“Before there were no swimming pools – we filmed time in the Sandunovsky baths” – Smirnov on the development of water polo in Russia

Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee, Vitaly Smirnov believes that a systematic approach is necessary in the development of water polo in Russia and that there are all the opportunities for this, while at the Soviet times, Moscow lacked swimming pools for training.

Smirnov gave a welcoming speech at an event dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the victory of Soviet water polo players at the Munich Games. It was Smirnov who in 1972 presented gold medals to Soviet water polo players. From 1962 to 1972, he directed the federation of this sport.

– The men’s team of the Russian national team has already missed four Olympics. In your opinion, what should be done to restore this situation and return to winning traditions?

— We need a systematic approach and analysis. In Soviet times, water polo developed in our country, but there were only four strong teams in the world – Hungary, Yugoslavia, us and the Italians. At the same time, there were many strong clubs in the USSR and there were many strong players from everywhere. I remember how I went with the guys to the training camp – both in Lazarevskoye and in Lvov. Even later, when he had already ceased to lead the federation. There was then a good galaxy of trainers, the local specialists worked well.

Strange thing: we did not have ski jumps, but there was an Olympic champion Belousov. Now we have wonderful ski jumps with ski lifts, but there are no international results – they make their way somewhere. We need personnel, a base, actors, who must be selected. It is necessary to find out whether coaches work in their specialty after universities or go to work in supermarkets. You need a will, you need a group of like-minded people, you can find funding. At that time there were two indoor swimming pools in Moscow. Sometimes we filmed time in the pool at the Sanduny baths, there was absolutely no water for training. Now there are other possibilities. You have to watch, you have to analyze,” Smirnov told .

Source : MatchTV

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