The names of outstanding athletes are preserved for a long time in books, archives and the memory of fans. Repeated champion of Europe and the Olympic Games, Soviet boxer Valery Popenchenko remains a role model for young fighters in the ring.
Severe childhood
Valery Vladimirovich Popenchenko was born on August 26, 1937 in an ordinary Soviet family. Parents lived on the outskirts of Moscow. The child was no different from the other children with whom he talked on the street. When the Great Patriotic War began, my father went to the front and died a heroic death. The mother had to raise her son alone. She worked in several places to dress and feed the boy. On the recommendation of the military commissariat, the teenager was taken up in the Tashkent Suvorov School.
The twelve-year-old pupil liked the strict routine of the school. Valery willingly mastered general education disciplines, studied military affairs and went in for sports. Almost all of the Suvorovs tried to get into the boxing section. Among other trainings, Popenchenko attended. Just a couple of months later, he began to stand out among his peers. And then the coach began to study with him according to an individual program.
In the "big ring"
At first, the coach had to make a lot of effort to instill in Valery a simple concept: boxing is not a fight. The fact is that the manner of fighting in the ring distinguished the boxer from all other fighters. He boxed in an open stance with little regard for defense. For this feature, Popenchenko received comments from the coach and tangible lessons from his rivals. Over time, he mastered the optimal fighting technique, which allowed him to achieve excellent results.
Valery's sports career began in 1955, when he took first place at the Soviet Union Youth Championship. In the same year, after graduating from college with a gold medal, he moved to Leningrad. Here he entered the famous Naval Engineering School and began to train under the guidance of an experienced mentor. In 1960 he graduated and won the USSR Championship. Then he confirmed this title five times. Three years later he became the European champion.
Personal life
In 1964, Popenchenko won the Tokyo Olympics. This achievement is briefly described in the athlete's biography. The next year, Valery Vladimirovich announced his retirement from sports. During the time spent in the ring, he won 200 victories out of 213 fights. Few of the fans know that the eminent boxer was seriously involved in scientific research. In 1968 he defended his thesis and received a Ph. D. in technical sciences.
After completing his sports career, Valery headed the Department of Physical Education at the Moscow Higher Technical School. Bauman. He devoted a lot of time and effort to the preparation of sports facilities. In his personal life, Popenchenko was in complete order. The husband and wife raised and raised their son. The famous boxer and promising teacher died tragically in February 1975.
