Igor Bokiy: An ordinary person and an extraordinary champion. Swimmer from Bobruisk Igor Bokiy surprised the whole world

Igor Bokiy

Honorary Citizen of Bobruisk

He has been swimming since he was six years old. In 2010, he graduated from the Children's and Youth Sports School No. 4 of Bobruisk (swimming department), and in 2012, from the educational institution Minsk Regional School of Olympic Reserve.

Since 2009, she has been taking part in international competitions among disabled athletes with visual impairments (invasport).

In 2009 Bokiy Igor became the champion of the Republic of Belarus in swimming (invasport) at a distance of 200 m on the backstroke, a prize-winner of the winter and summer championships of the Republic of Belarus in short course.

In 2010, three-time winner of the German Open Championship in Invasport. Four-time 2010 world champion in swimming (invasport) at the following distances: 200 m – individual medley, 100 m – backstroke, 400 m – freestyle, 100 m – butterfly. Two-time world record holder in 2010 at the following distances: 100 m butterfly, 400 m freestyle.

In 2011, the three-time winner of the European Swimming Championship (invasport) at the following distances: 100 m backstroke, 400 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly. Bronze medalist in the 100 m freestyle. Two-time world record holder in 2011 at the following distances: 100 m butterfly, 100 m freestyle.

In 2011, Bokom I.A. the sports title "Master of Sports of the International Class of the Republic of Belarus" was awarded.

In 2012, at the XIV Summer Paralympic Games in London, he won five gold and one silver medals, becoming one of the most titled athletes of the Games. Set three world records.

In 2012 he became a student of the educational institution "Belarusian State University".

In 2013, at the World Championships in swimming among the disabled in Montreal (Canada), he won five gold medals at the following distances: 100 m backstroke, 400 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly. 100 m – freestyle, 200 m – individual medley.

Since January 2013, Igor Bokiy has been an Honorary Citizen of the city of Bobruisk.

In 2016, at the continental forum in Portugal, he won six gold medals in the following distances: 50 and 100 m freestyle, 100 m backstroke, 100 m butterfly, 200 m individual medley and 400 m freestyle. Igor Bokiy also became a bronze medalist in the 100 m breaststroke.

In 2016, at the XV Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Igor Bokiy became a six-time champion. He also won bronze in the 100m breaststroke. Based on the results of his performance in Rio, Bokiy I.A. is an eleven-time Paralympic champion, the most titled Belarusian Paralympian.

For achieving high sports results at the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, great personal contribution to the development of physical culture and sports Igor Bokiy awarded the order Fatherland III degree.

On September 12, at the Minsk National Airport, the main hero of the 2012 Paralympic Games as part of the Belarusian national team, 18-year-old swimmer Igor Bokiy, who won six (five gold and one silver) medals in London, was greeted with a huge poster. The canvas, apparently, was prepared by the Bobruisk authorities (it was in this city that Igor was born and grew up). The leitmotif of the poster is that the hometown is proud of its champion...

On Sunday morning, September 16, approaching Bobruisk, the cameraman and I argue: how many billboards with Igor’s image will come our way. We both lost, because, oddly enough, having driven through almost the entire Bobruisk, we never saw a single poster with Bokim.

The door of the apartment - and Igor lives in the most ordinary five-story Khrushchev building with his father, mother and younger brother- the head of the family opens - Alexander Bokiy. To our question: “Where is mom?”(I really wanted to talk to the whole family) - Alexander answers: "At work".

We go into the hall. Igor’s six medals won at the Paralympics are neatly laid out in sections. The 5 gold discs are no different from each other.

“They are the same, it is not specified for which distance the medal is, so now I don’t know which one was the first. As we were told, they contain 200 grams of gold. They differ from the medals of the ordinary Olympics in the design of the front side, ”- says Igor.

Here, like a devil from a snuffbox, the youngest of the Bokikhs, 8-year-old, unexpectedly jumps out from behind the sofa. Zhenya. Laughing, he runs into another room, and we finally sit down and begin the interview.

Igor, just now we were driving through the whole of Bobruisk and did not see a single poster of yours, which was very surprising. Are they even in the city?

I haven't seen it myself either.

- Will people recognize you in Bobruisk? Are they suitable for the streets?

Yes, it happened a couple of times. They usually approach it like this: “Excuse me, but are you by any chance Igor?” Then they ask for an autograph and take a photo together. Of course, I didn’t refuse anyone. At first I didn’t even understand how people knew me by sight, but then I realized that they had shown me on television.

At the airport you said that you had not yet fully realized your achievements. Now do you understand what serious results you have achieved?

I still don't fully understand it. However, due to the great attention paid to my person in Lately the understanding also comes that, probably, I really did something significant.

- What emotions did you have after your first gold?

Indescribable. It’s true what they say: when you stand on the podium, the anthem of your country is playing, and the crowded stands applaud you - this is something special.

- Which award was the most difficult for you?

The very first (at 100 meters with a dolphin) was the most difficult. Based on the preliminary results, I didn’t think at all that I would be able to win the award, and since it was also the first distance, I was very worried. After this victory I felt more confident.

You won as many as six medals. Can you be called a generalist or do you still have a favorite distance?

My favorite thing to do is swim the 400 and 200 meter freestyle.

- Igor, how did swimming start for you?

My mother took me to the section when I was 6 years old. I didn’t really want to study then. I had things on my mind: running outside, playing football. They kicked me out of the section more than once for various pranks. But after I went to the first competition, my attitude towards the sport changed: I began to take swimming more responsibly and listen to the coach.

- And when did you see the first serious results?

From about 12 years old, when I started going to international competitions. Then I decided for myself that swimming was worth dedicating my life to, and I began to work with even greater diligence. I remember when I was 13, my mother started discouraging me from taking up swimming. Like, why do you need this sport, study and that’s it. I then said that I really wanted to swim, and overcame my mother.

- At the Paralympics you competed as a visually impaired person. Have you been having problems with your eyes for a long time?

It all started from childhood. And until recently the disease progressed. Only recently everything has somehow stabilized more or less.

- Is it really possible to do something about your poor vision?

Operations will not help here.

- What is your problem?

I'm nearsighted. And some other disease. I don’t even know its name, I always tried not to think about it, not to get hung up on it.

- How much does this prevent you from playing sports?

To be honest, this is big problems does not deliver. Yes, sometimes the side is hard to see, but this is a matter of habit and practice.

- And when did you switch from regular sports to Paralympic sports?

I was about 15 years old. My first coach, Natalya Yuryevna Pozdnyakova, suggested that I switch. The fact is that I could no longer get admission to regular competitions due to vision problems. Something had to be decided. Having switched to Paralympic sports, he began working with his current mentor Gennady Alekseevich Vishnyakov.

- Can playing sports now somehow negatively affect the disease?

No, sports, on the contrary, helped more or less stabilize the disease.

At the airport you told me that you intend to switch to regular sports. How much do you need to improve your results to compete? international level in normal swimming?

I still compete at the Belarusian Healthy Championships. He was twice champion in the 200m freestyle. At 400 freestyle, I had second place. At the level of the republic, I have good results. Now I really hope to qualify for the World Healthy Championship. And the main goal, of course, is to get to the regular Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

You know, with such dominance in Paralympic sports, many would not even try to achieve something more. What drives you in the desire to go into regular sports?

I want to prove, first of all, to myself that I can compete among healthy people.

- Do you know the legendary Michael Phelps, with whom you were compared?

No. After all, I haven’t gone to the top competitions in healthy ones yet. I would very much like to get to know him.

- You noted that you intend to surpass Michael. Do you really think this is real?

I will strive to outdo him in Paralympic medals. Although in the usual I would like to compete with him.

You entered the BSU correspondence department of the Faculty of Business and Technology Management, majoring in logistics-economist. Most athletes go to the University of Physical Education. Does your studies at a serious faculty mean that in the future you do not plan to make a living from swimming?

No, it's more like a kind of insurance. I want to receive higher education. Moreover, I have always been friends with mathematics.

- Are you satisfied with the salary you have at the Ministry of Sports?

- They promised me that after the Paralympics I would have a higher rate.

- By the way, what prize money do you get for your medals?

We were promised 50 thousand dollars for gold.

-Have you already received this money?

- You've probably figured out what you'll spend at least part of the prize money on.

No. I didn't think about it at all. As soon as I receive it, we will consult with my parents and decide what use to find.

- Tell us what the Belarusian hero of the Paralympics is like in Everyday life, what are your hobbies?

The most ordinary person. He walks, goes to parks.

- Does it violate the regime? 🙂

This happens very rarely. I go to bed at 12 at the most, and that’s only if I spend too much time on the Internet. We love to play billiards with friends and enjoy taking photographs. We can say that these are the main hobbies.

- A question for the female part of our audience. And what about your personal life? You are free? 🙂

Free. It happened…

We get up. I ask Igor to tell me about the photographs that are on the same section where the Paralympic medals are laid out. I draw your attention to the fact that Igor has only one picture from the Games in London - and then on it he stands on the second step of the podium. “Where is the photo with gold medals?”- I’m interested.

“The fact is that there photos changed every day, I did not know about it. In general, I managed to take only the one where I am depicted with silver, ”- explains the champion.

I look at the awards again, and the question naturally arises: “Igor, usually after such successful performances the athlete is often prompted to change his citizenship. Maybe this has already been offered to you?

“Yes, there really are proposals from Russia and Europe. It’s too early to talk about anything, but when making a decision, I will proceed from what conditions they can offer me here and there. And by conditions, I do not mean, first of all, salary. The most important thing for me is that I have conditions in which I can progress as an athlete..."- the champion answers.

Our operator, in search of new spectacular shots, asks to show Igor not his Paralympic awards. We follow the swimmer into another room and... we see that the entire window sill is strewn with Igor’s medals.

“My son’s whole life is on this windowsill,” says Alexander Bokiy, with whom we smoothly begin a conversation.

- Tell me, what did you experience when your son became the Paralympic champion?

A feeling of joy and, to some extent, relief. We waited a very long time for him to speak, and this very process of waiting was difficult.

- How did you personally congratulate Igor?

Like parents. They hugged, kissed, mom cried. All the relatives gathered and ordered a large cake.

You know, parents send their children to sports different reasons: some just to keep in shape, others in the hope that their child will become the greatest athlete. For what reason did you send your son to sports?

So that he becomes a champion. We raised him this way since childhood. Now I’m also raising my youngest, he also goes swimming with us.

- Why swimming?

- I swam a little myself. I believe that swimming keeps you fit and healthy, and there are no injuries like in other sports.

Igor, when I asked him to tell me about himself, seemed a little embarrassed. Please complete the portrait of your son. What is he?

He hasn't changed much. It just got bigger. 🙂 The child was generally very nimble and had a ton of energy. Cheerful and energetic. Swimming was some kind of outlet to burn off this energy. I admit, because of his hyperactivity, I often had to discipline him with a belt. 🙂

- Igor noted that he has offers from abroad. What advice would you give him?

It is expected that after such a speech proposals will come. After all, he is only 18 years old, for an athlete this is a young age, there is still potential for progress. Let him decide for himself. He knows how athletes live abroad, how much they earn, what conditions they have for training. What can we recommend? We, parents, only want our son to live the best life possible.

Igor said that he will consult with you about the prize money. Do you already have ideas on how to spend or where to invest this considerable amount?

Money is not earned in order to take it and simply spend it. We need to think about the future. In addition: firstly, we have not yet seen this money, and secondly, we have not even thought about how to spend it.

“Zhenya, by the way, also received his first salary for winning two medals,”- Igor suddenly remembers. “Isn’t that really a salary, 60 thousand in total,”- the boy notices busily...

...Apparently, the desire for maximum goals is in the blood of this family.

Belarusian amphibious man, Michael Phelps London Paralympics and, of course, our new national pride– 18-year-old swimmer Igor Bokiy spoke to reporters today. The five-time Paralympic champion told which medal was the most difficult for him, what surprised him the most in London and what he dreams of doing in the future.

Talent, perseverance and a competent coach are the key to success

During his short sports career, Igor Bokiy managed to win 4 gold medals at the Paralympic World Championships in 2010, 4 golds and 1 bronze at the 2011 European Paralympic Championships, and took second place in 2010 at the French Open. However world fame The Belarusian athlete received 5 highest-quality awards and one silver at the current Paralympics in London.

“Igor’s medals are a great joy for us. I first saw this young man back in 2008, and he made a lasting impression on me. Although he was still quite weak then, I, as a professional coach, still saw in him a swimmer with capital letter. When it turned out that Igor had vision problems, we decided to study in the Paralympic program. The first two years of training were very gentle, and after that, when the athlete became stronger, we began to train more efficiently and professionally and achieved brilliant results. You know, Igor even had his own fans and admirers. He swam the last distance, 400 meters, late in the evening, and people were not too lazy to stand in line for tickets and come to the stadium to cheer for him; the stands were completely filled! It is very nice!" – said Igor Bokiy’s coach Gennady Vishnyakov.

After the Paralympics in London, no one had any doubt that Igor is a super-gifted athlete. But, as we know, talent alone is not enough.

“I started swimming at the age of six. At first, like many people, I didn’t like it at all, but then I got involved, and everything became different! Some people start something, and as soon as difficulties arise, they give up and give up what they started. But when you like something, you must do it, you must go towards your goal, and for this you need very serious perseverance. The support of a coach, parents and close relatives also helps,” the new sports star shared the secrets of success.

Of course, all gold medals are won with great effort and are highly valued. But among all the seemingly identical ones, there is always the one you are most proud of.

“The most expensive Paralympic medal for me is the first. It was very difficult for me to get ready to complete this distance, but when I won, I gained confidence,” said Igor.

Cherished dreams - all about swimming

The immediate plans of the Belarusian Paralympic champion are to rest properly, recover and start training again. Igor swims twice a day, six times a week for 2-2.5 hours. Now the sport will have to be combined with studies: the champion entered the correspondence department of the Belarusian State University, specializing in logistics-economist. Despite the choice of a “non-sporting” profession, Igor is not going to give up swimming yet.

“In addition to sports, today I have no hobbies. Therefore, I will try to stay in the sport for as long as possible. All my dreams are connected only with swimming: I want to win more Paralympic medals, I want to take part in the “healthy” Olympics and show good results there, in general I want to participate in high-level competitions. But when I have to leave, I’m going to work in the profession I’m currently studying for.”

London Paralympics 2012

The significant achievements of the athletes at the past competitions in London were also facilitated by the high level of organization of sporting events, living conditions and recreation of the participants.

“The 2012 Paralympics was held at a very high level. I liked everything even more than at the World and European Championships. What impressed me most was that among those abroad, the Paralympic competitions are no less interesting than those held among healthy people. The stands were always crowded, thunderous applause did not stop... We, unfortunately, do not have such attention,” Bokiy shared his impressions with journalists.

Igor celebrated his success in London after returning to his homeland: “We sat at the table with his parents and close relatives.” In the capital of Great Britain free time spent on excursions around the city and visiting 74 halls of the famous royal Buckingham Palace.

It is known that the prize money for Belarusian athletes for the 2012 Paralympic Games will be USD 50,000 for gold, USD 30,000 for silver and USD 20,000 for bronze. In addition, the winners will be eligible for presidential scholarships. Igor has not yet decided where he will spend the money he earned in London.

The fantastic sporting achievements of Igor Bokiy are an example of enormous hard work, perseverance, and willpower, which must be learned as healthy people, and those whose capabilities are limited. The 18-year-old Paralympian proved to the whole world that anyone can achieve their goal no matter what, and all limitations exist only within ourselves.

Natalia Nazarenko

10.09.2016 Vladimir REPIK. Photo by Denis SUDNIK.

At the Paralympic Games, which are now taking place in Rio de Janeiro, our fellow countryman, swimmer Igor Bokiy, distinguished himself again: he has already won his third medal!

For the 21-year-old athlete, this is already the eighth medal of the highest standard at the Paralympics. Let us remember that four years ago, at the Games in London, Bokiy won 5 gold and one silver award. The Bobruisk athlete has four more starts in Rio de Janeiro ahead, and there is every chance of beating his previous achievement.

Igor Bokiy has been an Honorary Citizen of Bobruisk since 2013. After the London Paralympics, the then 18-year-old but already outstanding swimmer was given an apartment in his hometown by the authorities.

And Igor’s parents and his younger brother live in house No. 125 on Oktyabrskaya Street, which is near the city emergency hospital. We visited them while our son was in Rio on Friday evening.

Mom Elena Valentinovna is an entrepreneur, she has two retail outlets at markets selling building materials, and dad Alexander Antonovich works for her as a driver.

– Elena Valentinovna, what was Igor like as a child, did something foreshadow his brilliant sports future?

“Igor was always so nimble that he needed to put his energy somewhere. I came to kindergarten and thought: “Well, if only they didn’t complain about him today!” He put everyone on edge! Colleagues at work (I worked at the Fashion store) remember: when Sasha (husband) led Igor across the road, he always held him in a “death grip” so that his son would not break free and run somewhere. That’s why we decided to send Igork somewhere to a sport so that he could give away this ebullient energy of his. So at the age of 6 he got into swimming. His first coach was Pozdnyakova Natalya Yulievna, she selected him and began training with him in the pool, which was then on the site of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

– Have you ever regretted that you sent him to swimming?

“He floated very well.” But, again, because of his excessive activity and nimbleness, the coach often kicked him out of training for bad behavior. We scolded him then and sometimes even beat him for it. And once there was a case: dad comes, and the coach says to him, they say, why did you come, I kicked him out for a week and a half already?! And we regularly took him to training!.. It turned out that we would bring him, he would take a shower, wet his head and then tell us: “I was at training.” That's how it all began! (Laughs).

– When I talked with Igor before, it seemed to me that the guy was very modest and shy, you couldn’t get a word out of him!..

Father Alexander Antonovich enters the conversation:

- Well, modesty and nimbleness - one does not interfere with the other.

“And at school, we had behavioral problems with him,” Mom adds. - Only by the class, probably, the 7th, he became calmer. He studied well, at school No. 27, he himself entered the mathematics class, although I told him that he would not cope.

- What hobbies did Igor have then, besides swimming?

Yes, he didn't have much free time. Judge for yourself: two training sessions a day, plus school. Even when I was training in the city, it was fine, but then I had to go to the Lesnoy swimming pool... Here, now younger son Zhenya also goes in for swimming - we need to get up at half past seven in the morning in order to be at training by 8.00. He also goes to competitions with us, wins medals and diplomas.

“Of course, everything revolved around swimming for Igor when he realized that it was “his,” dad adds. – Everything else is already in the background. But he listens to music. I was listening to rock, and he got hooked with me. And this summer we went with him to the AC/DC concert in Warsaw. I really liked it, there was just a flurry of emotions!

– What was your reaction when you found out that Igor won his first Olympic gold in Rio?

- Everyone congratulated us. Even the neighbor, whom we usually just greet, hugged and congratulated her so warmly that there were tears in my eyes ( During these words, Igor’s mother shed tears).

“To be honest, we expected this victory,” dad admitted. – At the first Paralympics in London, of course, everything was unexpected. Then he himself did not realize it and was even less worried. Now I’m more nervous, I can’t sleep before competitions. There came an awareness of the responsibility and hopes placed on him. After all, we must now hold the bar to our hometown and country.

– How often does your son come here to your home now?

Dad:
– He tries to come on weekends, but in general he lives and trains in Minsk.

Mother:

– He lives alone, but I’m calm for him - he’s independent, he can cook for himself (sushi, French meat, and Greek salad)! He was taken to the Olympic reserve school in Minsk after the 8th grade, from that age he lived alone and learned to be independent.

– How does Igor spend his time in Bobruisk when he arrives? After all, he doesn’t sit at home all day?

Dad:

– He meets with friends and goes for walks. So, we hardly see him at home. By the way, our relatives tell us: they say, what are you doing with this swimming - the guy needs to study, etc. And I always said that Igor will be a champion! I always knew and believed in this.

– Does Igor have any pets?

Mother:

– He loves dogs very much! I always dreamed of having one, and here I am New Year his girlfriend Olya (she is from Bobruisk) gave him a dog - a shepherd. He was immensely happy. I took her to Minsk, but he’s always in training, she did a lot of business for him there!.. Then the dog lived in our apartment for up to three months, and now she lives in an enclosure, in our private house in Bobruisk. When Igor arrives, he always goes there, walks his Reggie, rides his bike, and she runs next to him.

– Is your youngest son Zhenya growing up as energetic as your eldest?

Dad:

“I think there’s no less energy there.” Zhenya is a little softer with us, or something... The only thing that is sometimes difficult is to drive him away from the computer. But swimming is his hobby computer games doesn’t suffer, but his studies... By the way, he is also trained by Natalya Pozdnyakova.

– I understand that you have already “sentenced” the youngest to gold medals?

- Certainly! And he will be our champion, for sure! I believe that children, especially boys, should definitely play sports. So as not to compete around the yards with unknown companies.
And also, taking the opportunity that “Vecherka” is visiting us, I wanted to convey a request to the city authorities: in Bobruisk, in the center, it is imperative to build a normal swimming pool so that children can train in it. You know, not everyone has a car to get up early every morning and take their child to the outskirts of the city, and then back...

The rally of support for Russian Paralympians at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Rio is snowballing into other events and comments. The Belarusians who carried out the Russian flag are supported by many. However, the Games themselves are going on as scheduled. And on the very first day of competition we got a medal. And of the highest standard. Igor Bokiy won gold in the 100-meter butterfly in the S13 category, thus becoming a six-time Paralympic champion. The President congratulated the swimmer on his success.

Photo by REUTERS.

I heartily congratulate you on your confident and important victory for all of us! Through overcoming and hard work, showing incredible courage and the will to win, you won your sixth Paralympic Games champion title and proved that you have no equal,” the congratulations say.

The President noted that such victories clearly show that a purposeful person can overcome all circumstances and push the boundaries of what is possible.

Alexander Lukashenko wished the entire Paralympic delegation of Belarus self-confidence, iron endurance and fortitude.

“Keep it up, we are with you,” the President emphasized.

Yesterday our team's standard-bearer Alexander Triput achieved success. He came third in the javelin throwing competition.

Photo by Vitaly Gil.

Catch up and overtake

Igor Bokiy is nicknamed Belarusian Phelps. And at the Paralympics in Rio, he immediately began to prove that it was not in vain. In any case, in his first program, the modest 22-year-old guy from Bobruisk did not seem to notice his opponents. Already at the preliminary stage he set a new Paralympic record (54.54), and in the final swim he even improved it - 53.85. World record! To understand how decent this time is, it is enough to say that many completely healthy athletes swam slower at the recent Games in Rio, and our Pavel Sankovich and Evgeniy Tsurkin in the preliminary heats of the 100-meter butterfly were then only slightly faster (Pasha showed a time of 53.00, and Zhenya - 53.24).

Photo by REUTERS.

In one of his first interviews after the furor at the Paralympics in London, when Bokiy collected a collection of five gold and one silver medals, he said: “Now I really hope to qualify for the World Championships healthy. And the main goal, of course, is to get to the regular Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.” Bokiy has repeatedly competed among the strongest Belarusian swimmers at domestic competitions and even went to the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona. However, he still did not break his connection with the Paralympic movement.

Natalya Pozdnyakova, coach and teacher of the Bobruisk Sports and Youth Sports School, who has been teaching children swimming for about 30 years and who once discovered Igor, does not rule out that her pupil will still make attempts:

- In 2013, he tried it and went to the World Championships. But I couldn’t swim there in my best seconds. Very very disappointed. And I decided not to give up invasport just yet. True, who knows what will happen next. Igor’s level of results is gradually rising, he is young, energetic, and ambitious. And from the age of 6 to 15, he swam next to healthy people. And he swam well.

- Although he has had vision problems since childhood...

- Yes, Igor always had difficulties with admission to competitions. His mother, with tears in her eyes, repeatedly begged the doctors to accommodate him and make an exception. But at the age of 15, when he wanted to get a job at the Olympic Reserve School in Minsk, he failed the medical examination. By that time, Igor was showing excellent results for his age: he was included in the national team roster and received the title of master of sports. And then they tell him, they say, finish it. A real tragedy. Fine, good people advised to talk to the doctor of the Paralympic team.

- Do you remember how you met Igor?

- Of course, his parents brought him to me. As a child, Igor had increased joint flexibility plus vision problems. He was not allowed to do anything other than swimming. But since he was an incredibly energetic and active boy, his parents wanted him to splash out his energy in sports. And he found himself swimming. A lot of children came to that set, but Bokiy immediately showed himself excellently. The set came out strong then. For example, besides Igor, there is also Pasha Kopylov from that group.

- As far as I know, the infrastructure for swimming is difficult in Bobruisk.

- There is a 50-meter swimming pool on the very edge of the city. It's okay there. But we are suffocating from the lack of a standard 25-meter swimming pool and splash pool. IN Soviet times We made a swimming pool here in a former cathedral. But now there is a temple there again. And we, in the position of poor relatives, train in ugly conditions: two tracks of non-standard sizes, no ventilation... To be honest, you are afraid to watch 6-7 year old kids. After the Paralympics in London, there was talk that they would build us at least a small bath for the children’s primary education. Nose dead center the matter never progressed...

- Maybe after the Games in Rio the issue will be raised again. Bokiy is trying.

“I looked at how confidently he swam the 100-meter butterfly, and I see that Igor is superbly prepared. Anything, of course, can happen. But I think that he will have no fewer medals at this Paralympics than in London. Hope so.

Yesterday, the first Belarusian medalist of the XV Summer Paralympic Games was free from performances. But again, we had someone to cheer for. Alexander Triput won bronze. In addition, judoist Alexander Kozlov, rower Lyudmila Volchek, swimmers Alexandra Svadkovskaya and Grigory Zudilov competed. In total, our team in Rio includes 20 athletes, and they are determined.

Wave of support

Swimmer Igor Bokiy has already made the water boil in the Olympic pool by winning the 100-meter butterfly. But various media platforms continue to seethe mainly with discussions of the action of our Paralympic team at the opening ceremony of the Games.

Fighter Igor Kanygin states: “I consider them heroes with a capital letter. I salute the one who raised the Russian flag at the parade. The fact is that at one time I was also removed from Olympic movement. This happened in 1984. The USSR national team did not go to summer games to Los Angeles. I know from myself how unpleasant it is when, through no fault of your own, you are excluded from the main competitions of the four-year period.”.

The gymnast echoes him Lyubov Cherkashina: “The guilt of the Russian Paralympians has not been proven, but they were nevertheless suspended from participation in the Paralympics. How can people who are somehow deprived of fate, but have found a path in life and want to realize themselves in sports, be prohibited from coming to the Games? We have the right to express our civil position. If a person has the fortitude to show that he does not agree with what is happening now in world sports, I will take his side.”.

And here is the swimmer’s opinion Alexandra Gerasimeni: “As an athlete, I understand the act of our compatriot. The fact that the Russian team was suspended from the Paralympic Games is simply terrible. I don’t want to get into this, although perhaps there really is some kind of politics involved here. As an athlete, I understand this action of solidarity.”.

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