Alexander Vasilievich Medved was born September 16, 1937 in the small Ukrainian town of Belaya Tserkov (Kyiv region). His father was a forester, which, of course, left a corresponding imprint on physical development. Bear Jr.: already in his boyhood years Sasha overcame several tens (!) kilometers a day, keeping up with the parent during his regular rounds of the site. It was an excellent foundation for further development of endurance and strength endurance. The guy grew up strong, tightly knocked down. His height was high, but there were no hints of a disproportionate figure and there was not close - excellent quality. Strength Bear is a special topic. From an early age Sasha he joined the hard peasant labor, but, however, did not experience any particular difficulties, since nature endowed him with remarkable strength. About people like him, people sometimes say this: "Two-core!" Where others were exhausted, he continued to work as if nothing had happened. Later, this quality manifested itself on the wrestling mat. This most remarkable force left its mark on his character: when necessary, Bear he was very aggressive, and very often, without even thinking about the consequences, he got involved in all kinds of street brawls and almost always came out of them as a winner. Gotta give back Alexander due - he observed his code of honor: unlike many street guys, he was never the first to get into a fight and always stood up for the weak. They looked for protection and justice from him and did not know the refusal of this. Sport Bear loved since childhood, however, it was precisely because of his excellent initial data that for a very long time he could not decide on a sports priority: he tried himself and showed himself in many forms - and everywhere he succeeded. Among his youthful passions were football, and basketball, and Athletics, and swimming, and boxing, and wrestling.
But really, as they say, finally and irrevocably Alexander surrendered to the fight only in the army, and even then not immediately. The command could not fail to notice that the soldier-athlete Bear was multi-talented. It was very convenient for such a fighter to plug holes in all kinds of army sports. As they say: "In one fell swoop of seven beatings!" Everywhere - on the football field, and on the basketball court, and at the athletics stadium - he successfully defended the honor of his unit. He began to fight - already more seriously. Alexander Ushakov describes the army parish in this way Bear to wrestling in his work "One Hundred Great Athletes of the 20th Century. Bear":
“Lieutenant Kotsegub was nervous. Still would! Serious competitions were approaching, and he never had a worthy sparring partner. And is it necessary to describe his joy when he saw this tall and, apparently, very strong guy among the recruits. "Try to hold out as long as possible," he admonished the young soldier, "I need to feel the load!" But, as it soon became clear, he himself had to hold on, because his newly minted sparring partner grabbed him with incredible force and ... pressed him to the carpet. "Well, strength!" exclaimed in astonishment, getting up from the carpet, "felt the same load" Kotsegub. - Downright bearish! "And he is the Bear!" - grinned one of the soldiers watching the battle and, noticing the lieutenant's puzzled look, explained: "He has such a surname!" "Well, Bear, so Bear!" - the lieutenant shook his head thoughtfully, already perfectly understanding who should compete ... "
And now it's time to say your word to His Majesty Chance. A month after the meeting with Lieutenant Kotsegub Bear went to wrestling matches. And fortunately for him, the famous coach Pavel Vasilievich Grigoriev arrived at the same competition. The experienced wrestling eye of Grigoriev saw the remarkable data of a young soldier: an instant reaction, with the dimensions of a light heavyweight (at that time) - the mobility of a lightweight, impressive performance and endurance, enviable will and determination, natural coordination. High growth and, in general, as they simply say in the boxing and wrestling environment, "reinforcement" or "frame", made it possible to see in Medved future powerful heavyweight. The structure of his muscle tissue was amazing: it uniquely combined the ability to work both in an explosive manner and in a prolonged manner, which is simply an invaluable quality for wrestling. In addition, the muscles filled the entire length of the bones of a tall Alexandra, which made it just a matter of time to move to the heavyweights: it was a real pleasure to build mass on such bones and such muscles, and the athlete did not become like a crab and did not lose the flexibility and mobility of the joints. But the most important quality Alexander Medveda- true fighting character! Well, you didn't have to be Grigoriev to understand, looking at this miracle of nature: in front of you is a potential Champion! So, at the suggestion of Grigoriev, the wrestling path was chosen by the future champion once and for all.
After the army Bear entered the Belarusian State Institute physical culture In Minsk. Since 1959, another luminary of wrestling also began to work with him - the eminent coach Boleslav Mikhailovich Rybalko. Already in 
In 1961, the young wrestler won the national title. But this title did not fall on him from the "bay-floundering" - for this he had to go through the most serious trials. The composition of the individual championship in heavyweight was more than representative: in total - twenty-one contenders for "gold"! Among them are such luminaries of the wrestling mat as the Tbilisi wrestlers Kiknadze and Kandelaki, the medalist of the Roman Olympics Dzarasov and the brilliant carpet master from Moscow Ivanitsky - such bison of the carpet just like that, they will not let you into your company for "healthy life"! After three laps, it became clear that another contender had a justified claim to victory - Kandelaki lost to him on points, Kiknadze lost “outright”, the young wrestler Khitarishvili held out under the onslaught of attacks from Minsk for just over four minutes, could not “clearly” resist Alexander and Almaty resident Aikhanov. milestone for Alexandra was his duel with Alexander Ivanitsky - the brightest freestyle wrestler of that time. Bear won and after the fifth round became the leader. (An indicative moment: they became friends with the namesake! As they say, the guys respected each other, respected and refuted the proverb that two tigers are always crowded in the same cave. On the carpet - yes, irreconcilable rivals, but outside it - real friends. It seemed would be logical: one can rise to the pinnacle of glory only by defeating another contender.Contrary to this seemingly indisputable rule, the two Alexanders not only "coexisted" in the same sport for several years, but also became famous!Plus, they showed the world an example of a real male friendship. Nature endowed them generously: the height of both - under 190 cm, weight - about "hundred". Both are demanding of themselves to the point of ruthlessness. In addition to this, the friends also trained together, so that the "arsenal" of each other's techniques was studied by them And at the All-Union competitions, their fights usually did not give anyone a tangible advantage. Very often their meetings ended in a draw. As for winning the gold medals of the championships 
Soviet Union, so it went with varying success - the highest title went to one or the other athlete). But what about Dzarasov? He has three clean wins in four meetings. Then - a draw in a duel with Aykhanov. Only three penalty points. At Bear- also three. Ahead is a fight with Shahinyan from Yerevan. Her result is a clear victory. Dzarasov was free in this circle. He was getting ready to fight Alexander. The seventh circle put everything in its place. fight Bear and Dzarasova ended in a draw, but this draw brought the coveted "gold" of the USSR individual championship to our hero. The second place - at Dzarasova, "bronze" - at Ivanitsky. The coaching council decides: he is going to Japan for the World Cup.
At this first World Championship in Tokyo (1961) Bear tasted a bitter pill from the German Dietrich. He used a tactic that reminded me of one of the demonstration hockey matches between the USSR and Czechoslovakia: our rivals, having scored one single goal, did not hesitate to demonstrate the apotheosis of the most closed hockey after that. So Dietrich, in a fight with the Bear, having scored one single point, went into a dead defense and did not let himself or his opponent fight. Because of this, our hero, who easily figured out before Dietrich with all his opponents, was forced to be content with only "bronze". Well - the experience is bitter, but useful, and the Bear made the appropriate conclusions!
Period 1962-65 is a period Bear- light heavyweight, Bear- the winner! His results: victory at the World Championships in Toledo (1962), victory at the World Championships in Sofia (1963), victory at the Olympic Games in Tokyo (1964). It is impossible to leave you without details, without the background of Alexander Medved's trip to the 1962 World Cup. The bottom line is this: the USSR national team had two excellent heavyweight wrestlers (I repeat: Bear and his namesake friend Ivanitsky), one of whom was supposed to ... take away the gold medal from the other. But there was no worthy "light heavyweight"! What to do? “Well, since it’s necessary for the team, I’ll try to lose weight,” said Bear. - I still 
a little lighter than the namesake - I will have to lose less!" Of course, he risked! More than! Those who "drove" weight are well aware of what unexpected consequences the loss of a few familiar kilograms could turn into (remember, at least, the famous “puncture” of weightlifter David Rigert, who in the same way cut weight from “hundreds” to 90 kilograms in order to switch from “strands” to “light heavyweights”! they knew him, albeit without 10 kilograms, but his pale shadow!). Yes, not everyone would dare to take such a noble and at the same time risky step! And another point: there were more worthy rivals in the light heavyweight. But Alexander made up my mind. The coaches breathed a sigh of relief: potential gold medals in the two most prestigious categories and a possible victory in the team standings loomed on the horizon.
Endurance and Courage Award Bear received in the American town of Toledo. It so happened that on the final day of the tournament he had to fight four fights. And he already injured his knee in the first of them ... I had to pull on the knee brace. What does it mean? - The pain subsided, but it became obvious to the opponents that the impudent newcomer was no longer in the best combat shape. Nonetheless, Bear defeated the Turkish hero Agla, defeated the American Gorang. Oh, how difficult these victories were! But there was nowhere to retreat, since the famous Iranian light heavyweight Takhti broke through to the final at the same time, defeating all rivals. Both of them approached the final fight with only a penalty point.
No, this meeting did not become an ornament of the tournament. It was not exciting and did not abound with spectacular tricks: the Iranian, who already possessed the titles of the champion of the Melbourne Olympics and two world championships, was frankly afraid of his mighty opponent and strove for one thing - not to lose at all costs. He was forced to use the tactics of withdrawing into a deaf defense. Bear but he was not interested in which of them was lighter - the fighting character called him to victory. But here is a draw. However, Takhti did not have to rejoice. When the reshuffle took place, it turned out that Bear in a grueling meeting, he lost almost a kilogram (the arrow of the scales stopped near the “95” mark) and turned out to be lighter than his opponent! The gold medal went to the Soviet athlete.
It is curious that subsequently (a few months later) Alexander I had a chance to win against Gholamreza Takhti, moreover, speaking in his homeland, in Iran, where the whole audience was furiously rooting for his favorite. Bear won so convincingly that he made the Iranian public treat him with great respect.
This episode also needs to be detailed. First, let's take a tour of history. Honored Master of Sports, Honored Coach of the USSR and Russia Yuri Ovanesovich "Shah" "Professor of Wrestling" Shakhmuradov tells: "I have visited many countries of the world, but one of them will always hold a special place in my soul. This is Iran. People there love wrestling to the point of madness! I won the Ariyamehr international tournament in Tehran several times, which was held under the patronage of the Iranian Shah. It was more than 30 years ago, but they still remember me there! I don’t want to say that I was such a great wrestler, no. But I always tried to fight beautifully, and in Iran they really appreciate it. You can be a world champion, but they will forget about it. But if you show a beautiful wrestling, they will remember it for a very long time. The Iranians do not follow the saying at all: "Do not create an idol for yourself." They consider wrestlers to be celestials. And the 1956 Olympic champion, two-time champion the world of Gholamreza Takhti was a living god for them. Once in Tehran, a meeting between the national teams of the USSR and Iran took place. The Shah enters, who, by the way, was a big fan of sports. The hall rises, bursts into applause. After 15 minutes, Takhti appears in the hall. And he gets much more applause than the Shah. After that, the shah gets up and leaves the palace.". And in this very Iran, where wrestling is a real cult, Alexander fought with this most iconic Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti, champion of the Melbourne Olympics, two-time world champion. Takhti was especially famous for the fact that at home he did not lose a single fight. He was a real national pride. The Iranians said: "Let all our wrestlers lose, we will bear it, but Takhti cannot lose!" This time, Tahti did not risk a passive struggle in front of thousands of fans who idolized him. He was forced to fight much more actively and ... lost! Lost so that in a clear advantage Bear no one doubted! Historical fact: when won Bear the hall cried. But the Iranians recognized the Soviet fighter, he forced himself to be respected. Yes, this man deserves the highest respect. In everything and, above all, in sports, he was always honest to the point of scrupulousness. And he always remained a fighter in the most direct, original sense of the word. He always believed in his victory. Bear believed that without this desire to go forward and only forward, sports are not even worth doing.
One of his signature commandments was: "Always believe in yourself and in your victory, that is, fight to the end!" In one of the numerous interviews, he explained what meaning he puts into this phrase: “I never gave in to anyone, no matter how strong my opponent was, I never left the mat in my life, I didn’t give up. When an athlete gives up, he’s not a wrestler. it should not be given to the sport what we are giving away. Maybe my opinion is too harsh, categorical, but I say what I think". And again it is difficult to refrain from comparisons-juxtapositions. There was such a famous fighter Benny Urquides (his own weight fluctuated around the mark "75 kg."). He was a real martial arts star! He formulated his credo as follows: “I didn’t care how much my opponent weighed, how tall he was! Even if he weighed 100 kilograms, he still ended up on the floor! I saw the target, and nothing could convince me that it impossible to "take"!
Few could hold out against the Belarusian hero for the time allotted for the fight. It is no coincidence that a somewhat gloomy pun appeared among the light heavyweight wrestlers: "With Bear a man can not cope! "The athletes who were in the iron embrace of the Belarusian wrestler knew what they were talking about! Brilliant technique, amazing endurance and enormous strength, multiplied by amazing determination and will, sometimes allowed him to effortlessly deal with even the most eminent wrestlers. He really is like would justify his "terrible" surname. Anyone who has ever seen Alexander Medveda“in action”, no longer confuse him with anyone: with a soft, elastic step, approaching his opponent, he rushed into an unstoppable attack. Sometimes, having brought down a cascade of tricks on a partner, Alexander so exhausted that the resistance turned out to be broken within two or three minutes after the start of the duel. He himself did not seem to be tired. And, of course, all these qualities were especially evident in those days when the wrestlers had to fight several difficult fights. And at a time when his rivals seemed squeezed like a lemon, Bear in his best years, he looked like he had just started wrestling!
For my first Olympics in Tokyo Alexander rode the main favorite. He very confidently won one fight after another, a draw was recorded only in a fight Bear with Turk Ayik. And it was here that what his coaches were so afraid of happened: without meeting worthy resistance, he so believed in his and in fact a huge advantage over his rivals that he almost lost to the Swede Erickson, moreover, Erickson was far from being in the best position. form. Rebuilding in a different way in such important competitions is a serious test for the psyche and will of an athlete, everyone who plunged into 
big sport environment. The Swede literally tormented Alexandra. How he must have cursed himself when Erickson was already almost "pressing" him. Surely in those seconds he gave himself a vow: " Bear! Always respect any opponent! "He followed this commandment all his life! In that fight he showed gigantic will and self-control! He won! True, his face did not radiate much joy after this fight. Yes, the Olympics are the Olympics, and, indeed, In no case should we forget about eternal wisdom: any opponent entering the Olympic carpet should be treated with due respect. Bear drew the appropriate conclusions from the Tokyo-Ericksonian lesson: at the world championships that followed Tokyo, he never allowed himself to relax and did not give his rivals a single chance to win.
After the Tokyo Olympics Bear rushed to win everything that can be won in the most prestigious heavyweight division. (Note again that Bear wandered from one category to another for the sake of a friend. Alexander Ivanitsky retired from sports in 1966, and then his legendary namesake finally settled in heavyweights).
Period 1966-72 is an era Alexander Medveda! No exaggeration! This is the era Alexander Medveda! He was an undefeated fighter: five times in a row Bear won the national championships (1966-70), three times won the European championships (1966, 1968, 1972), five times (!) won the world championships (1966-67, 1969-71). In 1968 he won the Olympic wrestling tournament in Mexico City. Where did Shakespeare go with his stories? That's where the true drama and storm of passions! Mexico City, where Bear went for the second Olympic gold, became a serious test for him. The unfamiliar climate affected him in the most unpleasant way, and, having barely found himself in the capital of Mexico, Bear felt so bad that the coaches even began to think about replacing him. Only the athlete himself was against this kind of exit, counting on the fact that the rivals, who did not know what state he was in, would still be afraid of him. Malaise Alexandra concealed in the most careful way. The fact that he was seriously ill in Mexico City was spoken in a low voice, in a low voice. At the Olympics itself, only a narrow circle of initiates knew about this. And calculations Bear had very good reasons: by that time, many wrestlers did not even think of straining themselves in the fight against him and saved their strength for subsequent fights. It is difficult to say whether the fear of the invincible wrestler played a role this time as well, but Bear without much difficulty he defeated his rivals even in the disassembled state in which he was then. And he added heat with acting, will and self-control: deprived, perhaps, of his main weapon, he with all his appearance - before the fight, after it, in front of opponents - defiantly emphasized his iridescent mood, confidence in victory. He walked with his shoulders wide, he was affable and friendly. Smiled. Smiled. Smiled. Not a shadow of doubt, uncertainty! On the mat, as usual, the first one took a step towards his opponents. Those, knowing from bitter experience the power of his attacks and swiftness, backed away, went into a deaf defense. It even seemed that some of them, "saving" their strength in their own way, closing their eyes from fear, themselves climbed into his grip, hoping to quickly end this "nightmare" called " Bear". Yes, iron - precisely iron (!) - will and the enormous responsibility that lay on him mobilized all his shaky forces, and he, as before, easily beat his counterparts. But in the final Alexandra his offender in Rome, the German Wilfried Dietrich, was waiting for him. And give this guy 
tribute: unlike other wrestlers, he was not afraid Bear and was determined to fight to the last, fortunately, that he had enough skill and will! Dietrich studied the style of wrestling well Bear and decided to beat Alexandra with his own weapons. And as soon as the referee's whistle sounded, he rushed into a desperate attack. The second hand ran only a circle around the dial when the wrestlers fell to the carpet. At the moment of falling, a terrible crunch sounded throughout the hall. Dietrich did not understand where this crunch came from, and began to examine himself all over - in the heat of a duel, sometimes you don’t feel pain from an injury. Both wrestlers stopped the fight, and the referee, recollecting himself, whistled only when Wilfried saw that the thumb of his right hand Bear unnaturally curved, sticking out to the side. Trainers Bear also saw with horror his mutilated thumb. ""OK it's all over Now!" - probably all the representatives of the Soviet team flashed the same terrible thought. - Now it will be removed! The end! " And they were absolutely right: it was not something to fight with such an injury - the dishes could not be washed! And how could one resist a powerful and only winning opponent with one left hand? The doctors began to fuss, sorting through the dressings. But they were too late, because Alexander he thought differently: in front of the shocked spectators, he himself set his joint with almost the same crunch and, as if nothing had happened, looked at the judge, as if inviting him to continue the fight. The judge is dumbfounded! Sight Bear said: "Such trifles as a dislocation of a finger do not bother me much!" Shrugging his shoulders in bewilderment and dumbfounded, he gave a whistle, and Alexander went to the German, showing him that his stamina and ability to overcome pain is not inferior to the legendary Spartans. It is difficult to say why Dietrich himself was confused, but he was confused! From that moment on, he seemed to have been changed. Decisive and tough, he unexpectedly turned into some kind of completely amorphous body. After the attack Bear he limped in his legs and ... withdrew from the competition!
Yes, he became an Olympic champion that year, but only he and his doctors knew what the nervous and physical overloads cost him in high-altitude Mexico City, because immediately after returning home he began to have health problems. Excessive stress, work at the limit did not pass without a trace: Bear there was a violation of cardiovascular activity, increased blood pressure. Doctors, of course, advised the great wrestler to leave the sport, but Alexander(how many times already!) demonstrated that for a person who wished to become a three-time Olympic champion, nothing is and cannot be impossible! And when, after Mexico City, he won three world championships in a row, the doctors watching him only shrugged.
Four years later Bear repeated his outstanding Olympic achievement in Munich! He was already 35 years old, but it was Bear! At the opening of the games, it was he who carried the national flag - it has always been, is and will be a manifestation of the highest respect. He said his unique word here too: he carried the flag, holding the staff with one hand! Remember how long it takes to walk through the stadium, and evaluate strength endurance this unique! So Alexander became the initiator of this special, "our" chic. And the fights! Oh, it was something! …
... Let's make a small digression. It cannot be emphasized that Bear- not only an outstanding wrestler, but also a PERSON, THE IMPLEMENTATION of a new type of wrestler! What are we talking about? Anyone who is at least a little interested in sports knows that the wrestlers of the last - heavy - weight category are mostly BEFORE Alexander Medveda looked heavy, and often resembled such monsters: with an impressive fat layer, simply with a more than noticeable belly. There could be no talk of muscle relief. It was believed that a wrestler needed this kind of mass in order to defeat opponents. Bear he showed the world a wrestler of a completely different anthropometry and proved that it was not at all necessary to chase after the ballast mass: he was "dry", nothing hung or dangled on him, he was all like a glove, knocked down from dense, hard muscles. His physique resembled Greek sculptures. He had an almost bodybuilding beauty of muscles. (In the 90s, this idea was perfected by another wrestling genius - Alexander Karelin: amazing muscles with an absolute minimum of fat. With such a percentage of "net" and "gross" as he has, bodybuilders enter the competitive platform!) And, by the way, an analogy with Yuri Vlasov suggests itself: Vlasov did the same in weightlifting. Before Yuri Vlasov, there were no beautiful, athletic, fit weightlifters in the heavyweight category. Athletes climbed onto the platform, some of whom, due to their fullness (simply because of their voluminous belly), were not able to tie weights on their own. Vlasov, like Bear, proved that in order to win it is not at all necessary to have a stomach, along which its neck strikes during the lifting of the bar. So, when - famously, powerfully and, at the same time, technically and even elegantly and beautifully - imprinted such a voluminous, massive, oversized opponent to the carpet, the hall exploded with delight. The ability to captivate the audience Bear was unmatched! …
... But let's get back to the Munich wrestling mat. decided to leave the sport after the third Olympics, but he could only leave the mat undefeated - as befits a true Champion! The Munich tournament has started for Bear hard: the American Chris Taylor, the champion of the Olympics in his own weight, came out against him (data on his weight vary slightly and lie in the range of 187-200 kg.!). To Munich Alexander I met with this elephant-like American three times: I won two fights, a draw was recorded in one. olympic bout Bear and Taylor was heavy to the point of being dramatic for our hero. Later, the three-time Olympic champion himself said:
“I prepared in advance for the meeting with Taylor. True, it turned out to be impossible to find suitable sparring partners for training who could “model” an American. After all, despite such a powerful physique, he is both mobile and flexible, and keeps his balance well. I remember how in one of the previous fights, I hurried in the first minute to throw myself at Taylor's feet, intending to knock him down. repeated here, at the Olympics, my coach Boleslav Mikhailovich Rybalko and I decided in the first and second periods to increase the pace as much as possible, wear down the enemy, and then attack him at full strength with our favorite combination - following the threat of grabbing the shoulder and neck, cut the legs ". Bear, whose own weight in that fight was 114 kg. (evaluate the difference with almost two hundred kilogram Taylor!), he did just that: after numerous distracting maneuvers, he hooked Chris's legs, turned the fight to the ground and won it with an advantage of one point. And again he had to show his fantastic will and ability to endure: the American monster injured Alexander shoulder ... Then he had to fight, as they say, at will and injections. Lord, how much will this Man had?! With what arshin can it be measured?
After that, the hero of the Soviet team won against old rivals - the Turk G. Yilmaza and V. Dietrich from Germany. The last meeting was with an old friend and rival, Bulgarian Osman Duraliev. Bear even a draw was fine. But this is the last fight. And only the final chord of his magnificent sports career should have been victorious. And Alexander remained true to himself until the last moment - boldly fought a sharp duel replete with attacks and won a convincing 
victory. And then something happened that not only amazed, but also inexpressibly moved the audience in the hall: Bear bowed in all directions, then went to the middle of the carpet and, kneeling down, kissed the carpet that glorified him, now saying goodbye to him forever! Everyone was shocked by this hitherto unseen spectacle! Everyone - every single person - got up from their seats, as if on command, and gave the great wrestler an unprecedented ovation! For so many years, this genius of freestyle wrestling has delighted all connoisseurs of sports with his wonderful art, and now, to the thunder of applause from which the arches of the Ring Hall shook, he is deadly tired, but HAPPY - INVINCIBLE, ONLY and UNIQUE, the first three-time Olympic champion in history wrestler, seven-time world champion - Alexander Vasilievich Medved said goodbye to big sport.
He continued and continues to live a full-blooded, eventful life even after the end of his sports career. Iron self-discipline did not at all turn him into a person who does not notice anything around except sports, and does not see all the charms of life. big sport he gave 15 best years of his life, but, despite this, he managed to successfully graduate from the institute. He continued to receive his education in graduate school. 
He worked as a teacher at the Minsk Radio Engineering Institute. Found my favorite! His wife's name is Tatyana. Together they raised their daughter Lena and son Alexei. Alexey, by the way, followed in his father's footsteps and became the world champion in wrestling! In addition, he became seriously interested in photography and, according to friends and acquaintances, achieved enviable results in this field. Just like in childhood Bear likes to arrange long walks in the woods. Of course, he did not completely break away from sports (and this is unthinkable!): he headed the Belarusian wrestling federation, coached the Belarusian national team. In 1975 he received the title of judge of the international category. In 1984 he became the Honored Coach of the USSR. Relatively recently, he was re-elected to the post of president of the Belarusian wrestling federation.
And until now, many wrestlers, having heard in the program about animals the words that characterize the bear: "Great strength and fantastic sharpness of movements!", - thoughtfully smile at something of their own with some special smile. And this smile is EXPENSIVE! Thanks, Alexander Vasilievich! Earth bow to you for everything that you have done for the glory of our sport!
Belarusian bear from Ukraine.
Alexander Medved- the greatest Soviet wrestler, three-time Olympic champion, the best freestyle wrestler in the history of sports. Alexander Medved was born on September 16, 1937 in Belaya Tserkov (Ukraine). Sasha's parents gave him remarkable strength and growth. From childhood, the Bear stood out among his peers, he was very hardworking and energetic. At the age of 16, Alexander began working as a fitter at an aircraft factory. After 2 years, he was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet army, and the future champion went to serve in Belarus. It was here that the Bear's sports career began. In the army, Alexander began to actively engage various types sports. Giving preference to wrestling, a month after the start of classes, he won the championship of the Belarusian military district.
After demobilization, Medved not only did not quit sports, but also decided to enter the Minsk Institute of Physical Education.
In 1961, at the USSR Wrestling Championship, Alexander Medved made the whole Union talk about himself. The debutant, having defeated more venerable opponents, won the gold award of the Tournament. After this victory, the wrestler received the right to represent the Soviet Union at the World Championships in Japan. In Yokohama, the 24-year-old athlete won a bronze medal.
Since 1962, the era of one athlete, Alexander Medved, begins in freestyle wrestling. During this period, the Union team had 2 brilliant wrestlers - Medved and Ivanitsky. At the same time, there was not a single good “light heavyweight”. The bear decided not to compete with a teammate and began to lose weight.
In 1962, the Bear went to Toledo (USA) for the World Championship. In the final fight, he met with the Olympic champion from Iran - Takhti. The Iranian was 600 grams lighter, so a draw was fine for him. The bear attacked the whole fight, but Takhti survived. Draw. The tired Iranian prematurely began to celebrate the victory, but at the re-weighing, Alexander's weight turned out to be less than his opponent. In battle, he lost more than one kilogram. So Alexander Medved became the world champion for the first time.
Having won gold medals at the world forums in 1962 and 1963, the wrestler, for the second time in his sports career, went to the land of the rising sun, this time with the aim of conquering the Japanese Olympus. In Tokyo, the Bear did not seem to notice his opponents, he finished almost all the meetings ahead of schedule. However, the lack of worthy rivals almost played a cruel joke with Alexander. In a duel against the Swede Eriksson, the Soviet wrestler allowed himself to relax a little and almost missed Olympic gold. But the Bear was still able to get out of a difficult situation and defeated the opponent. After that, he promised himself that he would never underestimate his opponents again. The first Olympic gold was won.
In 1966, Ivanitsky ended his sports career, and Alexander no longer had the need to “drive” weight. Winning tournament after tournament, Bear became one of the greatest wrestlers. Rivals from all over the world simply did not know what to do to defeat the Bear.
In 1968, Alexander went to distant, unfamiliar Mexico. Went to win Olympic gold again. But this trip was not an easy one. Due to the unusual climate and high altitude conditions, many athletes were in a painful condition. This fate befell the Bear. However, going out on the carpet, Alexander did not show that he was ill. On the contrary, he tried to look fresh and calm. Having reached the final, the Bear met with the venerable German Dietrich. The fight was very hard. There was deathly silence in the hall. Suddenly, in the middle of the battle, there was a very loud crunch. The audience in the hall could not understand what had happened. When the judge interrupted the fight, everyone saw that the Bear's thumb on his hand was unnaturally curved. The German wrestler was already thinking about winning, when suddenly the Bear quite calmly took his finger and sharply twisted it in the other direction, after which he asked the referee to continue the fight. After what he saw, the German did not have the opportunity to actively continue the fight and, complaining of pain in his leg, he refused to continue the fight. So Alexander Medved won the second gold Olympic award.
In 1972, the 35-year-old wrestler took part in the Olympic Games in Munich. In the semi-final match against the 114-pound Soviet wrestler, the 200-pound American Chris Taylor came out. However, the experienced Bear, not only was not afraid of a huge competitor, but also used the opponent's weight against him. Alexander made a cut to the American and he collapsed to the floor with an incredible roar. In this fight, the Bear received a severe back injury, but this did not prevent him from winning the third gold of the Olympic Games.
After the Munich Olympics, Alexander Medved ended his sports career, but did not say goodbye to sports. In the 70-80s, Medved was engaged in coaching, and after the collapse of the USSR, he was elected vice-president of the NOC of Belarus. In 2005 he was recognized the best wrestler freestyle in sports history and inducted into the Sports Wrestling Hall of Fame.
In an interview - about a heart in scars, an offer for $ 3 million and Soviet "doping".
Alexander Vasilyevich Medved is a Soviet freestyle wrestler, three-time Olympic champion (1964, 1968 and 1972), seven-time world champion (1962-1963, 1966-1971), three-time European champion (1966-1972). Recognized as the best freestyle wrestler of the 20th century.- Alexander Vasilievich, we have already tried to do an interview, but at the last moment the meeting broke down: you ended up in the hospital, waiting for an operation. How is your health now?I had a heart operation that lasted 7.5 hours. At first, the surgeon did not want to take it on, but there was no choice: I was already beginning to choke. They “turned off” my heart, took a section of a vein from my leg 50 centimeters long, and sewed it on. The doctor later said that he had seen such a heart for the first time: everything was covered in scars. Now my health is more or less normal, although up to 300 rubles a month are spent on medicines. I play billiards, go to the pool, drive a car.
- Interesting, what are you driving now?
I have a Volkswagen Jeep. I prefer big cars. In small ones, when you drive, it feels like one place on the asphalt ...
- Did you “plant” your heart with sports?
Yes. Sometimes I think: maybe it was not necessary to give him so much strength? What's the difference, one Olympic medal or three? Honor is one. And after all, more than once, after winning medals, I was offered to quit sports. In 1968, after I took the second “gold” of the Olympic Games, the head of the International Wrestling Federation told me: “Sasha, well, well done, but you have to leave. When an Olympic champion loses, it’s wrong, but if you, a two-time champion, suddenly stumble at some competition, it will be completely bad.”
But you didn't listen.Couldn't leave. Immediately after the Olympics, Pyotr Mironovich Masherov, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Byelorussian SSR, came to visit us in Staiki, where the training camp took place. He always treated me like a father, knew all my achievements, was aware of my health problems. Masherov said: “You have already done so much, maybe you won’t go to the Olympics anymore?” I replied that I don’t know yet, I will train, and then I will report back. When he came the second time, I was ready. He then said to me: “I believe in you!”
- What did the wife say? After all, shortly before that, your second child was born.
My son just turned one year old. My wife Tatyana Stepanovna and I sat down at the table and discussed everything properly, weighed everything. She supported me.
I must say that many athletes in the USSR ended their careers due to the fact that their wives gave them an ultimatum: they say, that's enough, I've traveled, the world has looked - it's time to think about the family, earn money. Athletes didn't have a lot of money.
Alexander Medved is a participant in the Fire of the Human Heart project, which takes place from February 25 to March 25 in Minsk (Galleria Minsk shopping center, Pobediteley Ave., 9) with the support of the AiF weekly.
- It is a pity that in the USSR there were no such prize money as today - $ 150 thousand for the "gold" of the Olympics ...As a member of the Soviet Union team, I had a scholarship of 220 rubles. This, of course, is higher than the average salary in the country (120-130 rubles), but the money is still small. When he received a scholarship, he divided it into two parts: he left the larger part to his family, the smaller one he took with him (not to be completely without funds). After all, we even bought sports uniforms with our own money, to which we then sewed the letters of the name of the country (I was given the first Adidas uniform only in 1972). And 11 out of 12 months of the year I was at the training camp, so I could not help the family.
I remember when I became a two-time Olympic champion, they gave me an apartment in Minsk. But it was worth leaving for the World Cup, as housing ... was taken away and given to the players. I then turned to Masherov. He said, "Choose where you like." And he, by a strong-willed decision, gave me an apartment in Armored Lane.
After all, how does it work? Athletes go to competitions, win medals, and then the career ends, and the question arises: what to live on? In Soviet times, I could not go, for example, to fights without rules or do business, as some modern wrestlers do.
But they tried to tempt you with a sum of $ 3 million - such an offer came from the USA after you took the third "gold" of the Olympics.
In 1972, they really offered me to fly to America, they called me to perform in ketch ( a type of professional wrestling that arose in the 20th century. in the USA. - Note.) But I refused. And when I returned to Minsk, I was offered the position of head coach of our team.
- Don't you regret that you didn't leave in 1972?
Now it is difficult to answer this question. Maybe you should have left.
- Did you, as a Soviet person, have an understanding of what a sum of $3 million is?
Hardly. We, as well as artists traveling abroad, were given a daily allowance of $ 3-5. Often this money was not even enough to buy gifts for family and friends. Many athletes were engaged in a small forced business: they carried nesting dolls with them, which they sold in the USA as souvenirs. So they rolled out.
Honey and nuts
Alexander Vasilyevich, you are deservedly called a living legend of Belarusian sports. On his altar you put your health. Are you now not offended to look at what modern professional sports are turning into? Athletes win medals, and then lose them because of doping. Entire teams are suspended from participation in the Olympic Games without evidence.
This is big politics. Everything is done against the countries of the former Soviet Union. Why don't Americans get caught doping the same way Belarusians or Russians get caught? Why don't Germans or British get caught doping?
I have never even heard such a word, “doping”. He took nuts, honey and pollen with him to competitions. The team also bought dark chocolate with vitamin E. This was given to athletes and astronauts. One day during the World Cup, I got a sore throat. So I ate 2-3 tablespoons of honey, and I was thrown into a sweat. I got scared, called the doctor, and he examined me, laughed and said: “This is a normal reaction of the body to honey.”
The result can be achieved only by constant exhausting work. I have always adhered to the principle: the work you do, you need to give yourself entirely. When by full program you give all the best in training, then no doping is needed.
Alexander Vasilievich Medved is a Soviet professional freestyle wrestler, three-time Olympic champion, multiple winner of the World, European and USSR championships. In 1962 he received the title of Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
Alexander Medved is the author of two of his own books on freestyle wrestling. What is notable in his career is that he defeated the same opponent (Osman Duraliev) eight times, all in the finals of major competitions. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he took the post of vice-president of the NOC of Belarus, and also became the head coach of the Belarusian Olympic team in freestyle wrestling.
Born on September 16, 1937 in the city of Belaya Tserkov (Ukraine, Ukrainian SSR, USSR). Grew up and brought up in his hometown in an ordinary Soviet family. Father Vasily Zinovievich worked as a forester, and his mother looked after the household. Vasily Zinovievich was a strict and reasonable person. Alexander was brought up on these principles. Apparently, that's why he has such a strong-willed character, thanks to which he became a famous Soviet champion.
Alexander's sports interest was born from early childhood. A tall and energetic boy tried many sports - from football to gymnastics. Soon young Sasha became interested in wrestling, and he was taken to the local section. There he had good results and praise from the coach, but the real training was always waiting for him at home.
As mentioned above, his father Vasily Zinovievich was the most demanding person who raised his son in adulthood. male rules. Before Sasha, the condition was set that he would be able to attend training only when he coped with all household and domestic issues. Basically, he always had to chop wood, which at that time was simply necessary for comfortable living conditions in his house. Before each workout, Alexander went out into the yard and chopped a cube, or even two oak firewood, in order to provide the family with warmth and fulfill the strict instructions of his father. Such a "woodcutter's warm-up" went into the hands of the future champion. Thanks to this work, his arms were greatly pumped up and his wrists were strengthened.
Alexander Medved, whose family believed in his success, became a famous athlete years later. But he was always asked about why he has such huge and elastic hands.
Defeated everyone in the army
In 1956, Alexander was called up for military service. During the distribution, he ended up in the tank troops of the Belarusian Military District. It was here that he was introduced to wrestling in the purest sense of the word. But even here, Alexander Medved first tried himself in athletics and handball. Having assessed the parameters of the young soldier, the educational officer took the Bear to the wrestlers. Who knew that it was in the army that his fate would be predetermined for the rest of his life.
From the first days of training, Alexander demonstrated his skills, which remained a little from childhood. Rumors began to spread throughout the platoon about a guy who shows good results in the fight. Alexander grasped everything on the fly - all the tricks that the coach showed, the soldier Medved repeated exactly. At any second of the battle, he could use an extraordinary technique, which was distinguished by some kind of creativity and lightning speed. In any sparring, Alexander Medved emerged victorious.
It was in the army that he developed a new character trait - absolute fearlessness. And these are not just words, he really didn’t care who he went to the carpet with, whether it was some local champion or just a physically developed healthy soldier.
KBVO Championship
The first serious sports victory also happened in the army. A few months after the start of training, the tournament of the Krasnoznamensky Belarusian Military District was held. The honor of his company, of course, went to defend Private Medved. First, he became the winner of the freestyle wrestling and sambo championships, and a few days later he took part in the classical wrestling tournament, in which he took third place. As a sign of gratitude, honor and victory, Alexander was presented with an award - a tape recorder. This was his first wrestling achievement, thanks to which he believed in himself and continued hard training.
Here he meets his first mentor - Pavel Vasilievich Grigoriev (Honored Coach of the Byelorussian SSR and the USSR), who taught Alexander new professional techniques and advanced combat techniques.
Life after the army
In 1959, the demobilized soldier Alexander Medved decides to stay in Belarus. In the same year, he makes a deliberate decision and enters the Higher Coaching School from the Belarusian State Institute of Physical Culture. The future Olympic champion had no problems with studies - all the educational stages of his life before that pointed to that.
In 1961, he graduated from the Higher School of Coaches and took the next step in his career - he entered the institute. Here he meets with such leaders as A. P. Grigoriev and B. M. Rybalko (senior teacher of the Department of Wrestling, Honored Coach of the USSR). These mentors will stay with Alexander Medved for many years, they will go along with him a difficult path to perfection, not knowing failures and defeats.
During the training period, the Bear is determined with the discipline of the fight and begins to train hard, not sparing himself and his body. The choice fell on freestyle wrestling.
Debut in professional sports, first title
In April 1961, Alexander takes part in the USSR wrestling championship and wins it. Bear's rivals were no longer some army wrestlers, but real professionals (such as Dzarasov, Kiknadze, Kandelaki, Ivanitsky - all Olympic medalists and champions), in whose career there are considerable victories and achievements. However, Alexander, without feeling fear and apprehension, managed to overcome all the eminent athletes and win the championship.
Now Alexander Medved is a fighter with a capital letter, he is the champion of his large and vast country. During the next council of coaches, it is decided that the new champion is going to the upcoming world championship, which will be held in Japan.
Performance at the World Championships - without gold, but with the status of a "new star"
After the triumph in the national championship, the Soviet champion began to actively prepare for his debut world championship. The coaches, like the athlete himself, were well aware that this is now the most important event in his sports career. Unfortunately, it was not possible to get gold at the World Championship - Medved lost in the final to Dietrich, a wrestler from Germany. However, the Soviet boxer performed very worthily, declaring to the whole world about his person and champion potential. Fortunately, he succeeded - world wrestlers already knew perfectly well that a new rising star had appeared at the world championship.
First Olympic feat
In 1964, the Bear made his debut at the Olympic Games in Japan (Tokyo). The first fight was against a Romanian titled athlete, whom Medved overcame in just two minutes. Without any difficulties, Alexander reached the final and fought with the Bulgarian wrestler Vilko Kostola. This fight will forever remain in the memory of the old connoisseurs of freestyle wrestling - Alexander Medved laid his opponent on the shoulder blades in 39 seconds and became the Olympic champion.
Olympics in Mexico City, the massacre of the German Dietrich
The second Olympic gold was won at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Exhausting abnormal heat prevented many athletes from performing properly. Nevertheless, the Bear, taking himself into a fist, reached the final and met with his offender Dietrich. Everyone was well aware that the German wrestler was not just a debutant, but a real champion, who was not so easy to deal with. During the fight, Dietrich knocked out Alexander's finger, so the fight was stopped for medical assistance.
Not even a minute had passed before the fight was stopped, when Alexander Medved put his finger on the eyes of the astonished audience with one movement and signaled to the judges that the fight should continue. The dumbfounded German, after such a gesture, could not adequately resist and after a few seconds he surrendered. So the second Olympic gold was won.
Alexander Medved: height, weight and confrontation against American Chriss Taylor (200 kg)
The next Olympic Games were held in Munich in 1972. Alexander Vasilyevich Medved was already the captain of his team. Here he again met with Dietrich, but without much effort overcame him and reached the semi-finals, where the American Criss Taylor was waiting for him. The opponent's weight was 200 kilograms, he was specially fattened by an American for the fight with the "Russian Bear".
This fight was no less legendary, the stands were packed to capacity, the whole world wanted to see the confrontation of the huge Taylor (220 cm) against the hundred-kilogram Alexander with a height of 190 cm. This dramatic fight ended in the victory of the Soviet athlete. The dodgy and technical "Russian Bear" with a roar knocked the American heavyweight to the floor. After the course of this fight, Alexander injured his back, but this did not stop him from winning the third gold in the final against the Bulgarian Duraliev. These were the last Olympic Games for the Soviet wrestler. Alexander Medved is a three-time Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling. He remained great and undefeated!
The fight is over. It was the last, final duel. For one of the athletes, it turned into Olympic gold. And the Messegeland auditorium burst into loud applause and multilingual cries. The victorious wrestler, raising his mighty arms, bowed in all directions with a bewildered smile. Apparently, he has not yet fully realized his happiness. Then the incredible happened. The athlete wandered to the middle of the carpet, knelt down, bent down and kissed the matte surface. So he said goodbye to the wrestling ring - a dispassionate witness to hundreds of disappointments and ups that the athlete went through in 15 years of his career.
This man was Alexander Medved, a freestyle wrestler, three-time Olympic champion in various weight categories. He won the World Championship seven times and the European Championship three times. The wrestler has nine gold medals in sports and athletics and championships of the USSR. This article will present a brief biography of the athlete.
Childhood
Alexander Medved was born in 1937 in Belaya Tserkov (Ukraine). As a child, the boy did not have specific sports preferences. He spent his leisure time on the basketball court and on the football field. Sasha also willingly swam, jumped, ran and wrestled with friends.
Military service
Immediately after the Bear went to work at the plant as a fitter. Two years later, the young man was taken into the army. Here Sasha got acquainted with wrestling. Having barely mastered a number of techniques and mastered tactics, he won the championship of the Belarusian Military District.
Studies
After demobilization, the hero of this article decided to stay in Minsk. The Higher School of Coaches and the Institute of Physical Education are two educational institutions that Alexander Medved graduated from. became his main specialization. Also, the athlete got very good mentors: Rybalko B. M. and Grigoriev P. V. Under their strict guidance, Alexander did not know defeat for many years.
Competition
In March 1961, the wrestling championship was held in the USSR. 21 athletes applied for it. Among them were such masters as Ivanitsky, Dzarasov, Kandelaki and Kiknadze. After the end of the fifth round, Alexander became the leader, and the seventh one revealed the strongest athletes. The bear received gold, Dzarasov - silver, and Ivanitsky - bronze.
The coaches decided to send Alexander to Japan for the World Championship. To get to this competition, the Bear had to wait for four whole years. The athlete performed brilliantly on it. But by the end of the tournament, he met with the German Dietrich. He scored one point more than our athlete, and thus snatched the gold from him.
First Olympics
At this competition, Alexander Medved almost missed the gold medal. He finished ahead of schedule the fights with the Swiss Yutzeler and the Romanian Ballo. And the athlete won the Bulgarian Mustafov in 39 seconds. Only Turk Ayik was able to bring the fight to a draw. A clear superiority over opponents almost played a cruel joke with Alexander. Even before entering the carpet with the Swede Erickson, the Bear was sure of his own victory. The clearly bad form of the opponent was evident. But in fact, everything was different. The Swede almost deprived Alexander of gold. Since then, the Bear has decided that he will always respect the opponent. The athlete adhered to this rule throughout his career.
The Crucible
Many athletes were frightened by the 1968 Olympics. After all, Highland Mexico City was chosen as the venue for its holding. The lack of oxygen affected some athletes. Unfortunately, Alexander Medved was one of them. But only a close circle of initiates knew about his ailment. As a result, at the insistence of Sasha, it was decided to participate in the competition.
The wrestler chose the following tactic: he demonstrated his confidence in victory and a rosy mood. And the fights themselves tried to finish ahead of schedule. Everything went well until the meeting with the old enemy Dietrich, to whom Alexander lost in Japan. The German went ahead, and the unforeseen happened. There was a terrible and strong crunch. The fight stopped, and both athletes began to examine themselves. It turned out that the thumb right hand Alexandra is unnaturally arched. Outside the ring, doctors began to fuss, preparing dressings. But their help was not needed. The bear corrected the dislocation on his own. There was a slight click in the hall. "Let's blow the whistle" - it was this sign that Alexander Medved showed the referee. The fight resumed, but Dietrich seemed to have been replaced. After the first attack, the athlete limped. And then he refused to continue the fight at all.
Conclusion
Alexander Medved, whose biography was presented in this article, continued to live actively even after the end of his career. The reason for this was the habit developed over the years about the productive use of every free minute. But the regime did not turn the former wrestler into some kind of "hermit". Alexander Vasilyevich understood perfectly well that sport is not the whole life. Former athlete began to devote more time to his family and his hobbies (photography, hunting). Together with his wife Tatyana, he raised two wonderful children - son Alexei and daughter Elena. Alyosha followed in his father's footsteps by winning the world championship in wrestling.