The names of Vitaly and Wladimir Klitschko are inscribed in golden letters in the history of world boxing. They joke that their surname, translated into Russian, means "blow". Indeed, "Iron Fist" and "Steel Hammer", as their fans dubbed them, know how to take a punch and have knocked out many of their rivals.
Childhood and youth
Future athletes were brought up in the family of a military pilot. It was the father who instilled in the boys perseverance and a sense of justice. Vladimir Rodionovich completed his service with the rank of major general and military attaché in Germany. He participated in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl station and this became the reason for his early departure. Mother Nadezhda Ulyanovna devoted herself to work at school.
The elder Vitaly was born in 1971 in a small Kyrgyz village, the younger Vladimir - five years later in the Kazakh city of Semipalatinsk. The brothers grew up romantics and maximalists. Parents instilled in their children a love of sports, and when the family moved to Ukraine, the boys got the opportunity to go to good gyms. Volodya immediately singled out boxing for himself, and Vitalik combined it with martial arts. Since the junior competition, the brothers have shown good results. Their first coach was Vladimir Alekseevich Zolotarev. The mentor patiently and consistently led the children to successful results. Six years later, Vitaly became a master of sports, three times became the best in the national championship and won the army games. Vladimir won gold for Ukraine at the Atlanta Olympics.
Professional sports
1996 was a turning point for the brothers, they took a new milestone. Their passion for boxing has reached a new professional level. The brothers signed their first contracts and Fritz Sdunek began to train them. The career of athletes has developed brightly and rapidly. For a long time, American athletes were in the lead in boxing. This stereotype was broken by the elder Klitschko when he became the first world champion from professional Slavs. The result of 26 knockouts in a row graced the Guinness Book of Records in 1999. By 2005, the brothers had many beautiful, memorable victories and boxing association titles.
Not without injuries, because of which Vitaly decided to leave the sport for a while, he needed treatment and rehabilitation. He returned after three seasons and won a new league title. Vladimir's potential was gradually revealed, almost every year he ended up receiving a new championship belt.
Klitschko recognized not only the joy of victories, but also the bitterness of defeat. They helped boxers to get stronger in spirit and make adjustments to the training process. After all, the brothers were no longer just athletes, but idols of many, on the examples of their fights, other guys honed their skills. Vitaly completed his sports biography in 2011, the cause was multiple injuries. Vladimir left the sport in 2015. Not knowing defeat for 11 years, he unexpectedly lost the fight to a young British athlete. Such a long success of Ukrainian heavyweight boxers in the world ring can be explained by their high skill and dedication.
Not just boxing
Boxing gave the Klitschko brothers prosperity, worldwide fame and popularity. Several years ago, they were among the hundred richest Ukrainians. Boxers were in demand in advertisements for Mercedes and Telecom companies, a network of gyms and vitamins. Vitali Klitschko became a famous Ukrainian politician, deputy. In 2014, he won the mayoral elections in Kiev and holds this position to this day. The younger brother tried his hand at the film industry. His filmography is already 12 paintings. The Klitschko Brothers Fund is by far the largest investor in sports projects in Ukraine. Thanks to their help, several dozen sports grounds for children have been opened in the country. They fund the world's only junior boxing tournament every year. Two brothers - two legends, they did a lot to popularize sports in their country and in the world, not in word, but in deed.
The personal life of the brothers develops in different ways. Vitaly has long started a family, his wife Natalya is a model and sportswoman in the past. The couple have three children. The spouse actively supports her husband in all endeavors, be it sports, social activities or politics. Wladimir Klitschko for a long time was in a relationship with the American Hayden Panettiere. No one doubted the paternity of the only joint child of an athlete and a miniature Hollywood actress. Today the Ukrainian boxer is single and remains an enviable groom.
