VETERANS NEVER SURRENDER

The fourth open weightlifting championship for veterans, organized by the Public Association of veteran weightlifters of Azerbaijan, has assembled prominent representatives of the sport in Baku. Among the honorary guests of the championship who arrived in the capital of Azerbaijan were Bill Barton, European Masters Committee of Weightlifting, Vasiliy Alekseyev, twice Olympic champion, eight times world and European champion and holder of 80 world records, Leonid Taranenko, world and European champion and holder of 19 world records, Muhammad Nassiri, Olympic and five times world champion and holder of 15 world records, and Mir Rasool Raissi.

Besides participation in the championship, the guests have also familiarized themselves with the sports infrastructure of Azerbaijan and discussed at different levels the prospects for holding the European Weightlifting Championship for veterans in Baku. Incidentally, the decision on the venue of the 2010 championship will be reached in May this year, in Austria. We discussed with Vasiliy Alekseyev, double Olympic champion and many times champion of the world and Europe, Azerbaijan's chances of hosting the continental championship and many other issues. But first, Vasiliy Ivanovich shared with us his impressions of Baku.

-Despite a career rich in travel, I have never been to Baku before. This was why I was so pleased when I was invited to the Azerbaijan championship. Your capital is wonderful. It can be compared with many European cities. I liked very much the tasteful parks and buildings. And naturally, I am very pleased with the great interest in sports.

-Perhaps you know which sports are best loved in Azerbaijan...

-Wrestling and boxing are very much loved in your country. Your athletes win medals in these disciplines at all the Olympic Games.  Weightlifting and judo are just as admired here. Overall, I think that your government cares about sports very much.  Precisely thanks to this, sports develop.  Seeing your government's interest in the promotion of sports, the youth devote all their leisure time to this activity.

-But we have no Olympic medals in weightlifting.  What do you think the problem is?

-You cannot be successful right away.  On the other hand, weightlifting is a difficult discipline.  Sometimes you achieve good results when you train, but cannot do the same during competition.  And sometimes it is just bad luck.  In the Soviet period, when I worked as one of the coaches of the Soviet national team, we had two or three young Azerbaijanis in the team.  So I know what your sportsmen are capable of.  Hopefully, they will come back with medals from the London Olympics.

-Azerbaijan intends to host the European Weightlifting Championship for veterans.  What is your assessment of our chances?

-Your chances are good.  This is not the first time your capital city has applied to host a high-level competition.  Holding world and European championships in Azerbaijan has become a tradition of late.  Not to mention the qualifying tournaments.  This is why I think that Baku can organize this European championship, too, at a very high level.

-Your biography is full of different achievements:  you have been an Olympic champion twice, and world and European champion many times, you have set 80 world records.  Do you think this is not enough for one man's sports career?

-I think that the biography which you have read does not include all of my achievements.  In 1999, I was declared the best sportsman of the 20th century in Greece.  In 2000, I was awarded the Order of the Legend of Russia.  I am the winner of different international tournaments and Grand Prix.  I have won more than 280 medals.  If you come to my home, you might be shocked by the sheer number of medals.  I do not think that anyone in sports today has so many medals.

-So, Vasiliy Alekseyev has had his say in sports?

-Of course he has.  Now it is all up to the younger generation.  It was very difficult for me to end my career.  I felt that I was still able to win medals.  But no matter what your achievements are, you must be able to leave in a timely manner.  I had to give way to the younger sportsmen.  80 world records is no small achievement for one sportsman.  This is an unattainable result for many people.  I am sorry that my children did not become sportsmen.