Figure skater Alexander Zaitsev: biography, sporting achievements

What names, what surnames come up in memory at the mention of the name of the legendary Alexander Gennadievich Zaitsev, who was born on June 16, 1952 in Leningrad! This is Irina Rodnina, and Stanislav Zhuk, and Tatyana Tarasova! And what achievements! Two-time Olympic champion (Innsbruck 1976, Lake Plessid 1980), six-time world champion (1973-1978), seven-time European champion (1973-1978, 1980)!

Start

In those years, when Alexander Zaitsev began to study, there were no indoor ice rinks with artificial ice. Winter in Leningrad, where the skater started, is short and rainy. The main part of training in the spring and summer took place in tennis and athletics. Classes with Stanislav Zhuk began with a misunderstanding: the coach always shouted at the figure skater. Alexander Zaitsev decided that he did not fit until they explained to him that Zhuk was deaf. Yes, and getting carried away with work, he very much demanded from his students - honed technology in the first place. The beetle looked after Zaitsev, when Rodnina was still riding with Ulanova. But the coach constantly beckoned to Alexander and all the time he was prompted. In solo skating other approaches to rotation: the skater and jumps, and rotates in one direction, and in pair skating, which Alexander Zaitsev later took up, the requirements are completely different.

Creating a new pair

Like a bolt from the blue in 1972, Stanislav Zhuk was told that Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev are now a couple. And twirled! It was necessary to work from one spot to the next: take and raise a partner, do all the elements. Incredible challenges - all at once. But Sasha was a very gifted person, not to mention persistence and dedication. The beetle gave only two weeks for "lapping": if it works, they will work, no - there will be another pair. The main thing is to find out everything, and if the pair works quickly, show it to the leaders. And there was a simple daily training, and in the stands there was a leadership that Alexander Zaitsev did not know in person and so he rode quietly. Management admired and approved. So there was a new pair.

Difficulties

For Irina, all the elements were familiar and worked out, but Sasha's first year was incredibly difficult. For the whole three hours we were engaged only in sliding, and then steps, movements, elements. After training, my leg cramps. I woke up in the winter, it was dark outside, I did not understand whether it was morning or evening. The ascent was at six in the morning. There is no place to eat. Only dumplings opened in 7ᴼᴼ (for four years of ravioli, he ate for life). By eight in the morning I was going to warm up, the training started at 9. I got up, went to train, came, fell and slept, and in the evening - the second training. After the evening training, too, there was nowhere to eat. Only one restaurant on the "Falcon" closed late. Sasha ordered himself what was left.

He did not have any indulgences. An ideal technique was required. But he was a wonderful partner: Ira only stretched out her hand, not looking back, but he was already picking it up and with him felt the power. And skating was in the style of the Beetle - vortex. The beetle was forged from a very capable young man of the Figurist, extremely technical, for only the technique was the true criterion for objective assessments. Artistry everyone could understand in their own way, and the technique - is visible as in the palm of your hand, you can not overtake it as you like: either it is, or it is not. She was completely mastered by Alexander Zaitsev, a figure skater from God.

Paired with Rodnina

Unexpectedly appeared at a very beloved Rodnina, a new tall, handsome, talented partner immediately won the hearts of both spectators and judges. Their first general performance in Bratislava in 1973 was simply terrible. During the music stopped music. It became quiet, it was only audible how the skates cut the ice. The skaters drew their program as if nothing had happened. The audience applauded frantically, and the judges all put the highest score as one . Then it became known that the disconnection of music was special, for failure. So for the first time together they became champions.

Marriage

They first made friends. Sasha had a wonderful sense of humor, which even Zhvanetsky noted. And then friendship grew into a family life. They were married in 1975. Alexander Zaytsev (photo presented in the article) was a very light character on the ice, and in life, which saved both offenses and quarrels.
In 1979, Rodnina felt unwell. It turned out that it was a long-awaited pregnancy. The joy of future parents was not the end. They had a son, Sasha (now he is an artist, he lived in America for a long time, and then he returned to Moscow, in 2008 his daughter Sofia was born). Therefore in 1979 the couple did not perform. Irina had to recover after the birth and re-enter the world of big sports with his crazy loads. Two (!) Months later she returned to the ice.

Since 1976 - with Tatyana Tarasova

At the World Championships in 1978 in Ottawa, the world first saw "Kalinka-Malinka". And ahead - the Olympics in Lake Placid in 1980, where they want to win, but what is there - just sure, American athletes. After all, Zaitsev and Rodnina missed the year because of the birth of a child. In the press and on TV there was an article for an article, a speech after a speech, where it was said that gold does not shine for the Soviet couple. He was already "won" by the Americans. But at the competitions themselves, the Americans suddenly began to fall, and then the partner fled altogether from the ice. Complete failure. Our speeches were brilliant.
This was their best performance in their entire history. The audience applauded standing up. Zaitsev laid out so much that he almost lost consciousness, and Ira on the pedestal cried. But in 1980 they stopped performing together, and not only the sports couple broke up, but also the family. In 1985 they divorced, but always remained friends.

After leaving the big sport

First, Alexander Zaitsev worked in the Sports Committee. Then he began work as a coach in Moscow, in "Dynamo". Were picked up by talented athletes of different ages. It was very interesting. But perestroika came. There was no money, and despite the sponsorship, everything fell apart. Someone went to the show, someone - to the ballet, someone left for America. So did not become in the "Dynamo" figure skating. After the departure of the students had to look for work abroad. He was so tired of figure skating that after retiring from sports 5 years did not get up on skates. Then he worked as a coach, but fully laid out as a skater, Alexander could not with the same fervor to give coaching. He fully realized himself and now he simply gave his experience in different countries and on different continents: in Australia, Italy, England, Austria, Turkey, the USA. Repeatedly came to America and worked as a trainer on ice rinks in Lake Arrowhead, in Colorado Springs, in Detroit. He trains all - both pensioners and kids. Champions do not prepare. He just earns his bread honestly. In Moscow, too, visits Alexander Zaitsev. The biography did not end. Life with its joys and sorrows continues.

His sports awards will always remain in the history of sport, especially since all of them are golden.