Athlete Pavel Karelin was called the pride of the country. The Russian ski jumper was an international master of sports. The promising skier had a lot ahead.
Pavel Alekseevich Karelin from Nizhny Novgorod burst into the sports world rapidly. He became one of the most professional skiers in the world. The athlete's career went up quickly. He won many competitions, was not going to rest on his laurels.
The road to sports heights
Pavel was born on April 27 in Gorky in 1990. From an early age, the grandson was raised by his grandmother. Maria Viktorovna brought the child to the local sports school. This was the turning point in the biography of the future champion.
Pavel first climbed the springboard out of curiosity at the age of nine. The young athlete was impressed by both the height and the speed. He realized that this was his destiny. The grandmother rejoiced at the boy's successes and supported him with all her might.
From childhood, Paul was distinguished by perseverance. He showed high results. The talent was quickly spotted by specialists. The skier entered the junior team in 2003, and in 2007 he joined the adult jump team.
An important role in professional development was played by his stepfather, who was involved in speed skating. Karelin perceived his departure from life as a huge loss.
Since September 2007, the seventeen-year-old boy has started taking part in the World Cups. At one of the stages of the competition, he became the ninth. A place in the top ten allowed Pavel to secure leadership in the country's jumping team.
He did not stop moving until he had achieved it. Soon, the skier already won prizes at international competitions and was increasingly mentioned in the world press.
In 2008-2010, Pavle entered the top ten junior skiers at the world championships. The February World Cup in the team competition brought the athlete in 2009 the second place. At the games in Vancouver in 2010, the team finished tenth. Personally, Pavel took a place at the beginning of the third decade.
Successes and failures
Since the beginning of 2011 in the Four Hillside Tournament Karelin confidently became the second, leaving the title only to the world champion Simon Amman. In the 2010-2011 season, the skier was twenty-third overall.
He again took silver at the summer international competitions. After that, Pavle finished sixth twice. Karelin was called a contender for the "gold" of the Sochi Olympics.
The guy did not give up in front of difficulties, he was ready to train without interruption. During the jumps, the athlete was incredibly calm and concentrated. He never lost his composure under any circumstances. The springboard seemed to attract him.
Alexander Svyatov, a skier's coach, stopped the pupil more than once, persuading him to rest. Pavel managed to be at home infrequently.
He constantly lingered at foreign competitions or was in training. Once in Nizhny Novgorod, Pavel always visited his grandmother and beloved coach, who turned into a real family member for an athlete.
Karelin and his chosen one Nadezhda were impatiently awaiting the arrival. Pavel made the girl an offer. Officially, the young people planned to become husband and wife in 2012. The girl understood the long absence of the groom. She watched the course of his competitions at all championships.
Interrupted jump
Unexpectedly for everyone, the beginning of autumn 2011 was the time of dismissal of the coach of the national team Svyatov. The devoted pupil was in despair. He refused to change the mentor. It was decided to prepare for the championship only under the leadership of Svyatov.
As a result, Karelin was removed from the competition. The Council of the Jumping Federation planned to make a decision at the end of October 2011. Pavel did not live to see the verdict. He crashed a couple of weeks before the scheduled gathering.
The accident took place on October 9. Pavel was driving along the Nizhny Novgorod-Kazan highway. In the salon of his car sat the elder brother of the bride and a friend of the athlete. The car's tire burst, the vehicle flew into the oncoming lane and crashed into the truck.
The airbag has not deployed. The athlete died on the spot. The passengers ended up in the hospital. Both survived. The death of Karelin caused a real shock. He was considered the strongest skier in the country, and high awards were predicted.
The skier's mentors categorically disagreed with the reasons for the accident named by the experts. The main reason for the tragedy was the experience after disagreements with the Federation Council.
According to fans, the athlete could not calmly wait out the suspension from the competition. Sport is his life.
In memory of a skier
The death of her grandson was a blow to my grandmother. Doctors did not leave Maria Viktorovna. Next to her was the chosen one of Paul. The news was not easy for Alexander Svyatov. He underwent a serious operation several years before the accident. In the hometown of the athlete, a charitable foundation named after him was created.
The idea for the foundation was submitted by Karelina's grandmother. Her grandson's friends supported her. Thanks to the organization, the outstanding athlete will be remembered. He dreamed of making the chosen occupation popular.
The activities of the organization included holding competitions and helping young athletes. The idea was also supported by the society. Funding was provided by the local Jumping Federation.
Despite a short biography, Karelin's life lived brightly. For twenty-one years, he became known to the whole planet, declared himself as a promising ski jumper.
Pavel dreamed of gold at the world cup, of creating a family. Karelin incredibly loved his grandmother and respected the coach. In the memory of everyone who knew him, the young athlete remained a real man.
