Smirnov Valentin. Biography, achievements, plans for the future

During the Soviet Union, many sports societies were organized on the basis of work collectives. For people to be able-bodied, they need to be healthy and motivated. Those who reached athletic heights, at work gave additional bonuses and valuable prizes. Sports societies paid fees, which were spent on additional training athletes, Trudoviks. Today's athletes run almost on "bare" enthusiasm. Abroad, football clubs are heavily taxed. But when they take under their wing athletes (paying them fees and various household needs for training), the state significantly reduces taxation for them. This is a natural process, when the "king of sports" - football takes care of the "queen" - athletics. We do not have such a practice in our country yet, and athletes, only those who are very lucky to find sponsors, can somehow perform and represent the country on the international arena.

Our hero of today - Smirnov Valentin, to become the winner of the Universiade and European championships, went through a difficult life path.

Childhood of the sportsman

Once, on February 13, 1986, a boy was born in St. Petersburg, who was named Valentin. Like many schoolchildren, Valya dangled around the city, climbing the roofs of buildings and garages. From the sport there was nothing, except for hours of exciting football courtyard fights. With my mother (a native of Mordovia, who left to work in St. Petersburg at the age of 20, she got married and left to live) and went to her grandmother's house in the village of Novy Badikovo, located in the Polyany district for the summer. There Smirnov Valentin with his uncle grazing cows (woke up at 4 am and came at 8 pm). Fresh air, sun, swimming in the river, constant mobility, healthy food in the future played an important role in the sports career of the athlete. Summer trips lasted until the age of 15.

The first steps in sports

Smirnov Valentin, being in the 10th grade of high school, following the example of his four friends began skiing in the city of Sestroretsk near St. Petersburg. The coach was Valentin Konstantinovich Voronov. Studying in the first year at the institute, Valentin ran his first half marathon in 1 hour and 15 minutes. And the coach advised him to continue to run, as the conditions for full-fledged skiing at the young man then was not.

From the track to track and field

We learned who prepares runners. Valentine was advised to turn to the record holder in the race for 1500 meters, the deserved coach of Russia - Shibaev Valentin Evgenievich. He did not refuse any of the guys in the viewing, took to himself and Valentine Smirnov for further studies in the running section. Young Smirnov Valentin, having shown at that time worthy results (1500 meters - 4.11 seconds, 1 km - 2.42 seconds), from 2013 started his sports career in running.

Achievements

Already two years later, in 2005, Smirnov became the Russian cross country champion. Then he repeatedly wins the championships of Russia in different distances from 1000 to 3000 meters. In Bergen, 2010, gold wins at a distance of 1500 meters in the European team championship and repeats this success three times: in 2011 in Stockholm, 2013 - in Gateshead and in 2015 - on his native land in Cheboksary. At the world level, the struggle is much more difficult because of the speeches of Kenyan and Ethiopian starets, which our athletes are not yet able to run across. But Valentin Smirnov at the World Universiade 2013 in Kazan won the final race for 1500 meters with a result of 3 minutes 39.39 seconds. In a difficult tactical struggle, they managed to snatch gold to Valentina, where at the finish in one second five athletes were placed, but of all Smirnov managed to cross the coveted line faster than anyone.

The memory of the best coach

2013 is the year of success and sadness for Valentin Smirnov. December 16, at the 82nd year of his life leaves this world, his legendary coach Valentin Evgenievich Shibaev. According to the athlete, it was not just a coach, but a loving grandfather. And in many respects in his life he owes the athlete Valentin Smirnov (track and field athletics). The biography of the champion is impregnated with the instructions given by Valentin Evgenievich to his ward, helping not only in sports. And he taught to run no longer with his feet, but with his head. He gave advice on how to listen to your body, how to reasonably conduct a tactical struggle at a distance and finish. Asked at each training session at Vali (as the coach called him), how the mood, how well, what questions the mind is worried about, what goals and how to achieve them. I always helped with advice and believed in my ward. The coach himself came late in the sport, at 17 years old (Valentin Smirnov at 18). It was very inspiring to the athlete and gave him hope. Only 0.9 seconds was not enough for Valentin Smirnov (1500 meters for 3.37.55 min) at the "Russian Winter" competitions to break his mentor's record in 1998 at this distance in closed spaces.

Future plans

Now Valentina Smirnova is morally supportive of his wife, who also does athletics and knows about running not by hearsay. Wife always accompanies Valentine at training camps and competitions. Support in the sport of loved ones plays a very important role. After the departure of the trainer from life, Valentina is sometimes helped to train and friends on the team. But basically now his running training programs are written by the athlete himself and shares them in the network. But still it is impossible to achieve serious victories without a coach. Therefore, Valentin Smirnov looks to the west in search of a new mentor because of the absence of those at home. Conditions for training in the highlands of Kislovodsk are not ready. The athlete goes to the camps in the northern mountainous part of Italy (the benefit that sponsors help). It's hard for our athletes to compete now because of the doping scandal and the fact that Russia's teams have not been allowed to compete in the Rio. Russian athletes hope that the country's leadership will create conditions for them to improve the bases and finance.