“When I saw the flags of the USSR and Russia, I cried.” How water polo player Akimov was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in the United States

Vladimir Akimov – Olympic champion (1980), World Cup winner (1981), world champion (1982), multiple champion of the USSR and Europe. In February 2024, it was announced that he would be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF).

Roman shared with his speech at his father’s Hall of Fame induction.

— Good evening, dear ladies and gentlemen! It is a great honor for me to receive an award today for my father, Vladimir Akimov. The Akimov dynasty is well known in the world of water polo. The five children of this large family grew up in difficult post-war times. Each of them reached great heights in sports, and two brothers – Anatoly and Vladimir – became Olympic champions.

My father Vladimir Akimov died very early, at the age of 34. During his short life, he managed to win all the sporting titles in the world. For this generation, there was no second or third place. Only victory. When Dad was 19, he wrote in his diary: “Only by fighting with yourself can you become a good athlete, a good player… I am excited by the idea that I should be an example for my comrades…”

I am sure that it is precisely these people, these words and these stories that can not only be a motivation, but also a guiding star for new generations of athletes. I thank the International Swimming Hall of Fame for preserving the great global history of aquatic sports and the names of great athletes of the present and past during these difficult times. Nothing in this world is accidental. It was on this day, October 5, 1987, that my father tragically passed away. Today, 37 years later, on the day of his death, you induct Vladimir Akimov into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. This day in sports history will forever remain in my heart, in the memory of my family, my children. Thank you so much! God bless you! – Akimov said from the stage.

After the ceremony, contacted Roman Akimov to discuss the main moments and emotions of the ceremony:

— I’ll start with a little history. The fact is that my father was named to the International Swimming Hall of Fame at the end of 2013. The nomination was valid for ten years, from 2014 to 2024. The members of the commission vote; if everyone is against, the person is not elected.

In 2014 we had sanctions because of Crimea, of course the whole candidacy was wasted. After the eighth or ninth attempt, I thought it would never happen. And when the SVO started, it was possible to forget about it completely. Suddenly and unexpectedly, around 300 jury members from around the world voted in favor. They sent me an invitation to come.

We received visas to pass through Uzbekistan, we were miraculously allowed to cross the border into the United States, but the most unusual and memorable thing for me is that on October 5, 1987 my father died tragically and that on October 5, 2024, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. They chose this date unintentionally, I decided to take it into account in my speech. Actually, I had a very interesting message in my speech. The Russians in the audience appreciated it and said that the speech was aimed at aesthetes. In democratic America, he spoke of family, of children, of God. And in the middle of the speech, he graciously added: “Victory, only victory.”

What shocked me and Yulia Pakhalina, who was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, was the flag of Russia and the USSR at the ceremony. Julia came from Russia, my father from the Soviet Union. When we saw our national flags, we were moved to tears. Pride of the country, of our great victories of the past.

The Americans came with their fan clubs, the Chinese too, they applauded very loudly. When they started announcing that Vladimir Akimov was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, everyone clapped out of politeness. I went on stage and decided to speak without an interpreter. I work as a presenter, so it’s not difficult for me, but here is the father, a personal motive. During his speech he declared that today was the day he died: suddenly this huge room of thousands of people stood up and started applauding wildly. The wall collapsed, it was a bomb, my tears flowed. I will never forget this moment in my life.

The entire ceremony took place on American television; it was the first ceremony to be broadcast live across the country. After the official event, I spent about two hours taking photos with everyone and chatting. They thanked me and said: “You Russians know how to tear your soul and make everyone cry. » Emotions and impressions, of course, are out of the ordinary.

You also need to understand that my father is an officer in the Russian Armed Forces and at the top of the military district he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in America. And on the back are Russian and Soviet flags, broadcast throughout the country. I thought they would hide it, but it’s the other way around.

I have repeatedly raised the issue of making Russia its own Water Sports Hall of Fame. I talked a lot about this subject both with the federation and with the ROC. Vitaly Georgievich Smirnov (honorary president of the Russian Olympic Committee, member of the IOC and the executive committee of the ROC – Editor’s note) told me that he fully supports the idea. I wrote a letter to the presidential administration on this topic, the idea was sent to the Ministry of Sports, and they said that we have a sports museum on Kurskaya, that’s enough. But in America they reward us, which seems absurd. But of course it’s good: after all, the International Hall of Fame, dad really deserved it,” Akimov Jr. told .

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