Team Russia - about how actors wield epees, sabers and swords, and what Olympic champions Timur Safin and Sophia the Great think about it.
"D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers"
The fights and battles in the film by Yungvald-Khilkevich were staged by stuntman Nikolai Vashchilin. He attended the same judo section as Vladimir Putin, became a two-time USSR youth sambo champion and worked as a KGB agent. As Vashchilin recalls, he was asked to “decorate the film with jumps, fights and various twists, so that everything would be like in a real movie - but everything would be accompanied by music, and everything would be fun, without blood.”
However, the word “fencing” itself was not even mentioned in the stunt prices that Vashchilin dealt with - they were talking about “fights with weapons.”
Vashchilin, who had been performing tricks for a long time, plunged into fencing and even reflected the commitment of the cardinal’s guards and the king’s musketeers to different fencing schools. The first used injections, the second - “the newfangled Italian school, that is, mainly chopping blows.”
“Both of them, when approaching after the first attack, must often use weapon grabs and strikes with the guard,” explains Vashchilin. - That is, I planned fencing fights to be short, built on one or two blows. I didn’t want to use bounces and steps. Firstly, it is an additional difficulty for the operator. Secondly, it is impractical in group combat. And all group battles were grotesque in nature: with one blow - seven. Thirdly, the level of fencing training of the actors with this concept easily made it possible to build energetic fights. In addition, Khilkevich invited the actor, master of sports of the USSR in rapier Vladimir Balon, to play the role of the captain of the guards, Cardinal de Jussac, and fencing on the rapier was logical and easy for him.”
They said that it was Balon who choreographed the fights in “The Musketeers” - but no, Vashchilin did this. He notes that the rapierist Balon did not want and could not retrain to work with a sword. Vashilin calls Mikhail Boyarsky the most trained of the musketeers.
Vashilin even attracted crime bosses to filming the film (and specifically to the battle scenes), for example Kostya Mogila (real name Yakovlev) and Zhenya Toporov.
“Stuntmen in 1978 were athletes who were on the roster of film studios,” Vashchilin said in an interview with ZAKS.ru. - Kostya and his friend Toporov were masters of sports (Kostya - in wrestling, Toporov - in boxing). And they went with me to Lviv to act as sports extras (that is, as stuntmen), playing guardsmen.”
Timur Safin, Olympic champion in foil - in an interview with Team Russia:“The film “The Three Musketeers”, in principle, inspired me to go to fencing, watch it and start practicing it. At that time, fencing was not a very popular sport; few people practiced it. But thanks to “The Musketeers,” I wanted to try and feel the emotions that the fighters experience during battle. That's how I got into fencing and still enjoy it.
The hero who encouraged me to take up fencing is, of course, d’Artagnan. Of course, this fencing is more artistic and staged than professional. I still do a slightly different sport than what is shown in the movies.”
Sophia the Great, world and Olympic champion - in an interview with Team Russia:“As a fencer, my most lasting film memories are associated with The Three Musketeers. And I’m not just talking about our version: there is also the old French film adaptation of Dumas. All the scenes there are very beautifully staged. I can name many French films where fencing skills predominate.
And there are interesting episodes in “Pirates of the Caribbean”. But my associations with real fencing are more old films than modern ones. Nowadays these weapons are not used.”
Viktor Krovopuskov, four-time Olympic champion in fencing - in an interview with R-Sport:“There is no fencing in the movies. Stage fencing should not be confused with sports fencing. Have you seen how they fence in “D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers”? This is really funny. It's a musical! And it’s not at all necessary to do everything there according to the rules of sports fencing.”
"The Princess Bride"
“Greetings, I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” this catchphrase from the American film “The Princess Bride” belongs to the fencing master. Rob Reiner's film is based on the novel of the same name by William Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay. Inigo Montoya is one of the bandits who kidnaps the main character Buttercup, played by Robin Wright. For the role of Inigo, Broadway actor Mandy Patinkin seriously studied fencing - almost at a professional level. The Briton Cary Elwes, Westley’s farmhand and Montoya’s opponent in the decisive battle, had to go through the same thing.
The script demanded from Patinkin and Elwes the level of “the best fencers in Europe.” British saber fencer Bob Anderson worked with them, and after finishing his sports career he became a stuntman (he fought in Star Wars as Darth Vader). Thanks to Anderson, Patinkin and Elwes easily changed hands during the fight and demonstrated other complex fencing tricks. True, at the end of the film, during another battle scene, Patinkin pierced the leg of Christopher Guest, who played the role of Count Rugen.
"Pirates of the Caribbean"
You probably remember the fight between Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner at the beginning of The Curse of the Black Pearl. The pirate clearly does not expect that the young blacksmith is so skillful in using edged weapons, and runs into rebuff. Director Rob Marshall approached this episode with knowledge: he did some fencing in college. In an interview with Kommersant, Marshall recalled Johnny Depp’s approach to the fight with Orlando Bloom’s hero: “He carefully watches how the stuntmen perform the fencing scene, and after five seconds he dances it exactly, down to the smallest detail, repeating all the plasticity of the scene.”
The final installment of Pirates for today, Dead Men Tell No Tales, features Will Turner's son Henry. Of course, he also skillfully wields a sword. To perfect the fencing scenes, Brenton Thwaites, who plays Henry, arrived at the filming location in Australia early. For two weeks, Thwaites worked with stuntmen and Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbossa).
Timur Safin:“There are a lot of fencing scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean. Only there is not sports fencing, but fighting with swords and sabers. This, of course, also makes me happy - that these moments show that I am engaged in a sport that is to some extent similar to these fights from long ago.”
"Rob Roy"
The antagonistic characters played by Liam Neeson and Tim Roth clash in the decisive scene of Rob Roy (the film is based on the novel by Walter Scott). The skilled swordsman Archibald Cunningham (Roth) wielded a light rapier (in the beginning he killed an opponent armed with a broadsword with it), and Rob Roy McGregor wielded a brutal sword. Their fight is illustrated extremely realistically - in particular, the difference in weapons is accurately demonstrated.
"Captain Alatriste"
How could a film based on the Arturo Perez-Reverte cycle do without fencing? The title role of Diego Alatriste went to Viggo Mortensen, who a couple of years earlier played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In Alatrist, Mortensen wields a sword and fights in the old Spanish style.
"Game of Thrones"
Everyone can choose a fight scene from George R.R. Martin's monumental fantasy series. Arya Stark's training in fencing, her final battle with Brienne of Tarth, Brienne's fight with Sandor Clegane (the Hound)…
However, in the documentary "Back to the Basics" about people involved in historical European fencing HEMA, cinematic fencing is mercilessly criticized - and in particular, fights from "Game of Thrones". As in other films about the Middle Ages, in “Game of Thrones” the battles look spectacular and natural only thanks to dynamic editing. In fact, the opponents do not even try to hurt each other, but only hit swords with swords.
Sophia the Great:“I like many films about martial arts, I follow the interaction of sparring partners in them. I also appreciate hand-to-hand combat in movies. It all started with films with Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. My two brothers loved all these iconic characters, and so I became addicted.
Timur Marselevich Safin(Tat. Timur Marcel uly Safin; born August 4, 1992) - Russian foil fencer, two-time European champion, medalist of the World, European and European Games championships. Olympic champion in team competitions in foil (2016), bronze medalist of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in individual competitions in foil, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.
Biography
Born in 1992 in Tashkent into a Tatar family, he moved to Russia and took up fencing in 2001. Member of the youth (2008), national (2012) Russian fencing team. Master of Sports of Russia (2007), Master of Sports of Russia of international class (2012) in fencing.
Pupil of Sports School No. 19 (first coach - F. Ya. Arslanov, V. V. Nagimov); Republican boarding school for sports profile No. 5 (coaches: L. R. Grushina and R. R. Nasibullin).
Student at the Bashkir Institute of Physical Culture (since 2010).
He plays for the SDYUSSHOR club No. 19, Ufa.
Sports results
European Championship 2014 – 3 m. (com.) PM 2012 among juniors – 1 m. (individual), 2 m. (com.) PE 2012 among juniors – 2 m. (com.) EURO 2013 U23 – 1 m. ( personal and company) KR 2010 – 1 m. (com.) CR 2014 – 1 m. (personal), 2 m. (com.)
European Championship 2014 (Strasbourg) – 3 m. (com.) KM stage 2014 (La Coruña) – 1 m. (com.) KM stages 2014 (Seoul and Havana) – 2 m. (com.) Challenge Revenue (Melun, France) – 1 m. (personal) CR 2014 (Lobnya) – 1 m. (personal), 2 m. (com.)
bronze medalist of the Russian Championship (2006) among youths; World Championship winner (2012); winner (2012), bronze (2010; 2011) medalist of the Russian Championship among juniors; bronze medalist of the European Championship (2011) among youth; bronze medalist of the Russian Championship (2011) among men.
winner of the Russian Championship (2009) among youths; silver medalist of the World and European Championships (2012); winner (2010; 2012), bronze (2009; 2011) medalist of the Russian Junior Championship; silver medalist of the European Championship (2011), winner (2011), silver medalist (2010) of the Russian Federation Youth Championship; winner (2010), silver medalist (2012) of the Russian Cup; silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2012) among men.
Awards
- Order of Friendship (August 25, 2016) - for high sporting achievements at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad 2016 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), demonstrating the will to win and determination.
Kommersant special correspondent ANDREY KOLESNIKOV talks about how foil fencer Timur Safin, who won a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, understands the meaning of life. And he finds out that it’s not at all about taking Olympic gold. And in general, it turns out that sport should not come first in a person’s life.
Timur Safin reached the semi-finals of the Rio Olympics. This is a very young guy, so confident in himself. They were clearly counting on him. And even none of the coaches were surprised that he reached the semifinals. As I understand it, everyone was thinking about what could happen next, and few people accepted the idea that he could become, for example, the fourth. And in my opinion, everyone was already almost sure that he could, damn it, be the first.
And he lost. He lost to the Italian Daniele Garozzo, he lost, one might say, miserably, although half the time he fought not only with dignity, but also led the score and won two points for some time. And then he broke down, simply collapsed: in one minute he lost seven points, and he ended, as if he was making it clear, losing so quickly that there was no point in continuing at all...
An hour later he had a fight for third place, with the Englishman Richard Kruse, who lost in his semi-final to the young American Alexander Massialas. And now, on the contrary, many did not particularly hope for anything, few imagined that Timur Safin would be able to recover after such a defeat. And he came and almost defeated the Briton himself, reached the critical score for that 14:10, one point remained to be taken, and only a few seconds later the score was already 14:13, and the stands either roared or burst into tears... The intrigue excited everyone ... But Timur Safin still deprived those present of this intrigue, won his point and became the bronze medalist of the Games in a discipline where Russia had not had medals in individual competitions since 2000.
In general, he was tossed around, stormy, no forecasts worked, he seemed uncontrollable, the coach shouted something to him endlessly during the fight, but he did not give the impression of a person who was able to hear something.
The American eventually lost to the Italian in the final, and both of them cried. Timur Safin did not cry, and it was impossible to understand at all what he was feeling or whether he was feeling anything at all.
I stopped him in the mix zone, where TV journalists were working, and managed to ask a couple of questions before I was grabbed by the arm by an ugly serious lady who was brought in to deal with me: a person without a TV camera was not considered a person here.
But I still managed to ask what happened to him.
Somehow I relaxed a little,” he shrugged. “Then I tuned in and gave him an injection.”
But there was a chance for gold! - To be honest, I said with great annoyance.
It was, in my opinion, much more offensive to me than to him.
“I was,” he agreed. “And I seemed to feel good.” But he suddenly changed his mind, this put me out of action a little, I went forward and began to receive... He is also a difficult guy...
“Like me,” Timur Safin meant.
They say one of the best in the world,” I ventured to interject.
“So it is,” Timur Safin nodded. “But there was a chance.” But bronze is bronze in Africa too.
I didn’t understand whether he was proud of her or, on the contrary, despised her.
Fourth place, that is. That is, he is proud.
Why is a rapier better than a sword? - other journalists asked him ten minutes later.
“Because,” he explained, “I have been doing it for 14 years.
We were dealing with a difficult young man. And it was not so easy to understand right away. But it was possible.
The next time I found him was after the award ceremony, where the Italian anthem was being played. I don’t understand fencing, but I felt that ours could still play. We could! I wonder what he really felt.
Timur Safin stood in the same mix zone in front of two Englishmen. I approached at the moment when the question of one of them was being translated to him:
So you decided to go against the system and decided to become a pure athlete? Why? Why did you need this?
Well, what kind of question?! - he looked straight at the elderly Englishman, and he looked straight at him. They just looked at each other as directly as possible.
If I were unclean, I would not be standing here in front of you,” he finally answered unexpectedly calmly and perhaps even serenely.
To be honest, I was very surprised. This reaction was unpredictable for me. I saw the impression this question made on him. If he had a rapier in his hand, he would have used it for its intended purpose: so, without any exaggeration, it seemed from the outside. But even without her, it seemed, he could have coped with even greater pleasure. And then suddenly this serenity in the gaze.
Then he will tell me that there were two more questions before that. The first is how he will prove that he does not take doping.
These people were asking a man who had just won an Olympic bronze medal. To put it mildly, merciless people.
And what did you answer? - I asked again.
He said that I would now undergo doping control as a person who won a medal at the Olympics, and it would be clear to everyone that I did not take doping. Well, the second question was about the same. And that’s pretty much what I answered.
What do I care? - he shrugged. “You can’t ruin my mood.”
Apparently it was really badly damaged.
He now had to go to doping control. He was asked to go quickly, but he said that he needed to go get his things. The volunteer shrugged and followed him. Well, me too.
On the way, I managed to ask why he began to practice rapier. Still, this is a more or less exotic sport. Compared to football, at least.
“Foil trainers came to our school in Ufa,” said Timur, “and spoke to each class, telling how interesting it was, and that the classes were free, and the uniform was given free of charge, and the foil too...
That is, these were strong arguments...
“The most powerful,” he agreed.
He told the story, it must be said, reluctantly, but little by little he seemed to get carried away:
We were all invited to training, the next day our whole class came, and a few months later I was left alone. The strongest survived.
The rest, I realized, simply lost interest.
And then, you know, at some point there was a choice between school and study,” Timur stated. “This is such a scary choice.” We are talking about the future, which cannot be changed later.
Sooner or later, all of them face this choice. And I didn’t talk to those who made the scary choice in favor of studying here in Rio.
And you did,” I clarified out of politeness.
“I did it,” he also clarified out of politeness, “as soon as I got into fencing.
And apparently from the very beginning they believed that you would take Olympic gold - it remained to be assumed with a high degree of probability.
We know such people. They believe, and that’s all. First at one Olympics, then at another... At the third... What else can they do if they can’t win?..
“I believe,” he confirmed. “You have to believe.” How not to believe?
And I even shuddered when I heard:
But actually, there are still plans for this Olympics. We also have team competitions.
Eavesdropped, that is.
Well, you’ve made a choice, but, for example, what happens to your personal life after that? - I asked. “You also have to choose.” Any of whom?
“We have to come to terms,” he said, hesitating.
With what? That she won't be there?
The girl needs to come to terms with it,” Timur explained. “That it will be very difficult for her.” It's not easy to find such a girl.
Did you find it?
“Let’s leave this question,” he interrupted me.
And he answered everything to the British. And where did his restraint go, which I had somehow gotten used to?
If you want happiness, don’t talk about it, he advised me.
That is, apparently, he found it.
The doctor, Mikhail Grigoriev, was walking next to us all this time. He was haunted by the memory of the British.
How can that be! - Mikhail Grigoriev lamented. - Well, why is there doping in fencing! It will only make it worse! What right do they have to ask such questions?
Why is it worse? - I was surprised.
What substance can boost courage? - he asked a counter question.
But is there really nothing? - I asked again.
Do you mean marijuana? - Mikhail Grigoriev looked at me intently.
For example,” I nodded.
A-ah-ah...” he realized. “It’s another matter.”
Did you know that today Paralympic athletes were suspended from the Rio Olympics?
Which ones? - the doctor quickly asked.
The question was apparently not an idle one for him.
Everyone was suspended. The entire team. Just now.
“I didn’t know,” Timur Safin said somehow heavily. “Really all of it?” This is a shock for me...
Do you understand what you are saying?! - the doctor shouted. “This is not a sport for them!” This is life for them!
“I sometimes sat in the carriage and sparred with them,” said Timur. “They needed it.” To make it easier for them. And they were suspended? Are they animals there, or what?!
You do not understand! - the doctor said, not listening to anyone. “Some, after paresis, got to their feet to participate in the Olympics!” They will collapse again...
We finally entered the training room. In my opinion, only his things remained here. Everyone left.
But I was wrong:
Tweet you don’t know what to do with things? - asked the team’s masseur, who was apparently guarding all these things all this time.
That’s what they apparently called another foil player, Alexei Cheremisinov, whom Timur Safin defeated in his first morning battle.
Apparently, Chirik was very upset after this, so much so that he didn’t even take his things and left. This should have been very upset.
Timur took a bottle of Coca-Cola from the floor and instantly drained it halfway.
Can you? - I asked cautiously. “We still have to go to doping control.”
Previously, even beer was given before doping control,” the doctor explained.
It’s a pity that they don’t give it now,” Timur sighed. “It helped a lot.”
A girl who was translating questions from the English came up to us and asked if we needed translation on doping.
“Yes, we can handle it,” the doctor muttered. “We’re passing it for the tenth time in a year...
A few minutes later we were already entering the doping control room (of course, we took Chirik’s things with us). A dozen and a half athletes were sitting here. There was also an Olympic champion, the same Italian who jumped on the pedestal even during the singing of the anthem with happiness so that it seemed as if there was hot sand on this pedestal straight from the beaches of Copacabana.
But now he was haggard and gloomy. In my opinion, he didn’t even see anything in front of him. He stared at one point far beyond the border of the wall into which his gaze rested. Wow, that’s how tired a person can get.
These are our champions... - the doctor whispered to me. - He hasn’t won a single stage of the World Cup, but back there...
Then the girl organizer came up to us and said that here each athlete can only have one accompanying person. And everyone else, that is, me, should leave.
“This can go on as long as you want,” the massage therapist sighed in front of the closed door. “I remember, we had the same girl...
These people, of course, had a lot to remember, and I got ready.
So I’m saying,” he continued slowly, “it just didn’t work out for her, she drank and drank, but nothing... And then it burst... And an hour, and two, and all night... We didn’t know what to do...
For about ten minutes he showed me photographs of the town where the fencing team lives. It's more than 100 km from Rio, but it's worth it. This, of course, is paradise, a perfect paradise... The motionless ocean is five meters from your home... But one rapierist catches fish in his free time from training. Or he trains when he’s not fishing. But he rides a kayak on the ocean... But... In general, in such conditions, of course, you have to win... Yes, well, it really doesn’t always work out...
Timur came out earlier than I thought. Was in a hurry:
Let's quickly go to the village... They rewrote the protocol three times...
They have no conscience! - the doctor supported him. - Three times! They can’t do anything themselves!
Timur looked just as calm and did not complain about anything. By the way, I thought that he would quickly cope: with his nerves of steel, which, although rarely, give out everything at once, but for this he first needs to reach the semi-finals of the Olympic Games... With his nerves of steel With nerves, the task of peeing in a jar was doable.
On the bus he said:
Well? Tomorrow, I think, one of our three will be in any way...
In the top three? - the doctor asked him again. “I think it should be first place or second!” Sonya (Sophia the Great - A.K.) has excellent chances. Yegoryan!.. With her net!.. I looked...
And they delved into the study of the qualifying grids... Everything there, judging by the conversation, really turned out well.
After a few more minutes, he finally moved to me.
“I think you’re still thinking about what you could have won against this Italian,” I said honestly.
“I think,” he agreed. “I think about it all the time.”
And how long will he think?
It was a good start... He won two injections... And then he changed his fighting style... Changed the time he went on the attack... Later he began to go out... I received several injections in a row... I got wound up, went on the attack - and a few more injections!.. And nothing was possible anymore. to do... Although... It was possible... I fenced for reaching the eight (that is, the quarterfinals - A.K.) here with an Englishman, I lost 2:8, but retuned and won... It was possible!..
Well then what?! - I couldn’t stand it.
But there is a difference between a fight for eight and for two... When there is one step to gold - everything is different... There is nothing to compare with...
And Italians are not English... - I suggested. - The Italian always wanted something from the judge, he was jumping around all the time, trying to achieve... It’s hard with people like that!
“Italians,” Timur perked up, “they’re so... Show offs, one might say! Although you can’t talk about people like that... And they influence the judge...
They say that this time too the Czech made a mistake in your direction a couple of times.
Well, maybe not on purpose... Maybe the person saw it that way... It's not about the judge. Until the 15th injection was given (the last one - A.K.), you did not lose. You can lose terribly - and win.
So what happened?
It was... In juniors... And at 14 I left...
It wasn't me he was comforting now.
And in general, this is all a difficult question... When you win, you take something from someone else.
Like what? - I was surprised. - Your victory!
Do you have the right to do this?
I didn’t expect that by the end of the night on this bus, trying to get to the Olympic Village through some slums, not to say favelas, he would suddenly start talking to me like that. And I was happy. In front of me was, of course, a completely closed person, and he still had something to say, and he was in no hurry to say it all, and from the point of view of journalism, I seemed to have serious problems this time, but he still had something in him. I mean, that's for sure.
“You have this right, you have it,” I told him. “That’s the point.” In this fight.
What is the point? - he asked again.
The meaning of life,” I answered carelessly.
This cannot be the meaning of life. Sport cannot be the meaning of life.
Really? - I asked discouraged. “What can it do?” Some people believe that life is completely meaningless...
“Winning the Olympics is a goal,” Timur Safin decided to explain. “And a goal cannot be the meaning.”
What then is the meaning of life? - I was exhausted.
I needed to finally talk to someone about this. At least once.
He looked at me with doubt: is it worth discussing this topic with me?..
The point is to give life to your children. And sport comes in second place. You can’t give up everything for sport. No need. It's not worth it.
How can that be? - I honestly didn’t understand. - How is there no need? Yes, you changed your whole life for the sake of sports. For the sake of this victory, which this time was just one step away... Well, two... They talked about their personal life... That you have to come to terms with... Are you sure that happiness is not in sports?..
Happiness may be found in sports. But that's not the point. And you definitely have to win it. And it's better this time. And in general, the Olympics are not for favorites. Young people win!
He tried to cheer himself up, but still he was not cheerful at all.
Is this your first time at the Olympics?
Yes...” He shrugged. “So what?” It is no different from other competitions.
Nothing? - I asked again.
Well, yes... Almost nothing. Well, really, you’ve been walking with me for three hours now. Before, after third place, no one came with me so much...
By the way, he wasn't joking. In general, everything was for real with him. Only this all had to be seen in him. Here even a few days would not be enough, not three hours.
It’s good that we don’t live in a village... - he sighed, looking around in the dead traffic jam of this great city. - We have a good time there... No one is getting on our nerves... We just arrived at the Olympic village last night to spend the night - and start in the morning.
They say you have four-bed rooms there...
Yes, in one room there are two rooms for two people each... But this is not the main thing. I sleep well. And today I slept...
Someone is snoring...
“He snores,” he unexpectedly agreed. “But it doesn’t bother me.” You know, I used to think: “Oh, the Olympic Games!..” But now I think it’s the Olympic Games...
Why aren't the parents here? They work, or what?
No, they don't work anymore. They are retired.
So you are a late child?
Yes, that is right.
Why didn't you take it with you? There must have been an opportunity.
“I didn’t take it,” now he answered very briefly, he didn’t want to talk about this topic. “They shouldn’t have come here.” And they understood.
That is, we discussed it with them.
Discussed. They were ready if necessary. But the problem is that not only would they root for me, but I would also root for them. And then they have a garden there, everything is blooming, growing, how can they leave it... And wander several thousand kilometers... And for what?..
As they are used to in life - for your sake.
No need. And most importantly, I’m telling you, I’ll worry about them here. They are for me, I am for them... Moreover, in Brazil, they say, the situation is turbulent... They strip me, they say, down to my underpants... But just don’t ask me anymore about my parents and my personal life. I’ll tell you anything about sports and show you if necessary. There’s no need to talk about that. Everyone should have something of their own... I can tell you everything about Ufa. Ufa is a beautiful city. Calm. Not like Moscow.
Or like Rio.
Certainly. Rio, Moscow... very big. Some friends say that Ufa is boring. I don’t understand: how can it be boring in Ufa?!
You just rarely come there...
By the way, maybe you’re right,” he suddenly agreed. “Or maybe not.”
You will probably return to Ufa from everywhere someday.
Of course,” he agreed. “But I never left.”
We arrived at the Olympic Village. He grabbed two huge bags, his and Chirik’s, and dragged them to the exit of the bus. I had to help him, and I helped.
Although after these three hours there was a complete feeling that there was no need to help him.
This one can handle it.
We walked past a huge dining room, he peered into it, then suddenly he saw his fencer friends on the other side of the street, they ran up to him, hugs, screams and happy sighs began. Life after bronze was finally catching up with him.
But then he suddenly broke free, caught up with me, and I was already leaving and didn’t even want to say goodbye, I was completely superfluous here... But he caught up and asked:
Aren't you at McDonald's?
No, I'm heading out...
And I'm at McDonald's. I want a sandwich, I just can’t! I've been wanting it for a long time!.. Can I finally afford it?..
He literally skipped to McDonald's.
I remembered that immediately after the competition he greedily drank Coca-Cola. He enjoyed what he could do. He enjoyed what he had.
He enjoyed what he had.
So maybe he really doesn’t have any personal life.
Andrey Kolesnikov, Rio de Janeiro
Photo by Aigul Khafizova/Wday
The Olympic champion, who has just returned to Ufa from Rio, has everything planned down to the minute. Live broadcasts on television give way to interviews. Everyone wants to talk about the Olympics, about annoying foreign journalists, about doping, about plans for life. We intercepted Timur on the way from one meeting to another to ask him our women's questions.
“I came from Rio and, to be honest, I only spent a few hours at home. My mother hasn’t seen me as much as reporters, journalists and other people... She’s already saying: “Son, are you going to show up at home?” She, of course, also wants to get attention, she hasn’t seen me for three weeks, but I came and I’m riding around like this, going to interviews, to meetings. I’m thinking about how to find more time for my beloved mother.”
On his Instagram, Safin captioned a photo with her: “Without this man there would be no victories!” Indeed, behind every hero there is a strong woman. Timur talks about the person closest to him.
“My mother is very emotional, she always worries like that. She was with me at the 2014 World Championships in Kazan. Before the meeting with her opponents, she stood nearby. I was about to start a fight any minute, she came up: “The main thing is, don’t worry, everything will be fine.” But I see that she is shaking, I myself am not as worried as she is. At the same time, he tries to hide his emotions and cheer him up. I love her very much".
Photo by Aigul Khafizova/Wday
Safin then, two years ago, took bronze in Kazan. And now he remembers how he made his first expensive purchase for his mother.
“I remember when I was 16 years old I was at a competition in France and bought a pearl necklace. It was worth a lot of money to me in those days. I really wanted to please my mother. When I arrived, I gave it to her, she was incredibly happy. How happy this made me!”
Photo by @timursafin
By the way, at the meeting of the Olympians at the airport, my mother was wearing a pearl necklace. He says that now his mother is worried that Timur will find himself a good girl, and later a wife.
“But I don’t like to rush. Especially in such a matter. Am I still young? Well, excuse me, I’m already 24 years old, I’m in the prime of my life (laughs). But my mother has no strict preferences regarding the girl. Whichever one I bring, that’s the one that will be accepted, I think. She trusts my choice. But I don't have a girlfriend yet. Not yet. I’m looking for a beautiful, smart, decent, kind, thrifty, athletic girl with no bad habits and someone who can cook deliciously... Here.”
Photo by Aigul Khafizova/Wday
Here Timur adds that he loves to eat absolutely everything that his mother cooks for him. So the champion's future bride will have to discover her mother-in-law's culinary secrets in order to find a shortcut to his heart. The athlete unexpectedly admits that the most important thing for him is to start a family.
“I want to get married, have children, raise them, put them on their feet - these are the most important tasks in life for me. I want two or three children. It's minimum. To help each other when growing up, to support each other. Parents don’t live forever; in order to have some kind of support in life, you need brothers and sisters.”
Photo by Aigul Khafizova/Wday
The Olympic champion has equally big plans for his own children.
