - 197,5 kg, snatch - 172,5 kg, but according to the triathlon total ( 570 kg) took second place. After losing in Tokyo, the athlete stopped active training, but in 1966 year I started training again. IN 1967 year, the athlete pleased the fans by setting another, but, as it turned out, the last record at the Moscow championship - 199 kg in bench press. In total they installed 31 global and 41 USSR record. Yu. Vlasov - fourXmultiple world champion, sixfold European champion. Confessed luhthe country's greatest athlete, of the year, century. IN 1960 Vlasov was awarded the Order of Lenin; V 1964 awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. The idea of ​​leaving weightlifting and seriously engaging in literary activity came to him more and more often. True, there was a debt to the barbell that made him world famous. He seemed to split into two, which negatively affected his literary hobby and weightlifting training. But the champion could no longer stay between the bar and the feather for too long, and did not want to. Vlasov’s public statement that he was leaving the weightlifting platform forever greatly upset all his fans. The athlete was in his prime and could be the first to raise the total 600 kg, but this, alas, did not happen for known reasons. Yu.P. Vlasov became a writer, statesman and public figure. From 1960 to 1964 year Yuri Petrovich was elected as a deputy of the Moscow Council. IN 1985 Yuri Vlasov was elected chairman of the USSR Weightlifting Federation. IN 1988 year he becomes chairman of the USSR Athletic Gymnastics Federation. WITH 1989 Vlasov - People's Deputy of the USSR for the Lublin district of Moscow. December 12, 1993 elected as a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. Worked as a member of the Safety Committee. IN 1996 year, Yuri Vlasov participated as a candidate in the elections of the President of Russia.
Author of popular books in Russia and abroad: " Overcome yourself", "Solenew joy", "Special Region of China"; literary trilogy" Fiery cross", "Believe!", "Justice of the Force", "Who runs the show", "Rus' withoutOwaiting", "We are and we will be", "Temporary workers".

Yuri Petrovich VLASOV

Yuri Vlasov

1955 For a while, Moscow forgot about football and hockey. The barbell was what interested Muscovites, even those who had previously been indifferent to sports in general and weightlifting in particular. Moscow was waiting for the arrival of a “miracle” from distant America. The "miracle" was Paul Anderson. “Man is a mountain”, “man is a crane”, “the strongest man on the planet”. They talked about him in institutes and factories, on trams and subways, in restaurants and shops...

To lift the sum of three exercises - bench press, snatch and clean and jerk - 500 kilograms... In those years it seemed unrealistic; for a long time athletes were approaching the coveted milestone, but could not overcome it. The winner of the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, John Davis, gained 460 kg. His compatriot Norbert Shemanski won the World Championships in Vienna two years later with a result of 487.5 kg. An amazing amount, colossal weight, a new world record. And still, five hundred kilograms was still far away... And suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, a message came from the United States - the 500 kg milestone had been overcome! On April 22, 1955, a native of the small town of Toccoa, Georgia, 22-year-old Paul Anderson gained a triathlon total of 518.5 kg! True, at that time world records were recorded only at Olympic tournaments, world and European championships, and competitions in South Carolina, where Anderson showed his phenomenal results, were not included in this list. So officially the world record has not yet been surpassed. But the figure itself - 518.5 kg - shocked the imagination. In 1935, German weightlifter Joseph Manger, “the king of strongmen for all times,” as he was then called, gained 401.5 kg in triathlon. Since then, the athletes have slowly, step by step, approached a new milestone. And suddenly a man appeared who broke all the foundations of the weightlifting world, easily and naturally stepped over the seemingly insurmountable line.

On June 5, 1955, at the US Championships in Cleveland, “little Paul” again showed his strength. He gained 519.37 kg in triathlon. Davis, the second medalist of the championship, was almost 80 kg behind him. In just a few months, Anderson turned from an unknown athlete into a world celebrity, a “miracle man,” a superman whose name never left the pages of newspapers and magazines. No weightlifter has ever been given so many honors.

A week after the US Championships, the famous philanthropist Robert Hoffman, the de facto owner of American weightlifting (he owned the legendary New York Barbell Club, whose representatives were almost all the best US weightlifters), brought the American team led by Anderson to Moscow. When Paul got off the plane and stepped onto the ramp, an enthusiastic “whoa-whoa!” echoed through Vnukovo airport. Yes, “little Paul” really made a lasting impression. Height is 177 cm... Well, this was not surprising. But everything else... Weight 165 kg, huge biceps 57 centimeters in circumference, incredibly powerful legs, hip volume - almost a meter... Of course, at first glance, Anderson seemed like a hulking monster, but under the layer of fat there were incredible muscles hiding, which allowed him to lift record-breaking weights. weight.

Wherever Anderson performed, tickets to competitions with his participation sold out instantly. This was the case in Moscow. On June 15, 1955, on a rainy, damp day, almost fifteen thousand spectators filled the Green Theater of the Central Park of Culture and Leisure in Moscow. Of course, the main “star” was Anderson. And “little Paul” did not disappoint the Moscow public. For the bench press, he ordered 172.5 kg, which was 4 kg higher than the official world record of Canadian Doug Hepburn. Paul didn't just lift the weight, he bench pressed the barbell three times in front of an astonished audience. In terms of triathlon total, he repeated the result he showed ten days ago in Cleveland - 518.5 kg. And at the end of the performance, Paul shouldered a barbell weighing 275 kg and easily squatted five times.

Among those who watched Anderson’s performance at the Green Theater was nineteen-year-old cadet of the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy Yuri Vlasov. He took a 16mm movie camera, given by his father, and went to the Green Theater. He didn't have a ticket, but amateur movie cameras were a rarity back then. He was mistaken either for a foreigner or for a cameraman and was allowed through all the checkpoints without any hindrance. “I pretended to be filming, but I was staring at Anderson! – Yuri Petrovich recalled. “I looked into his locker room. How happy I was!”

“What, this one... Yes, the guy is, of course, strong, but... No, this is funny, this is impossible...” Probably, any of those present on that rainy evening in the Green Theater would have reacted this way, if someone, some a soothsayer, a home-grown Moscow Nostradamus, would point to Vlasov and say: “And you know that in a few years this young man will surpass Anderson’s records, and not only surpass, but go far ahead.” Those who saw Paul were sure that before them was the greatest athlete of all time, whose records would live forever. In October of the same year, at the World Championships in Munich, he set an official world record, lifting a total of 512.5 kg in triathlon. Norbert Szemanski's previous achievement was improved by 25 kg. Anderson's advantage over his opponents was simply overwhelming. What he did seemed to be the limit, the boundary of human capabilities. In 1956, the USSR record in the bench press was 161 kg, best result Anderson - 185.5 kg. In the clean and jerk, the American surpassed the USSR record by 19 kg (199.5 versus 180.5). And in the triathlon total, Paul was ahead best achievement Soviet weightlifters at 60 kg! Well, how to fight such incredible power! In those years, many heavyweight athletes were advised to quit weightlifting and take up some other sport that was more promising in terms of world achievements. "Get busy better than light athletics, try throwing,” they told Vlasov, “after all, there are terrible numbers in the bar, Anderson’s results in the bar.”

Even the Americans complained that Anderson, despite all his amazing achievements, for some time “killed American weightlifting outright,” at least in the heavy weight category. Many young weightlifters, realizing that they could not even come close to the results of “little Paul,” went to other sports. Why are there young people... Repeated medalist of the World Championships and Olympic Games Jim Bradford, whose build, by the way, resembled “little Paul,” did not appear at major tournaments for four years. It was pointless to resist Anderson’s pressure... But Yuri thought differently...

Returning home after Anderson’s performance at the Green Theater, Vlasov wrote in his training notebook: “Nothing has power over me!..”

Yuri Vlasov was born on December 5, 1935 in the city of Makeevka, Donetsk region. His father, Pyotr Parfenovich Vlasov (later he changed his last name to Vladimirov), came from Voronezh peasants, worked at a Voronezh repair plant, repaired steam locomotives. And then there was a revolution, a civil war, Soviet power... The son of a simple peasant made a dizzying career– the worker became a high-ranking diplomat. After graduating from the Moscow Institute of Oriental Studies, Pyotr Parfenovich went to China, where he worked as a TASS correspondent. In May 1942, he was sent to Yan'an (the so-called Special Region of China) as a liaison officer for the Comintern under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. After the end of the war, Pyotr Vladimirov went to work at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1948 to 1951 he served as Consul General of the USSR in Shanghai, and from 1952 - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to Burma. Pyotr Parfenovich lived a very bright and interesting, but, unfortunately, short life. In 1953, when he was not yet fifty, he died. Twenty years later, the book “Special Region of China” was published, the author of which was a certain journalist Vladimirov. This book, as they would say now, instantly became a bestseller, there was a lot of talk and debate about it. And what was the surprise of the readers when they learned that this book was written by a former athlete, and not by a Chinese historian; the history, philosophy and life of China were shown so authentically and reliably, with the smallest details. “I idolized my father,” said Yuri Petrovich. “What fascinated me most was the cult of reason and knowledge that he tried to instill in everyone who was close to him. And “China Special Region” is my debt to my father. When my father realized that he was dying, he began to tell me what he had learned. And he asked to complete the main work of his life.”

Yuri Petrovich’s mother, Maria Danilovna, comes from Kuban. She worked as a librarian and head of a library. According to the great athlete, his mother gave him both a love of books and considerable strength. “I remember how she disgraced the porter: he could not put a sixty-kilogram bag with her favorite Kuban apples on the luggage net,” Vlasov recalled. “Mom pulled him aside and in one motion shoved the bag under the ceiling, and she was nearly sixty. And until old age she remained slim and feminine.”

Yura dreamed of following in his father's footsteps, becoming a diplomat or intelligence officer. But Pyotr Parfenovich thought differently. In 1946, Yuri was enrolled in the Saratov Suvorov Military School. Naturally, the strong guy (at fifteen years old he weighed almost one hundred kilograms) could not stay away from the sport. “I grew up in the Suvorov School, among strong and healthy boys,” Vlasov said about the beginning of his sports career. “Strength and prowess were especially valued and respected among us. We gradually practiced wrestling and boxing (in the early fifties he became the heavyweight boxing champion of Saratov . – Auth.), athletics. All together - book characters, the desire to move, fight, win - gave birth to a love for sports in us. Therefore, when I graduated from college and entered the first year of the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, I could no longer imagine myself outside of sports. And if blind chance brought me to the weight room, it was not chance that made me fall in love with this seemingly uninteresting and truly difficult sport.”

In 1953, after graduating from the Suvorov Military School, Yuri entered the radio engineering department of the Air Force Academy named after N. E. Zhukovsky. It was here that he became acquainted with weightlifting. Everything was simple in a military way. “Cadet Vlasov, step forward! You will compete for the faculty in the barbell. Show up at sixteen o'clock gym academy. Get in line." Whether you like it or not, no one cares; orders are not discussed. At these competitions, the coach of the weightlifting section, Evgeny Nikolaevich Shapovalov, somehow explained to Yuri what the bench press, snatch and jerk are and how to generally lift the barbell.

Vlasov was predicted to succeed in athletics(relatively “easy” - Yuri showed good results in the shot put). And the barbell... At first he didn’t like the barbell. But with each workout, he liked more and more to grab the bar, take the projectile on his chest, and then, instantly turning on the energy of all the muscles of the body, conquer the seemingly unbearable weight. And of course, he was lucky with his coach: “Without Shapovalov, I would never have taken up weightlifting, and my life, of course, would have turned out completely differently. Hot-tempered, tough, he selflessly loved weightlifting, and even more – strong and well-shaped muscles.”

Under the leadership of Evgeny Shapovalov, in three years Yuri Vlasov managed to become one of the best heavyweight weightlifters in the country. Vlasov’s first serious successes in weightlifting came in 1957. At the Armed Forces Championships in Lvov, he fulfilled the master of sports standard and improved all-Union records in the clean and jerk and snatch. But along with the records came the first injuries - the barbell showed Yuri that it could not only conquer, but also break and injure an athlete: “The barbell broke me, but I hesitated. I hoped to calm her down. And only when I became numb with pain and the light in my eyes floated yellow and viscous, and my mouth was convulsed, I slipped out from under the weight. I was late, but it could have been worse..."

And the first international performances for Yuri Vlasov were unsuccessful. Before the competition for the Moscow Prize in 1957, the capital was struck by an epidemic of “Asian” flu. Vlasov was also “lucky” - he fell ill just before the start of the competition. “However, it wasn’t the flu that poisoned the muscles—it was fear,” the athlete recalled. – And not even fear of given weights or rivals, but an irresistible shock before the unusualness of the situation. I was used to a cramped room with two platforms back to back - this was the CSKA sports hall of those years on Leningradsky Prospekt. And here is the immensity of the Luzhniki Sports Palace. I fell asleep in it. The team doctor saved me from shame and wrote me off from the competition due to illness.” In April 1958, Vlasov was injured again - at the USSR Championship in Donetsk, he injured his left knee joint. I spent a whole month in a cast. “After these injuries, according to many, I no longer had a place in the trials great game, - said Yuri Petrovich. – The famous old athlete quipped: “The boy went straight from the nursery to retirement...” But Vlasov did not break down, he had already fallen in love with the barbell, could not live without “hardware” and daily training, which often ended well after midnight. Yuri had to share sports with his studies at the academy, or rather, give weightlifting the crumbs that were left after classes. No one gave him any concessions or discounts. Six to seven hours of lectures, laboratory classes, coursework, consultations, exams, and only then a small training room and a barbell.

At the same time, the image of Vlasov began to take shape, a completely unique and unique image that combined the seemingly incongruous. An intellectual, an erudite, a polyglot, a man who idolized books, a writer - and an athlete who chose for himself a sport that was crude and primitive, at least at first glance.

In 1957, Vlasov began to be trained by Suren Petrovich Bogdasarov, a gentle and calm person, more of an adviser than a coach. Yuri rushed forward, set records and immediately wanted to improve his own results, cruelly, like a doctor experiencing the effects of a deadly virus, he experimented on his body, subjecting himself to extreme stress during training. “A mad elephant,” his fellow weightlifters said about Vlasov. He simply went crazy, fell into some kind of ecstasy when he saw the barbell and heard the sound of iron. And Suren Petrovich, a wise coach, stopped him: “There is no need for shocks, these overloads and tests are dangerous. Enough! Your strength will be enough for a good ten years to come. Believe me: I won’t harm you, you’re like a son to me...”

“How much he accepted the evil assigned to me, carried, concealed the injustice assigned to me! – Vlasov said about Suren Bogdasarov. “He protected me as best he could from my own, sometimes gross, mistakes. He believed, believed that I was powerful in strength and inaccessible in it, if I surrendered to the “hardware”, I would not split myself between literary work and sports, but most importantly, he always believed in me, did not consider my performances against opponents of any strength and preparedness a risk, when I was floating in illness and weakness - and this, in the end, was the greatest blood-inextricable connection. I was no longer tied to him by friendship, but by a family, undying connection...”

1959 is the year of Vlasov’s rise. Not long ago he was “promising,” then “number two,” and now he is called “the best heavyweight weightlifter in the country.” On April 22, at the Armed Forces Championship in Leningrad, Yuri set his first world record - he lifted 196.5 kilograms in the clean and jerk. In terms of triathlon total, he showed the third result in the history of weightlifting. The coaching council decided that Vlasov is worthy of representing the country at the World Championships.

So, Warsaw, the first world championship in the career of Yuri Vlasov. And the rivals – here they are, nearby. The entire world heavyweight elite. True, there is no Anderson. After winning the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Paul retired from amateur weightlifting. But everyone else is here. Bulgarian Ivan Veselinov, Finn Eino Mäkkinen, Italian Alberto Pigayani... And of course the Americans, who feel like masters everywhere. David Ashman and Jim Bradford. “The Great Washingtonian” (as journalists called Bradford) returned after long break and really wanted to prove to everyone that he, at least in Anderson’s absence, is the strongest man on Earth.

The first exercise is the bench press. Yuri started out very nervously. In the second approach, I made a mistake and as a result, before the snatch, I lost 10 kg to Bradford. You can, of course, say a couple of “kind” words to the judges who did not count an actually clean attempt, but what’s the point...

In the snatch, Yuri gained 2.5 kg. Not much, but you can’t win back much in this exercise unless your opponent breaks down. But Bradford is not going to break down, and Vlasov is not taking risks in scoring attempts. The main thing is to take your weight and not fall behind your opponent. And then Yuri asked for a fourth try. He was going for a world record. And he took the weight! This attempt did not count toward the triathlon, but Vlasov gained confidence in his abilities and prepared to give his all to beat Bradford. And the “Great Washingtonian” apparently wavered at that moment. After the first attempt in the clean and jerk, Vlasov caught up with Bradford and, since he was lighter than his opponent, won the title of world champion. And in the next two approaches I increased my advantage to 7.5 kg. “End the race! For several weeks I am free from hardware and thoughts about tomorrow. Down with all your worries! In a few weeks I’ll start the race again, the game of “who will win” again, but now I can forget everything! All!.."

What was Yuri thinking about when he stood on the highest step of the podium? About the years grueling workouts were not in vain that he won for his great country gold medal championship, ahead of the Americans, their main and most hated rivals? No, he was thinking about a bird... What kind of bird? Maybe about the “bird of happiness” that chose him here and now? No, about an ordinary rooster... “Throughout the entire ceremony of being crowned world and European champion, there was one and the same ridiculous memory: this rooster! I grew serious - fanfare, flowers, medals... But this rooster! The team trained for three weeks in Balashikha near Moscow. From there I went to Warsaw. What a brave rooster was leading the chickens behind the neighboring fence! With what fury he attacked! The strongest guys ran away. We must be serious: anthem! And I'm afraid to unclench my teeth. Obviously, he immediately began to move away from the multi-week clampdown on feelings ... "

Well, then – was there a feeling of happiness, a feeling of satisfaction from a job well done, the joy of victory? No. Yuri understood that the shadow of Anderson and his “eternal” records invisibly stood between him and universal recognition: “The more meticulously I tried to understand myself, the more clearly I came to the understanding that for everyone I was just a championship winner. But superiority in strength is not recognized for me. And I already guessed why - Anderson! Anderson has strength, and Anderson is outwardly indestructible. Only such people have a future - it has already been proven. And I?.."

At the banquet after the closing ceremony of the championship, a slightly tipsy David Ashman approached Yuri and said meaningfully, with the pathos of a soothsayer: “Vlasov is Warsaw prima, but Rome is Vlasov no prima...” And then Bob Hoffman decided to put Vlasov in his place: “You are a good guy , but we’ll figure it out in Rome...” Well, let’s see what happens in Rome...

“A city with a fantastic name - Rome! What is he like? Will I really see it? How is it possible, a test of results, a mischief of power - and suddenly all this paved the way to a fairy-tale city? The frivolous turned into a complete surprise, and such a serious one! Rome, Rome..."

In 1956, at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, the Americans won one gold medal more than the Soviet team, and became first in the unofficial team competition. What will happen in Rome, will Melbourne repeat itself? For three world championships in a row, from 1957 to 1959, our weightlifters convincingly outplayed their main rivals. But the main boss of American weightlifting did not let up: “The Russians remain our most dangerous rivals,” Bob Hoffman said in an interview with the French newspaper Equip. “But we will leave Rome undefeated.” If in Warsaw we won one title, now we will take three. We brought to Rome the largest and most strong team" And of course, the main target of the Americans is Vlasov. Anderson's "legacy" still remained unresolved. Both Vlasov and the Americans were approaching the achievements of “little Paul” and his “eternal” records no longer seemed so eternal. But the figure “512.5” – Anderson’s world record for triathlon total – continued to put pressure on everyone with its unbearable weight.

But Yuri had a chance a few months before the Olympics to break the most important world record in weightlifting. And a good chance. At the USSR Championships, held in June in Leningrad, Vlasov set three all-Union records, one of which - in the snatch - was higher than the world record. And if it weren’t for an annoying mistake in one of the approaches, when Yuri touched his knee with his elbow while lifting the barbell to the chest (this is considered a technical error and the attempt is not counted), then he could well have surpassed Anderson’s record. As a result, Vlasov gained 510 kg in triathlon. Close, very close... By the way, at that championship Yuri’s main rival was Alexey Medvedev. Before the “Vlasov era,” it was Medvedev who was considered the most strong heavyweight in the Union. But with the arrival of Vlasov, Alexey was doomed to the fate of “number two.” Medvedev resisted, and when he realized that he had no chance against Vlasov (“there is no trick against crowbar”), he even tried to move to a lower category. But even in the first heavyweight division, Medvedev got the role of an extra. In 1963, Alexey Medvedev left sports and sat down to candidate's thesis. Topic: “Basics of training in weightlifting.” And a year later, Alexey Sidorovich Medvedev still took revenge on Yuri Petrovich Vlasov. He took revenge in a classy, ​​tasteful manner... Not himself, but with the help of his student (“there is no trick against a crowbar if there is no other crowbar”). But more on that later, the time will come for a weightlifting vendetta...

Hold on, Russians, hold on, Vlasov, and hold on... Paul Anderson, even though you have been performing in circus shows and amateur weightlifting records are of little interest to you. The "Great Washingtonian" is on the warpath and ready to fight! An “intercontinental bomb” of lethal power will be dropped on Vlasov and all Soviet weightlifting!

Who was Bob Hoffman hoping for? Jim Bradford? Yes, Jim is strong, but Vlasov beat the “Big Washington” in Warsaw. However, Bradford was not asleep either. He spent the whole year building up his strength in preparation for the Olympics. I denied myself ordinary human joys, forgot my family - only training, only hardware. The Americans came to Italy much earlier than ours. And here they trained until exhaustion. At one of these training sessions, Bradford lifted 520 kilograms in triathlon. And this is 7.5 kg more than Anderson’s “eternal” record.

What else can be opposed to Vlasov? Hoffman had long noticed Yuri’s excessive sensitivity, his not always adequate reaction to what was happening on the platform. “Take him in pincers, drive him crazy, make him worry. After all, he is one, and there are two of my guys,” this is probably what Hoffman thought when he decided to field two athletes in the heavyweight division. Together with Bradford, the most experienced Norbert Shemanski was supposed to “take in pincers” Vlasov. “I gave the American coaches the direction of the attack: to resolutely push me in every exercise, to do this, put two athletes in heavy weight, and I will falter,” Vlasov admitted. – I can’t help but tremble. Proven. I’m weak-hearted on the platform - now I have to bear this stigma... But there was strength!”

There was strength, there was... Vlasov showed this strength to the whole world at the opening ceremony of the Games, on August 25, 1960. The Foro Italico stadium roared with delight as Yuri carried the flag of the Soviet Union on one arm. But it was not easy both physically (the banner is heavy) and morally. “I became numb in the responsibility of carrying the banner, being responsible for it,” recalled Yuri Petrovich. - Carry a banner like we did at the demonstration? On your shoulder? Put the shaft into your stomach like most? And here is the field, applause! I grabbed the shaft by the very tip and extended my hand. The stadium trembled and roared..."

He is young, he is strong, he has accumulated incredible strength and is ready to express it fully on the platform. And suddenly... How often does such “and suddenly” get in the way of a dream. It was as if fate did not want Yuri to win this Olympics. The USSR national team conducted its last training sessions before the Games on the Riga seaside. Despite the trainers' prohibitions, Vlasov once could not resist and swam in the icy - seven degrees - water. The result is inflammation of the middle ear. It was possible to return Yuri to duty only with behind-the-ear injections of penicillin. The disease was quickly defeated, but who knew that in Rome Vlasov would again have to inject penicillin in massive doses?

In the morning a slight irritation appeared on my thigh. And in the evening, my leg was covered with huge boils, a continuous abscess with throbbing pain. Yuri's temperature rose, he slept poorly, and he completely lost his appetite. “If these were any other competitions, and not the Olympics, I would simply forbid him to go on the platform,” said the doctor Olympic team Zoya Sergeevna Mironova. – But how to do this if Vlasov is going to become the strongest athlete on the planet? Will he win in this state? But under Vlasov’s pressure, I began to give up. Apparently, this was the case when the situation forced a person to mobilize all his strength.”

Vlasov was not going to give up the Olympics. Special bandages and novocaine blockade were used. And penicillin... A dozen injections into the thigh... For some time, the inflammation was relieved, but after another workout, the abscesses again grew to their previous size. Zoya Mironova had to perform an operation, open the abscesses, and remove dead tissue. And again penicillin. And then... “And then I vomited,” Vlasov said. - God forbid, they find out about this! Ready for anything - just to work! I have worked so hard for this day!”

Illness is always bad. And especially at such an inopportune moment. There are generally no suitable moments for illness, but for athletes this is especially important - it’s one thing to get sick somewhere in the off-season, when you are free from competitions, and quite another thing on the eve of the most important start in your life. But illness is an “accidental” accident. If you've already picked it up, there's nothing you can do about it. There are only two options - fight or give up. What if they are also trying to “survive” you from the Olympic team for a minor offense?

“I forgot about training and unhappiness. And misfortune followed illness. And I called him..."

It’s hot in Rome, very hot, the temperature is well over thirty. What you can do after lunch is just lie down on a sun lounger and relax somewhere in the shade. Which is, in fact, what Yuri did. If I had left my room, nothing would have happened. But the room is also hot. And here, under the house, in the blessed shade, in the fresh air - it’s good, easy... Vlasov was dozing in a deck chair when they called him. Pole vaulters Vladimir Bulatov and Igor Petrenko and shot putter Viktor Lipsnis. “Don’t refuse, drink with us to victory. All we have is a bottle of brandy.” There is still a whole week before Vlasov’s speech - you can relax. Although, in principle, it is impossible. But if you really want to, then you can. A bottle of brandy for four healthy men is nothing, it will disappear in two hours. And Vlasov agreed to the athletes’ offer not because he really wanted to drink: “I hardly knew them. I was even more moved by the invitation. Not from the need to drink - it’s a victory! This means that I belong to them – that’s also nice.”

We drank. We separated. No one seemed to notice anything. But they found out and reported. Vlasov was taken straight out of bed to the command court. “Long live our court - the most humane court in the world!” - after drinking a few glasses of cognac a week before the competition, they decided to petition the management to prohibit Vlasov from participating in the Games and send him home, and before making a final decision, as a warning to the athlete, declare a boycott. They tried, however, to “correct the situation”: “Name who you drank with,” the “judges” said, “and everything will be forgiven.” Vlasov, naturally, did not name anyone.

“...Lord, for one stupidity you will pay practically with your life, with its complete breakdown! It's wild! Back then, many careers were built on denunciations. Many were swept away from the path (from life too) by denunciations. They will be expelled from the party, driven out of the army - and scrape through life with a “wolf” characteristic. And be it an isolated incident! Lord, look around! What have forces been directed and exhausted towards in all decades: not to develop abilities, calm creation, but to overcome the environment, in other words, all these woodlice, this anger, envy, untruth ... "

To be or not to be... On the one hand - illness and stupid “violation of the sports regime”. On the other hand, Vlasov is in excellent form. His workouts attracted crowds of spectators and journalists. He tore, squeezed and pushed the barbell during these trainings, did not hide his strength for tactical reasons, showed everyone: “Here I am, I’m ready to fight, I’ll take the gold!” And then reports about these trainings appeared in all the leading sports newspapers in the world.

He was forgiven. No, not out of philanthropy, they say, “let’s forgive the guy a small sin.” “Gold” is what matters. “Gold” in the most prestigious weight category, the title of “the strongest man in the world.” In addition, the fight is with the Americans, the main ideological opponents. Suspend Vlasov, send him home? So, what is next? Of course, two American weightlifters will take advantage of this excellent opportunity and, in the absence of their main competitor and favorite, will compete for first place. No, this cannot be allowed...

Vlasov was invited to his place by the chairman of the USSR Sports Committee, Romanov. “Forget everything,” he told Yuri. – Don’t think about anything other than victory. They won't pull anymore. Get ready to perform..."

Finally... September 10, 1960. “A battle of colossi awaits us,” wrote Italian newspapers. The games are almost over, but the organizers have left the most interesting “for dessert” - the competition of heavyweight weightlifters, “the strongest people on the planet.” A huge crowd of spectators gathered at the Palazzeto dello Sport, where weightlifters competed.

Here comes Bob Hoffman and his “guys.” Americans are calm. It is unknown whether they know about Vlasov’s misadventures or not. And Yuri is nervous, waiting for the start of the competition: “...A damn half hour before warming up in the bench press. Test of strength ahead. Nothing is known until I try the weights. Now wait, wait. Don't let yourself burn. Don't think about the hardware. Yes, there, during the warm-up, I learn about strength. I’ll try myself with several approaches - and everything is clear. Have the new training techniques failed you? Didn’t the illness rock him?.. It wasn’t the confrontation with the scales that was the most difficult, but the waiting...”

Well, thank God, it has begun... The first exercise is the bench press. At first, those who did not particularly aspire to anything and solved their local problems took to the platform. The weight is slowly growing - 135, 140, 145 kg... This is not serious yet, the audience is bored. And many are just sleeping. It was a little late, the first athlete came out on the platform at nine in the evening. As soon as they wake up, they start making noise, drinking and snacking. And then they light up. There are a thousand cigarettes constantly smoking in the hall, it’s hot. Even though it was night outside, the Palazzetto dello Sport had not had time to cool down. The temperature is in the forties. Can you imagine how the athletes felt? In principle, it is possible. To do this, you need to lightly heat the bathhouse, invite a few friends, all light a cigarette together, and then take at least a two-pound weight and lift it a dozen or two times. The feeling will be simply “wonderful”...

The bench press is a unique exercise. Here a lot depends on the central judge, the so-called “fixer” (perhaps this is why in 1973 the bench press was excluded from the program of all official competitions, only the jerk and the push remain). In the bench press, the athlete must take the barbell to his chest and wait for the “clamp” to clap his hands. And this is where an unscrupulous judge has room for “activity.” He can voluntarily delay the pause after lifting the barbell to his chest. In this case, the athlete loses strength and may fail the attempt. In Rome, the central judge was the American Terpak. How will he behave when Vlasov, Bradford and Shemanski meet in a decisive battle? Won't he "squeeze" Soviet weightlifter? I also had to think about this and, no matter what, perform every attempt flawlessly...

Finally, the main forces entered the battle. Norbert Shemanski recorded 170 kg in the bench press. It was the turn of Bradford and Vlasov. Will someone take the lead? No in standings- dual power, Jim and Yuri squeezed 180 kg each.

After the bench press it became clear who would compete for medals. The Italian Pigaiani, who took fourth place in the bench press, was 17.5 kg behind Shemanski and, respectively, 27.5 kg behind Bradford and Vlasov. The three contenders seemed to have been decided, but which of these three would be the first?.. Vlasov was formally in the lead, since he was lighter than Bradford (122.7 kg versus 132.8). But even Shemanski still had a chance of winning, not to mention Bradford... Six months after the Rome Olympiad, the American team arrived in Moscow. Jim Bradford came to visit Vlasov. Yuri always respected the “Great Washingtonian”: “A great athlete, he didn’t fight in a petty way, he fought from the heart.” Several hours of frank conversation, of course, for the most part they recalled the Olympic competitions.

“Did you and Shemanski think about breaking me up in Rome? – Vlasov asked his opponent.

– Frankness for frankness. We thought, we hoped... Some people thought that you were still too young and inexperienced, that you would be punished by this, but... as you know, this did not happen. Frankly, I didn’t think that you would be able to bench press 180 kg.

“In training, I also pressed 185,” Vlasov answered, “and I must admit, the result of 180 kg, on the one hand, made me happy, since it was not inferior to yours, but on the other, it made me worry...”

“Worry” is an understatement. “Nerves were tense to the limit,” said Vlasov. – In the bench press, everything is not as expected. How much stronger I was in training! And easier, more manageable... Doubts paralyze with conviction, and conviction is weights taken. But where are they when you wait?.. During these hours the competitions are lost. Sometimes the surest victories. There, on the platform, one only notes what asserts itself earlier, when one is alone with oneself. It is not struggle that erases strength—thoughts. Between the bench press and the snatch I went through some hateful moments. And the temperature was happy and glowing. Torture!"

The Americans were the first to start the rush. Shemanski and Bradford immediately took 140 kg. Vlasov ordered 145 kg to begin with and grabbed the barbell very easily. The Americans also overcame the same weight, but they only had one attempt left, and Yuri had two. The ease with which Vlasov lifted 145 kg confused them. Bradford and Shemanski initially asked for 147.5 kg, but after a few minutes both of them, after a long meeting with their trainers, refused to approach this weight. Another 2.5 kg was added to the barbell standing on the platform. Both American athletes, not without difficulty, were able to lift 150 kg. Vlasov’s answer is 155. Before the last, push exercise, Yuri was 5 kg ahead of Bradford.

Push - Vlasov’s “crown”, the most favorite exercise. A year ago, at the World Championships in Warsaw, it was the push that allowed Yuri to make up for lost time in the bench press and snatch and get ahead of Bradford. But now Vlasov is ahead... Can we calm down? What peace there is! The very unpleasant memories of the European Championships in Milan, held four months before the Olympics, are still fresh in my memory. It would seem that Vlasov easily won that championship - in the triathlon he took 500 kg, the second prize-winner, Bulgarian Ivan Veselinov, was 40 kg behind him. But what a difficult victory it was! Yuri tried to push 185 kg twice, but both times he could not hold the barbell. And only in the third attempt, with great difficulty, “out of desperation,” as he himself said, he managed to lift the weight. And in Rome, Vlasov was going to start the clean and jerk with 185 kg. Moreover, despite winning the snatch, he was unpleasantly surprised good results Americans. “The fact that Bradford and Shemanski snatched 150 was like thunder,” Yuri Petrovich recalled. “I realized: the Americans are in brilliant shape.” What about Bradford, is he probably ready to fight?

“- Do you want to know what I was thinking these hour and a half (in the break between the jerk and the push . – Auth.)? – Bradford asked Vlasov during their meeting in Moscow.

- Certainly!

– Oddly enough, but after the bench press and snatch I laid down my arms. I realized: having no reserve, continuing to fight against Vlasov in the clean and jerk is a utopia. All I needed now was second place. I decided to push just enough so that Shemanski would not pass me. Seven hours of struggle were extremely exhausting..."

Yes, the “Great Washingtonian” is tired. A seven-hour race with iron in a stuffy, smoky room, sucking all the juices and nerves, will exhaust anyone, even such an athlete as Jim Bradford. On the second approach alone, he bench pressed 177.5 kg, less than he recorded in the bench press. With an incredible effort of will, Bradford lifted 182.5 kg in the third attempt. “The Great Washingtonian” did everything he could. He repeated Anderson's world record in triathlon total - 512.5 kg. And he would have become an Olympic champion if... If it weren’t for this blond Russian who came onto the platform after him. Bradford understood that Vlasov would take the weight, he couldn’t be stopped today...

The world record fell somehow even casually - the first attempt, no tension, Vlasov simply walked up to the bar and pushed it without visible effort. There is 520 kg in the triathlon total - the world record was exceeded by 7.5 kg. Bradford was resting; there was nothing he could do. But Norbert Shemanski still remained. In his first attempt, he cleaned 180 kg, and then missed the weights over and over again. Finally, Shemanski asked to bet 192.5 kg. If he takes it, he will take second place, and there is all hope for a third attempt. But no, Norbert approached the post twice, and both attempts were unsuccessful.

That's it, are the rivals behind? Yes, here at Palazzetto dello Sport Yuri has no more rivals. But Vlasov must resolve another long-standing dispute. Anderson! Already in his first attempt in the clean and jerk, Yuri surpassed the official world record for the triathlon total, but “little Paul” still had one last super result – 533 kg, a US record, the unofficial highest world achievement.

Vlasov is already an Olympic champion and world record holder, but he still had two attempts left. And he intends to use them to the fullest. Leave the room, feel sorry for yourself, make allowance for fatigue after seven hours of waiting and fighting? No, this is not Vlasov-style. Yuri asked to set the weight to 195 kg for the second attempt. A roar of surprise and delight swept through the hall. Eat! There are 195 kg in the clean and jerk and 530 kg in the triathlon! And Vlasov continued his fight, he no longer surprised, but shocked. The announcer's voice echoed throughout the hall: “Yuri Vlasov asks to set 202.5 kilograms.” Someone begins to applaud, but immediately from all sides they hear: “Quiet! Quiet!" That’s right, you can frighten away a miracle, you can’t now interfere with a person who is about to lift a weight that has not yet been conquered by anyone...

“I’m slowly gathering my strength,” Yuri Petrovich said about that historic attempt. – I carefully rub my neck and chest with magnesium so that the heavy bar does not slip off. How quiet it is around. It’s so quiet that, it seems, you can hear even in the tenth row how anxiously my heart beats, how my lungs inhale the hot, stuffy air. Rosin crunches deafeningly underfoot. And then everything moves away somewhere far away. Now the whole world has narrowed for me to the size of a barbell lying motionless on the platform. Well... The shell, hanging in the air for a moment, lands on my chest. Another effort... I stand up, staggering slightly under the record weight of the barbell. A few seconds pass. It's time! The barbell lifts off the chest on which it was resting and begins its upward movement. All this happens in a fraction of a second. Automatically, without conscious control, hands instantly pick her up and hold her... And suddenly, from somewhere far away, the volume grows louder and louder: “A-a-a-o-o!” Because of the noise, I can’t hear the command of the referee-fixer American Terpak. But I see his desperate go-ahead. The bar can be lowered. At that moment, when she falls onto the flooring, bending the boards, three white light bulbs flash at once above me. The attempt was counted unanimously by the judges. But it was approved by the audience. The hall roars with delight. And for me now there is no more beautiful music than this roar... Listening to it, I revel in it, peering into people’s faces. First, second, third rows... And beyond the sea of ​​raised hands, nothing is visible. And suddenly, unexpectedly pushing everyone aside, a man deftly jumped onto the stage, and other spectators rushed after him. Many hands reach out to me, squeeze me, push me. People I don't know kiss and hug me. A dream in reality! Drunk with irrepressible joy, I suddenly fly into the air and then fly down, just like in a dream. No, this is not a dream. These are people from different countries rejoicing at my victory. It was they who picked me up in their arms and carried me out of the hall...”

Something unimaginable was happening in the hall. Pushing the police aside, the crowd rushed onto the stage. Hundreds of hands reached out to Vlasov. People wanted to touch the “living god,” as if they thought that from this touch his incredible power would pass on to them. Even the musicians of the Italian military orchestra could not stand it. They are supposed to stand and at the appointed time play a solemn march in honor of the winner, but what kind of orders can there be, and even if there were at least a hundred generals in the Palazzetto dello Sport, they would still leave their seats and shout along with everyone else: “Bravo! Bravissimo!

What happened next looked more like the triumph of a Roman commander than the victory of a Soviet weightlifter. Imagine: three o'clock in the morning, sleeping Rome and a crowd of people with torches carrying Vlasov in their arms. The next day (more precisely, the same day, because the competition ended well after midnight) Vlasov was recognized on the streets, asked for an autograph, and listened to as if he were a prophet. And here’s how some media outlets spoke about him and his performance.

“Gazzetta dello Sport”: “Not to mention the strength and “technique”, what kind of will, courage and endurance Vlasov had to show in order to lift 202.5 kg in the clean and jerk at about three o’clock in the morning (after seven hours of intense, grueling competition) - a weight that no one else in the world can achieve. This is a heroic sporting feat..."

Agence France-Presse: “The hero of the last day of the weightlifting competition - and this day can rightfully be called the most brilliant of all - was the Russian hero Vlasov. It was he who inherited the golden Olympic laurels of the American “crane” Paul Anderson. Having set Olympic records in the bench press and snatch, Vlasov did even better. After he lifted 202.5 kg in magnificent style, the hall seemed to be gripped by a general frenzy. Dozens of spectators rushed onto the platform and solemnly carried away the Russian triumphant in their arms..."

Swedish newspaper “Idrottsbladet”: “Vlasov is young, harmoniously built, damn strong and also sparkles with intelligence... Vlasov is a sensation of sensations! His performance was so amazing, so fabulously extraordinary that no other event in the history of the Olympic Games can compare with it. In world sports, no one has ever been so great and unattainable. He is the epitome of a true athlete and a brilliant representative of his people.”

Even Bob Hoffman was not left out. It was hard to expect praise from anyone. But, on the other hand, Hoffman sincerely loved the “iron game.” And even if it wasn’t the American who won, how can one not admire what Vlasov did: “This is amazing! I am sure that Vlasov has not yet reached his “ceiling”. It wouldn’t surprise me if he soon makes 560–570 kilograms (that’s what happened . – Auth.). And most importantly, he is not a “robot”, but a real exemplary athlete who consciously and thoroughly comprehended the intricacies of the “iron game”.

“The ideal weightlifter of all times and peoples”, “the strongest man on Earth”, “an athlete from the 21st century” - Vlasov was not called anything after the Rome Olympics, no matter what titles were awarded. And quite rightly so. He deserved all these titles. For five years, from 1960 to 1964, he won everything - the world, European, USSR championships, all the competitions in which he took part. Vlasov seized power in the heavyweight division, and it seemed that he would not give it up to anyone until he decided to leave...

“Is that all?! I won’t see the hall, the glow of lights?! That's it, that's it now! I stepped to the window and threw the silver Olympic medal out the window. What kind of mocking reward is this? For all the years in the rage of searching, overcoming, the cruelty of struggle and mercilessness towards oneself - this is this, a silver circle on a mottled ribbon?! I renounced this award and did not recognize it.

I still remember this night clearly. The loneliness of this night. Black, squelching darkness outside the windows.

That night after the defeat...

I thought I was funny. How can one build the entire enormity of power alone, bend directly all the paths to power - and choke on it!

I denied fatigue as a weakness of spirit. I imbued strength, training with a sense of animation. I was inventing and inventing... I took this game of power too seriously. After all, for everyone it is just fun, pleasant hours watching TV or reading a sports newspaper. They pulled me by the cords of my pride - and I made faces in attempts to achieve records...”

“Take a closer look, Yura,” the coach told Vlasov. “This little crest is not a gift for you.” But Vlasov did not hear the coach. I didn't want to hear it. Who is Jabotinsky? “Number two”, they took it in Tokyo by accident. Vlasov was calm. He is the "strongest man on the planet" and will destroy anyone who dares to compete with him. And suddenly... For a long time, year after year, he built his castle, his world, and suddenly everything collapsed... crests are cunning...

Vlasov in Marienbad on March 2, on the way from Berlin to Carlsbad. gene. Vlasov visited the headquarters of the commander of the KONR Air Force. Together with gen. Vlasov was visited by the head of the Main Directorate of Propaganda, Lieutenant General G.N. Zhilenkov and SS Oberführer Kroeger. On the occasion of the arrival of guests,