People who have impressed us at the II SportAccord World Games SAMBO Tournament

Medals found their owners, and the Tournament became a story. But this story would be incomplete without some interesting details and surprising nuances. The FIAS website kept close tabs on everything that happened on SAMBO mats and near them. Please note – people who have impressed us at the SAMBO Tournament of the II SportAccord World Combat Games.

Elena Bondareva

At the SportAccord Games the Russian SAMBO athlete not only fought for the “gold” of the Tournament, but was able to gain revenge for a half-year defeat. At the May European Championship in Italy she yielded the final duel meet to the Bulgarian Galya Ivanova. And in October the rivals, already familiar to each other, met again in the determinant fight – this time in St. Petersburg. Elena Bondareva’s words became the outcome of the meeting:

– It’s doubly pleasant that I managed to overcome the rival from Bulgaria Galya Ivanova. Unfortunately I yielded to her at the European Championship. Today I managed to gain revenge. I want to thank my coach Sergey Nikolayevich Bereznev. We’re working in tandem – he is a head, and I’m legs.

Fedor Emelianenko

The SAMBO Ambassador’s program of a stay at the II SportAccord World Combat Games appeared to be incredibly intense. As early as on the first day, he participated in three official opening ceremonies. First, he made a word of salutation at the VI International Congress “Sport, Human, Health”, then he went to the Arena Sports Complex to give a speech at the opening of the Games SAMBO Tournament, and in the evening he participated in the Solemn Opening of the II SportAccord World Combat Games.

Despite the busy schedule and need to travel long distances in Petersburg jams, Fedor got around to talk with his numerous fans. The autograph signing session was organized at the exhibition stand of the International SAMBO Federation, where the legendary athlete signed and donated copies of the book “SAMBO is the science of winning” to his fans, which he co-wrote with Vasily Shestakov and Svetlana Eregina. By the way, this book has been recently translated into English.

A volunteer Anna

If Fedor Emilianenko was accustomed to dispense autographs, the majority of other SAMBO athletes are rarely involved in such procedures. When the Belarusian athlete Alexander Vakhovyak was in anticipation of the Victory Ceremony after the bronze duel meet, victorious for him, he was approached by one of the volunteers and asked for an autograph. Alexander was pleasantly surprised and signed carefully in her notebook, leaving good wishes “for Anna”.

We asked the girl why she chose the Belarusian SAMBO athlete. And the volunteer Anna answered: “It’s my hobby to collect athletes’ autographs. Many SAMBO athletes have already signed in my notebook. The only thing is that for some reason they are very surprised when I ask them to sign an autograph”.

Ivan Vasilchuk and Emin Sheyhislamov

The finalists in the weight category of up to 90 kg surprised each other a lot. The Ukrainian Vasilchuk, answering the question, by what the Canadian SAMBO athlete Sheyhislamov surprised him, said the following: “The fact that he qualified for the final. He was in a tough group, the rivals included strong guys from Russia and Kazakhstan. I didn’t expect to see the Canadian in the final duel meet.”

As for the Maple Leaf country’s representatives, he was surprised to the rival’s technique. “I didn’t know that painful leg locks can be done without hands, so I even didn’t have time to do anything during the duel meet”, – said Emin Sheyhislamov.

 

“I applied home best practice, it helped. But I won’t reveal the secrets for the future rivals to be more difficult,” – answered Ivan Vasilchuk, the “gold” owner of the II SportAccord World Combat Games.”

 

Ivan Morozov and Alexander Perepelyuk

 

The FIAS Demonstrative Group introduced SAMBO as a sport at the Solemn Opening Ceremony of the Games. A beautiful and spectacular show of SAMBO athletes Ivan Morozov and Alexander Perepelyuk was the final point of the exciting show, during which each sport was presented to the audience. It is after the end of Perepelyuk and Morozov’s performance the SportAccord flag was hoisted.

 

“We rehearsed every day from early morning until late at night, – says Ivan Morozov. – We honed every movement, concurrence of actions with other participants of the show – tried to do our best to please the audience”.

 

Yury Mikhailov

 

SAMBO fans still remember this colorful man as back as from the 2012 World Cup in Minsk. The veteran of the Great Patriotic War is engaged in patriotic education of young people in Belarus and instills students a love of sports. Yury Mikhailov relates to SAMBO in a special way, which he considers one of the best applied and universal sports for everyone. Of course, the veteran couldn’t miss the SportAccord Games, where he became one of the most attentive spectators of the SAMBO Tournament.

 

Acop Arakelyan

 

Guests also came from a distance to support the Armenian heavyweight Acop Arakelyan. When the SAMBO athlete went to the mat in the final duel meet with the Russian Evgeny Isaev, a group of spectators with the Armenian flag in the stands gave him such a noise support that howled down the whole gym. Only a few moments later the Russian stands answered by stentorious “Rus-sia”, having howled down the Armenian SAMBO athlete’s cheerleading squad.

 

After the meeting Acop Arakelyan said: “I couldn’t perform poorly in St. Petersburg: here my sister lives and a lot of my relatives came to cheer for me. I thank them a lot for the support from the stands. This is my second major success after the medal at the Universiade in Kazan”.

 

Marina Mohnatkina and Vitaly Mutko

 

The victory by a painful lock in a matter of seconds – the Russian SAMBO athlete Marina Mohnatkina never ceases to amaze the audience by such results. At the end of the 2013 Universiade in Kazan it took 20 seconds for Marina to decide the outcome of the meeting in her favor, and in the determinant fight at the SportAccord Games in St. Petersburg 13 seconds were enough for her to win.

 

During the commemoration of the champion Vitaly Mutko, Minister of Sports, asked her not to hurry so next time. “I was driving to the Arena in traffic jams for one and half hour to cheer for Marina, and she has finished all for 13 seconds. I hope, next time Marina will let me enjoy her performance longer.

 

Laura Fournier

 

The French SAMBO athlete Laura Fournier reached the top step of the podium at the international competitions literally step by step. The “bronze” of the 2012 World Cup, “silver” of the European Championship in 2013, “silver” of the 2013 Universiade and now, finally, the “gold” at the II SportAccord World Combat Games. Looking at the French flag being raised in her honor, Laura sang the “Marseillaise” with extraordinary pleasure and joy.

 

“I was going to this victory for a long time” – comes through she immediately afterwards. – I often sang the “Marseillaise”, looking at the French athletes at the highest step of the podium. Today, for the first time the anthem sounded in my honor. I want to repeat my success at the upcoming World Championship. Let rivals dream of revenge, I intend only to win!”

 

Prepared by Alexander Solomakhin

www.sambo.sport