For the first time in the history of boxing in the Chelyabinsk region, a breakthrough was made to the Olympic podium - on August 15, a native of Zlatoust, Anastasia Belyakova, beat her opponent from the USA in a stubborn fight, thereby opening her way to the podium. But in the semi-finals a tragedy occurred: Nastya received a serious injury at the end of the first round... Therefore - alas, but also cheers - only bronze. The day after the semi-final fight in the international zone of the Olympic Village, Anastasia Belyakova met with Chelyabinsk journalist Igor Zolotarev. During the conversation, Nastya carefully supported her injured arm, fixed with a special bandage.

Nastya, yesterday after the semi-final game, the Russian water polo player barely had time to move two media shuttles to your fight in the semi-final with the Frenchwoman Mosseli. But it ended quickly in the first round. What's happened?

My hand was injured. She began to strike and felt pain in her hand. My elbow sprained. My opponent “helped” me - she was practicing some kind of blows, but she once again struck me on the arm.

Not at the moment when she entered the clinch with you? Was your opponent squeezing your hand at the time? I ask because I took pictures and saw that your face was distorted in pain during the clinch...

Maybe at this moment too. Everything happened so quickly...

Recently in Astana you lost to a French woman in the final match for the 2016 world champion title. What kind of conflicts were there?

The coaches and I believe that I won that fight. But the judges decided to give the victory to her opponent. I entered this fight with the determination to conduct the fight in such a way that the judges would have no doubts: I came to Rio for Olympic gold. When we entered the ring, I saw fear in Mosseli’s eyes. She felt that I was going to “tear” her! We started boxing and that’s what happened...

When the referee stopped the fight, the French woman from behind hit you twice in the kidneys. I thought something happened to you because of this...

There was hellish pain in my hand - and I no longer felt anything. When I looked further, I saw that everything was sticking out of my elbow... First, they took me to the first aid station at the boxing pavilion, gave me a painkiller and tried to straighten it out. But the muscles were still tense, I screamed in pain. Later at the clinic they took pictures, then put him to sleep and reset his elbow.

- How do you feel now?

Fine.

- Nastya, you are 23 years old now. Are you going to box until the next Olympics?

Yes. God willing, my hand will now recover and I won’t have such injuries again. And of course, I’m ready to fight for Olympic gold!

- What did the national team coach Lisitsyn say?

This morning I said: “Don’t be upset, it happens. Heal the injury. Then we’ll see if there’s a desire to continue boxing.” While at home we will be working on recovery with personal trainer Evgeny Tarasov, training - maybe not boxing, but physical activity - cross-country. And now I’ll rest a little. Such loads! Stress after this fight.

August 19, immediately after the final fight in our weight category. A pedestal will be brought straight into the ring and an award will be given.

Igor Zolotarev, Rio de Janeiro,
photo by the author and from open sources

Dmitry SIMONOV
from Rio de Janeiro

Anastasia Belyakova Since childhood, he has been boxing with an opponent named Life and surname Ruthless. Blonde girl Nastya was born in the Chelyabinsk region in a city with the beautiful name Zlatoust. Nastya's father died when she was about nine, and her mother's bad habits turned out to be more important than her own child. The girl was raised by her grandmother, so Nastya is her grandmother’s daughter. She was involved in skiing, but later chose boxing.

It was not in vain that she chose - in 2014 Belyakova won the European Championship and then the world championship. To qualify for the Olympics, she had to surpass herself in weight up to 60 kg Sofia Ochigava, the sex symbol of Russian women's boxing and the silver medalist of the London Olympics, as well as several other strong rivals within the country. As a result, Ochigawa did not make it to the Games, missing a lot of time due to health reasons, and ended her amateur career. And Belyakova, before going to Rio, again went to the World Championships and became second there, losing Estelle Mossely. She met her in the semi-finals of the Olympics. By the way, after the quarterfinals, Anastasia for some reason was completely confident that she would get the Chinese woman and not the French woman.

Their fight ended in the middle of the first round. During the exchange of blows Belyakova injured her elbow joint - either herself, through an unsuccessful movement, or under blows Mossely. After the technical knockout is announced, the athlete from France will say that she is glad to reach the final, but did not want it to happen this way - through the pain and suffering of Belyakova.

The audience did not immediately notice the elbow injury. Before this, the opponent dealt several more blows to the kidneys and liver. Belyakova screamed heart-rendingly and, holding her left hand, pressed herself against the ropes. The judge rushed to her aid - he hugged the girl and took her out of the ring. Nastya did not see or hear anything around her, being in a state of painful shock. Trainers and doctors surrounded her near the ring. She emerged from this anthill already in a wheelchair. She was taken away. Trainer Victor Lisitsyn later reported that the athlete’s elbow joint was knocked out, and in his words, “this made it impossible to fight for gold.”

Olympics for Belyakova completed, and she will fly away from Rio not only with an injury, but also with a bronze medal. There are no fights for third place in Olympic boxing. This result was probably not at all what she expected. After all, Nastya probably wanted the name of her hometown - Zlatoust - to be symbolic, and Ochigava’s London achievement turned out to be blocked.

But instead, the Olympics of the brave and strong girl Nastya ends in pain and tears. Sports are not always fair, they are often unpredictable and terribly cruel to even their most loving children. After all, the word Olympics hides not only “Olympus”, but also “hell”. Let's wish Anastasia good health and may she go through this test. Let us believe that now is only the most bitter moment of history, which one day (for example, in four years) will end with a happy ending.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Olympic Games 2016. Boxing. August 17.
Women. Weight category up to 60 kg. 1/2 finals.

The program for today's boxing day was opened by girls, among whom were both Russians, Anastasia Belyakova and Yaroslava Yakushina. Both were considered

obvious underdogs, but in the case of Belyakova we could count on a sensation. The fact is that in the final of the World Championship she already met with a Frenchwoman Estelle Mossely and lost in an equal battle, and according to some experts, even won. Yakushina was less fortunate. She was up against the phenomenal American Claressa Shields, who has won every major tournament since the London Olympics.

The card was opened by a Chinese woman Yin Junhua and Finnish Mira Potkonen, which knocked out the once great and terrible Katie Taylor. In four two-minute rounds, the Asian gave her such a beating that the helmet, which remains an integral attribute in women’s boxing, did not save her. The Finnish woman entered the mix zone with a terrible face, in which blood, sweat and tears were mixed from an unfortunate defeat. As it turned out, this was not the worst thing that happened today.

From the ring to the wheelchair

Belyakova entered the ring next with a smile and an attitude of victory. She was not afraid of her formidable opponent and in the first round she met her well with deuces. It seemed that another unpredictable fight awaited us, where everything would again be in the hands of the judges. The judge's gavel signaled ten seconds remaining until the end of the first round, when suddenly a loud scream broke through the noise of the hall. After the blow, Belyakova doubled over in pain, and her left arm hung lifeless.

She was given first aid by the referee, who immediately stopped the fight, and then the athlete was sent to an ambulance in a wheelchair, and then taken to the Olympic village for diagnosis and assistance. The “Championship” special correspondent managed to find a volunteer who made it clear that she did not have an obvious fracture, but rather a dislocated elbow or shoulder. The same was confirmed by her opponent in the mixed zone. “I’m glad to reach the final, but of course I didn’t want to do it this way. My opponent’s injury has clouded the joy of my victory, and I wish her health,” Mosseli said.

Head coach of the women's team Victor Lisitsyn at that moment was blacker than a cloud. On the one hand, his thoughts were next to his injured ward. On the other hand, he had to second Yaroslav Yakushin in the ring. The representative of the heaviest weight category behaved with dignity in the ring. Of course, the American’s class and physical strength left her virtually no chance of winning, but in the third round, when there was nothing left to lose, Yaroslava evened out the fight and accepted defeat with dignity. If the lot had been more merciful to her, perhaps she could have won bronze.

Waiting for good news

The support group of the Russian team in the stands was shocked by what happened. The coaches and athletes were even more in the dark than the correspondents, and were happy to hear the information that there was no fracture. The executive director of the Russian Boxing Federation, Evgeny Sudakov, was also worried. There is no exact information yet, we are waiting for a call. “They will examine Anastasia in the Olympic Village. Most likely, the elbow came out. It is possible that there will be surgical intervention. She was the leader in her weight category. She started the fight well and boxed well. But this is sport, nothing can be done,” he told the Championship’s special correspondent.

We can only hope that this is just a severe dislocation and not a fracture, which could put an end to Nastya’s sports career. If the outcome is favorable, the day after tomorrow she will be able to get into the ring and receive her bronze medal. The attitude towards women's boxing after what happened will be even more ambiguous. Serious injuries can occur in any sport, but girls sometimes experience much more emotions, aggression and cruelty in fights than men.

It’s not yet six in the morning, but the huge Zlatoust army of sports activists is already on their feet and meeting their heroic compatriot Anastasia Belyakova at the Chelyabinsk airport. The heroine of this joyful morning commotion did not expect such a reception and a flurry of emotions. About a hundred people came to greet the bronze medal winner at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In short breaks between congratulations and tight hugs, Nastya jokes - I still can’t believe that I’ve finally arrived home.

“I probably don’t yet have the awareness that I’ve arrived home.” I think I'm still there. The impressions are, of course, excellent, everything is joyful and pleasant. Of course, I was going for another medal. I was already nearby, tuning in for gold. I came out with the mindset of winning, but strange situations happened. Now I had calmed down and was recovering slowly. Now I’ve arrived home, my family will give me strength. I think I will soon recover and continue to work.

“Bronze” by Anastasia Belyakova at the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil has already been given many epithets - the most “dramatic”, and the most “terrible”, and the most “heroic”. Any definition is true. Nastya went through a lot of work, excitement, and pain to win a medal at her first Olympics. The terrible injury that the Zlatoust athlete received in the semi-final fight against the Frenchwoman Estelle Mossely made the whole world shudder. And at home, the relatives experienced, perhaps, one of the most terrible nights.

ALEXANDRA, sister of Anastasia Belyakova:

“It was all unexpected, of course, and scary.” They were afraid of what happened to the hand, they were worried. We wrote off, but, of course, not right away, because she was taken to the clinic. I tried to call, but, of course, it was unavailable. We wrote to her, the coach wrote to her because he was with her at that moment. Therefore, we knew all the information. It’s always difficult that Nastya is somewhere far away, she’s constantly on the road. This is always a problem, but it’s good that we have social networks, which always save us. And basically, we communicate every day.

Nastya still cannot understand what happened in that ill-fated ending to the brilliantly executed first round. But there is no moral strength yet to analyze and evaluate that moment. It’s too scary to remember and relive these seconds of extreme pain that seemed like an eternity.

ANASTASIA BELYAKOVA, Olympic medalist:

– When I stretched, it hurt. And then I looked behind my elbow, and there... there was horror. I scream even more, I’m in such shock. It's still not clear. I don’t even want to watch, I’m scared to watch this replay. Later, I’ll probably rest, recover, and then I’ll be able to watch. And evaluate how and why this happened. It’s good that my coach Evgeny Tarasov was with me. He supported me, was always with me, calmed me down. Also, my family and friends were constantly in touch with me, especially when it happened... Also, everyone helped and reassured me.

Everyone tried to support Anastasia Belyakova by phone and through social networks - family, friends, and even those who learned about the Zlatoust athlete only during the Olympic broadcasts. Colleagues at the sports school were especially worried. Alena Pashkina, one of the promising young teammates in the ring, says that all the Brazilian passions came just at the time of the training camp. And there was no opportunity to watch Nastya’s fights on TV. Resourcefulness and modern technology came to the rescue.

ALENA PASHKINA, student of Olympic Reserve Sports School No. 5:

- We were at the training camp. We only had Wi-Fi on one phone. We all looked at him and were very worried. This injury upset us very much, we even cried there. No, Nastya is great. We were very worried about her and worried about her. Smart girl. Moreover, from my city, from one hall. Her grandmother, her sister, everyone is worried about her. And it doesn’t matter what place she comes with, the main thing is that she comes. We love her very much and miss her very much.

They love, miss and are inspired by the example of their, now, without exaggeration, great countrywoman. The achievements of Anastasia Belyakova are the best example of the fact that any dream can be achieved if you work hard at it. For the first time in the history of Zlatoust and the Chelyabinsk region, representatives of the Ural boxing managed to find themselves on the Olympic podium. And this was done by a student of the Zlatoust boxing school.

VIKTOR FARKHUTDINOV, Director of Olympic Reserve Sports School No. 5, Honored Trainer of Russia, Deputy of the Assembly of the Western Civil Society for District No. 1:

“I was very happy that she had already reached the semi-finals. It was nice for our hometown. We all watched this fight. Unfortunately, it was such an injury. If not for this, she would have won the Olympic Games 100%. She was so ready. But I think we will prove it. I am very grateful to all the boxing of the Chelyabinsk region, the president of the regional federation Evgeny Redin, the head of the city boxing federation, the Head of the city Vyacheslav Zhilin. For the city of Zlatoust and the entire Chelyabinsk region, the first bronze medal in boxing is a great honor.

Modesty, openness and charm, but at the same time, courage, courage and the ability not to give up in the most terrible trials. The Olympic boxing tournament became a real high point in the career of Anastasia Belyakova. Whose “bronze” turned out to be more expensive than any “gold”. It is no coincidence that today everyone knows about the sports feat of the girl from Zlatoust - from ordinary fans to the President of the country.

ANASTASIA BELYAKOVA, Olympic medalist:

– I became popular with my hand. They even came to the Kremlin, everyone there already knows me - the guards, everyone. They say that everyone was watching and worried. If there is attention, then, in any case, it’s nice. And here it’s both funny and not funny. But in any case, it’s nice that they know and look. Putin came up to me and asked what was wrong with my hand. It’s nice that I personally inquired and talked.

Treatment and recovery procedures, new training, revenge that I want to take in four years in Tokyo. Anastasia Belyakova talks about this as plans for the future. There will also be many meetings and ceremonies in honor of the Olympic medalist. But that’s all later. Now the most important thing for Nastya is the long-awaited opportunity to be at home, with her loved ones. And this, according to the talented athlete, is the most valuable gift for her.

Russian boxer Anastasia Belyakova was seriously injured in her semi-final bout with Frenchwoman Estelle Mossely in the semi-finals of the Rio Olympics. Belyakova won bronze, but the continuation of her sports career is questionable.

Russian Anastasia Belyakova was forced to stop her semi-final fight with Frenchwoman Estella Mosseli in the semi-final fight of the Rio Olympics. The fight was stopped in the first round and the Frenchwoman was awarded a victory by technical knockout.

The Russian athlete thus won bronze in the weight category up to 60 kg.

The Russian woman was sent to the hospital with a knocked out elbow joint immediately after the fight. The doctors on duty nearby took her away in a wheelchair.

According to the coach, Belyakova has an injury to her elbow joint. But there is no exact diagnosis yet.

Anastasia Belyakova was seriously injured

Director of the Russian Boxing Federation, AIBA international judge Evgeny Sudakov said that Anastasia Belyakova’s injury, which she received in the semi-finals of the boxing competition at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, could force her to retire from the sport.

“It’s a shame that Anastasia received such a serious injury. God grant that her shoulder doesn’t fall out. If her shoulder falls out, then it will probably be possible to finish boxing. For people who don’t play sports professionally, there’s nothing in it terrible. But for active boxers, that’s all. This can lead to the end of their career,” said Sudakov.

According to him, if a boxer leaves the sport, then surgery will be impossible.

“We’ll see what the doctors say after a detailed examination of Anastasia. It’s a shame - the fight was ours, and Belyakova won it,” noted the director of the federation.

At the age of 9, she was left without a father, grew up without a mother, her grandmother was her guardian. Lives with her and her older sister.

Since the age of 13, she has been boxing under the guidance of coach Evgeny Tarasov, who suggested that she switch to this sport from cross-country skiing.

At the 2010 World Championships in the weight category up to 60 kg she took 5th-8th place. That same year she won the European Junior Championships, and the next year she became the world champion among girls under 18 years of age.

Silver medalist of the 2013 World Martial Arts Games and winner of the 2014 All-Russian Youth Spartakiad.

Three-time Russian champion in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

In 2014 she won gold at the European and World Championships. In the final of the European Championship, Anastasia Belyakova defeated the Englishwoman Natasha Jonas, and in the final of the World Championship, the Englishwoman Sandy Ryan.

In 2015, Belyakova again won in her weight category at the European Games, and after that she moved to the up to 60 kg category in which she won silver at the 2016 World Championship, losing to the Frenchwoman Estelle Mossely, but at the same time winning an Olympic license.