The first Russian Olympic taekwondo champion Maxim Khramtsov spoke about his journey to the gold medal, emphasizing that from childhood he cultivated the character of a winner.
On Tuesday, a meeting with Khramtsov took place at the National Sports Museum. He won a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, becoming the first Russian champion in the sport.
— What is the secret of such self-confidence?
— I have been practicing taekwondo since I was 10 years old. Before that, I trained in karate and switched to taekwondo, since it’s an Olympic sport. Naturally, from childhood I had the character of a winner. If you, as a little seven-year-old, want to take up martial arts yourself, that already says a lot. When an athlete enters a fight, you cannot say that he does not have character. He has already shown his character, he went to fight. Many people feel nervous before a performance. But when you start the fight itself, all your excitement disappears, because before that you have undergone the most powerful training.
You forget everything and just do your job, like I did in the Olympics and every other competition. I just had confidence in myself, I knew I was 100% ready and that nothing and no one could stop me from winning.
— How to develop a champion character?
— It takes a lot of practice to be confident. Because otherwise, there will be thoughts in your head like: “Well, I didn’t practice, maybe I will perform poorly now. ” But if you have given everything in training, then in competition, therefore, there will not be the slightest doubt in you, not for a second. Of course, it is always more difficult to prepare than to achieve.
— Does the arm you broke during the Olympics bother you?
– Everything is fine. Of course, it was painful at times, but I understood that winning the Games was the goal I had worked for my whole life. And quitting because I broke my arm would be a mistake. Plus, in our sport, where we mainly practice footwork, I could afford to save my hand somewhere and still become an Olympic champion.
—Was the convalescence long?
“Normal recovery, I spent about a month healing my hand,” Khramtsov was quoted as saying by correspondent.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
