Alexander Karelin: “Russia trains only champions”

The Russian national team set off for the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in China yesterday. The Olympics will take place in Nanjing from August 16 to 28. The Russian team will compete for medals in 21 out of 32 types of sports. The country is putting its bets on the wrestlers. Russia is traditionally the favourite in these types of sports. Russian athletes received licenses for all five positions.

Alexander Karelin, three times Olympic champion, a member of the State Duma, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the Russian multinational youth team had great chances for victory. The Olympic champion noted that successful sports achievements were based on the remarkable traditions of Dagestan, Ossetia, Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria. “Gyms are developing, there is wonderful competition in the federation. Even in traditional regions where only free [wrestling] was developed, Greco-Roman [wrestling] is very well-represented and, consequently, promising,” Karelin said about development of wrestling in the North Caucasus.

Omar Murtazaliyev, vice president of the Russian Sports Wrestling Federation, hopes that the youth national team will succeed. In his words, the Russian Sports Wrestling Federation has about 80 Olympic champions. He claims that “not a single country in the world has such results. One little Dagestan has over 15 Olympic champions. There are many countries that dream about so many gold medals in all kinds of sports.

Young Olympic athletes themselves told Vestnik Kavkaza that they had only the best expectations, committed only to victory, because becoming an Olympic champion is the dream of every athlete.

The Russian national wrestling team participates in Youth Olympic GamesThe Russian national team set off for the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in China yesterday. The Olympics will take place in Nanjing from August 16 to 28. The Russian team will compete for medals in 21 out of 32 types of sports. The country is putting its bets on the wrestlers. Russia is traditionally the favourite in these types of sports. Russian athletes received licenses for all five positions.Alexander Karelin, three times Olympic champion, a member of the State Duma, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the Russian multinational youth team had great chances for victory. The Olympic champion noted that successful sports achievements were based on the remarkable traditions of Dagestan, Ossetia, Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria. “Gyms are developing, there is wonderful competition in the federation. Even in traditional regions where only free [wrestling] was developed, Greco-Roman [wrestling] is very well-represented and, consequently, promising,” Karelin said about development of wrestling in the North Caucasus.Omar Murtazaliyev, vice president of the Russian Sports Wrestling Federation, hopes that the youth national team will succeed. In his words, the Russian Sports Wrestling Federation has about 80 Olympic champions. He claims that “not a single country in the world has such results. One little Dagestan has over 15 Olympic champions. There are many countries that dream about so many gold medals in all kinds of sports.Young Olympic athletes themselves told Vestnik Kavkaza that they had only the best expectations, committed only to victory, because becoming an Olympic champion is the dream of every athle