As a former member of the USSR Olympic team, he now coaches American Olympians.

Konstantin Petrov continues to win competitions now. Photos from the personal archive

Moving to the United States from Kazakhstan 18 years ago, professional swimmer Konstantin Petrov took up coaching. Now he can be proud not only of his participation in two Olympic games, but also of American students who have become sports stars.

From the city of apples to the Big Apple

The love of swimming came from Constantine in childhood. The parents, noticing this, took the son to the pool. So he started practicing with a coach. At first, Konstantin simply enjoyed bathing, and in 9 years he was awakened by the desire to compete and win, which determined his fate.

While living in Alma-Ata, Konstantin played in the USSR national team and won many international competitions. In 1984, 4 took a place in the Friendship of Peoples competition, which the countries of the socialist camp held that year instead of participating in the Los Angeles Olympics. In 1988, at the Olympics in Seoul, he became the bronze medalist of the Olympics in the combined relay 4 × 100 m as a member of the USSR national team. combined relay 1983 × 1987 m. In 4 years, Konstantin set a record in competitions Masters World Record 50 Flywhich kept the whole 2001 year.

— To get into the Olympic team, you had to take first or second place at the qualifying USSR Championship, and I succeeded. Of course, it was not easy at all; it took years of hard training to achieve such a result. When I found out that I was going to the Olympics, I even screamed with joy. At that moment I realized that all my efforts were not in vain, they were the ones who brought me this luck. And in 1988, I went to the Olympic Games in Seoul for the first time. I was 24 years old at the time,” the athlete recalls. “Of course, I was filled with delight and pride that my sports career was going so well. I was in awe of the sports parades - it was simply an indescribable spectacle. Meeting world-class athletes was also breathtaking. And the competition itself is something extraordinary! When you swim the Olympic distance, you concentrate all your attention, all your strength, skills and abilities in one moment, and you feel only one desire - to swim to the finish line as quickly as possible, so as not to let your team and country down.

When Konstantin finished his sports career, it was difficult for him to find work in his hometown, and he thought about emigration to the USA. Three years in a row participated in the lottery Green cardand once he was lucky. So Konstantin moved to the USA with his family in 1999. Here he quickly realized that he wanted to become a coach, but it was not easy to find such a job, primarily because of the language barrier.

Therefore, in the first year he worked as a massage therapist in the medical office, and a lifeguard in the pool. And then, despite the far from perfect English, I found a job as a swimming coach in a large sports complex Asphalt green in Manhattan.

However, his first students - children of immigrants from China and Spanish-speaking countries - spoke English just as badly as he did, so the coach had to develop a new technique, develop facial expressions, gestures, use professional slang with keywords in classes. .

Konstantin brought up a lot of young athletes. Photos from the personal archive

We light new stars

During the last 18 years, thousands of children of different nationalities have been studying with Konstantin. He trained upscale athletes who performed at the national championships of America, on Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games. Many of them thanks to their sporting achievements were able to get into prestigious colleges.

Among Konstantin’s brightest students is Leah Neal, who participated in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and the World Championships, taking prizes. She still competes for the US national team in various competitions. Konstantin trained her for 7 years, but another coach was preparing her for the Olympics. According to Konstantin, the girl has always been distinguished by determination, perseverance and the desire to win.

— When my students perform at major competitions, I root for them and follow every important start, we call each other and correspond. I know that at such moments they need my support, and I try to motivate them to win. However, every ordinary day I strive to inspire my students, telling them stories from my sports experience. In general, I often remind them during classes that a swimmer who does not dream of becoming an Olympic champion is a bad swimmer,” shares Konstantin.

However, he notes that swimming lessons are useful not only for those who want to use them to get a college scholarship or one day get on the podium. It is sports sections that help children improve their health and make friends, and in adolescence, help them cope with a crisis, maintain concentration, be collected and attentive, disciplined, and responsible in their studies.

Konstantin himself continues to train in order to maintain excellent form. Photos from the personal archive

New country - new career

Now Konstantin can safely say that his coaching career was a success. In the US, he went from a coach in a large sports center in Manhattan to the head coach and director of water programs in a sports complex. Match Point in New York.

“Here I was given not just an excellent job, but also a platform for promoting my ideas in a wide range of programs. I am glad that in this job I can help children and adults be healthier and more beautiful. Instilling in as many people as possible the desire for a healthy lifestyle is as strong a dream for a coach as seeing his students on a podium with medals, says Konstantin.

Now Konstantin conducts classes on several programs: swimming training (Learn to Swim Program) swimming for mothers with children (Mommys and me), individual training (Private lessons), swimming team (Swim team).

— My program in Match Point consists of teaching children how to swim step by step from simple to complex. Also during classes we move from quantity to quality. In the youngest groups, children begin training at the age of 3-5. These groups are created so that children get used to the water, play, and at the same time receive systematic training. Then there are groups for children from 6 to 14 years old, but here they are divided into different levels of education, taking into account the physical abilities of the students. For children who need technique adjustments, we provide private lessons with professional trainers. After the season ends, we hold qualifying competitions for joining the swim team, which consists of three levels. The team is young, it is only 3 years old, but the children in it are promising. I even came up with a motto for her: “Our goals are to reach higher heights, so that Olympians mature,” says the coach.

Konstantin himself in 53 also does not forget to keep fit, 3 swims once a week and sometimes participates in class competitions. Masters (for sport veterans) at national and world championships.

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