Why Timur Safin separates life from sports. Favorite women of Timur Safin Timur Safin fencing biography

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 com.) 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.

Coaches

Biography

He plays for the club SDYUSSHOR No. 19, Ufa.

Sports results

Best career 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 com.) KR 2010 – 1 m. (com.) CR 2014 – 1 m. (personal.), 2 m. (com.)

Best results over the past year

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.)

In the individual competition

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.

In the team competition

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

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An excerpt characterizing Safin, Timur Marselevich

– Why did you need Anna, Your Holiness?! You wanted her to study there, didn't you? Why then was it necessary to take her to Meteora at all?..
– Life goes away, Madonna... Nothing stands still. Especially Life... Anna will not help me with what I need so badly... even if she studies there for a hundred years. I need you, Madonna. It is your help... And I know that I won’t be able to persuade you just like that.
Here it comes... The worst thing. I didn’t have enough time to kill Caraffa!.. And next on his terrible “list” was my poor daughter... My brave, sweet Anna... Just for a short moment, our suffering fate suddenly became clear to me... and it seemed terrible...

After sitting silently for some more time in “my” chambers, Caraffa stood up and, just about to leave, said quite calmly:
– I will inform you when your daughter appears here, Madonna. I think it will be very soon. - And bowing secularly, he left.
And I, with the last of my strength, trying not to succumb to the surging hopelessness, with a trembling hand, threw off my shawl and sank onto the nearest sofa. What was left for me - exhausted and lonely?.. By what miracle could I save my brave girl, who was not afraid of the war with Caraffa?.. What kind of lie did they tell her to force her to leave Meteora and return to this earthly Inferno cursed by God and people? ?..
I couldn’t even think what I had in store for Anna Caraffa... She was his last hope, the last weapon that I knew he would try to use as successfully as possible to force me to surrender. Which meant that Anna would have to suffer severely.
Unable to remain alone with my misfortune any longer, I tried to call my father. He appeared immediately, as if he was just waiting for me to call him.
– Father, I’m so scared!.. He’s taking Anna away! And I don’t know if I can save her... Help me, father! At least give me some advice...
There was nothing in the world that I would not agree to give to Karaffa for Anna. I agreed to everything... except for one thing - to give him immortality. And this, unfortunately, was exactly the only thing that the Holy Pope wanted.
– I’m so afraid for her, father!.. I saw a girl here - she was dying. I helped her leave... Is Anna really going to get a similar test?! Are we really not strong enough to save her?..
“Don’t let fear into your heart, daughter, no matter how much it hurts you.” Don't you remember what Girolamo taught his daughter?.. Fear creates the possibility of bringing into reality what you are afraid of. He opens the doors. Don't let fear weaken you before you even begin to fight, dear. Don't let Karaffa win without even starting to fight back.
- What should I do, father? I didn't find his weakness. I didn’t find what he was afraid of... And I no longer had time. What should I do, tell me?..
I understood that our short lives with Anna were approaching their sad end... But Caraffa still lived, and I still didn’t know where to start to destroy him...
- Go to Meteora, daughter. Only they can help you. Go there, my heart.
My father’s voice sounded very sad, apparently just like me, he did not believe that Meteora would help us.
“But they refused me, father, you know.” They believe too much in their old “truth”, which they once instilled in themselves. They won't help us.
- Listen to me, daughter... Go back there. I know you don't believe... But they are the only ones who can still help you. You have no one else to turn to. Now I have to leave... I'm sorry, dear. But I will return to you very soon. I won't leave you, Isidora.
The father’s essence began to “ripple” and melt as usual, and after a moment completely disappeared. And I, still looking in confusion at where his transparent body had just shone, realized that I didn’t know where to start... Caraffa declared too confidently that Anna would very soon be in his criminal hands, so I had no time to fight there was almost none left.
Getting up and shaking myself from my heavy thoughts, I decided to follow my father’s advice and go to Meteora again. It couldn't have been worse anyway. Therefore, having tuned in to the North, I went...
This time there were no mountains or beautiful flowers... I was greeted only by a spacious, very long stone hall, at the far end of which something incredibly bright and attractive sparkled with green light, like a dazzling emerald star. The air around her shone and pulsated, splashing out long tongues of burning green “flame”, which, flaring up, illuminated the huge hall right up to the ceiling. North stood next to this unprecedented beauty, thinking about something sad.
- Hello to you, Isidora. “I’m glad you came,” he said affectionately, turning around.
- And hello to you, Sever. “I came for a short time,” I answered, trying my best not to relax and not succumb to Meteora’s charm. - Tell me, Sever, how could you let Anna go from here? You knew what she was doing! How could you let her go?! I hoped Meteora would be her protection, but she betrayed her so easily... Please explain, if you can...

On foils

Coaches

Biography

He plays for the club SDYUSSHOR No. 19, Ufa.

Sports results

Best career 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 com.) KR 2010 – 1 m. (com.) CR 2014 – 1 m. (personal.), 2 m. (com.)

Best results over the past year

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.)

In the individual competition

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.

In the team competition

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

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An excerpt characterizing Safin, Timur Marselevich

“Sonya, wait, we’ll arrange everything like this,” Natasha said.
“You can’t, young lady, we already tried,” said the barmaid.
- No, wait, please. – And Natasha began to take out dishes and plates wrapped in paper from the drawer.
“The dishes should be here, in the carpets,” she said.
“And God forbid, let’s put the carpets into three boxes,” said the barman.
- Yes, wait, please. – And Natasha quickly, deftly began to take it apart. “It’s not necessary,” she said about Kyiv plates, “yes, it’s for carpets,” she said about Saxon dishes.
- Leave it alone, Natasha; “Okay, that’s enough, we’ll put him to bed,” Sonya said reproachfully.
- Eh, young lady! - said the butler. But Natasha didn’t give up, threw out all the things and quickly started packing again, deciding that there was no need to take the bad home carpets and extra dishes at all. When everything was taken out, they began to put it away again. And indeed, having thrown out almost everything cheap, what was not worth taking with us, everything valuable was put into two boxes. Only the lid of the carpet box did not close. It was possible to take out a few things, but Natasha wanted to insist on her own. She stacked, rearranged, pressed, forced the barman and Petya, whom she carried along with her into the work of packing, to press the lid and made desperate efforts herself.
“Come on, Natasha,” Sonya told her. “I see you’re right, but take out the top one.”
“I don’t want to,” Natasha shouted, holding her loose hair over her sweaty face with one hand and pressing the carpets with the other. - Yes, press, Petka, press! Vasilich, press! - she shouted. The carpets pressed and the lid closed. Natasha, clapping her hands, squealed with joy, and tears flowed from her eyes. But it only lasted for a second. She immediately set to work on another matter, and they completely believed her, and the count was not angry when they told him that Natalya Ilyinishna had canceled his order, and the servants came to Natasha to ask: should the cart be tied up or not and is it sufficiently imposed? The matter progressed thanks to Natasha’s orders: unnecessary things were left behind and the most expensive ones were packed in the closest possible way.
But no matter how hard all the people worked, by late night not everything could be packed. The Countess fell asleep, and the Count, postponing his departure until the morning, went to bed.
Sonya and Natasha slept without undressing in the sofa room. That night, another wounded man was transported through Povarskaya, and Mavra Kuzminishna, who was standing at the gate, turned him towards the Rostovs. This wounded man, according to Mavra Kuzminishna, was a very significant person. He was carried in a carriage, completely covered with an apron and with the top down. An old man, a venerable valet, sat on the box with the cab driver. A doctor and two soldiers were riding in the cart behind.
- Come to us, please. The gentlemen are leaving, the whole house is empty,” said the old woman, turning to the old servant.
“Well,” answered the valet, sighing, “and we can’t get you there with tea!” We have our own house in Moscow, but it’s far away, and no one lives.
“You are welcome to us, our gentlemen have a lot of everything, please,” said Mavra Kuzminishna. - Are you very unwell? – she added.
The valet waved his hand.
- Don’t bring tea! You need to ask the doctor. - And the valet got off the box and approached the cart.
“Okay,” said the doctor.
The valet went up to the carriage again, looked into it, shook his head, ordered the coachman to turn into the yard and stopped next to Mavra Kuzminishna.
- Lord Jesus Christ! - she said.
Mavra Kuzminishna offered to carry the wounded man into the house.
“The gentlemen won’t say anything...” she said. But it was necessary to avoid climbing the stairs, and therefore the wounded man was carried into the outbuilding and laid in the former room of m me Schoss. The wounded man was Prince Andrei Bolkonsky.

The last day of Moscow has arrived. It was clear, cheerful autumn weather. It was Sunday. As on ordinary Sundays, mass was announced in all churches. No one, it seemed, could yet understand what awaited Moscow.
Only two indicators of the state of society expressed the situation in which Moscow was: the mob, that is, the class of poor people, and the prices of objects. Factory workers, courtyard workers and peasants in a huge crowd, which included officials, seminarians, and nobles, went out to the Three Mountains early in the morning. Having stood there and not waiting for Rostopchin and making sure that Moscow would be surrendered, this crowd scattered throughout Moscow, into drinking houses and taverns. Prices that day also indicated the state of affairs. The prices for weapons, for gold, for carts and horses kept rising, and the prices for pieces of paper and for city things kept going down, so that in the middle of the day there were cases when the cabbies took out expensive goods, like cloth, for nothing, and for a peasant's horse paid five hundred rubles; furniture, mirrors, bronzes were given away for free.
In the sedate and old Rostov house, the disintegration of previous living conditions was expressed very weakly. The only thing about people was that three people from a huge courtyard disappeared that night; but nothing was stolen; and in relation to the prices of things, it turned out that the thirty carts that came from the villages were enormous wealth, which many envied and for which the Rostovs were offered huge amounts of money. Not only were they offering huge amounts of money for these carts, but from the evening and early morning of September 1st, orderlies and servants sent from the wounded officers came to the Rostovs’ yard, and the wounded themselves, who were placed with the Rostovs and in neighboring houses, were dragged along, and begged the Rostovs’ people to take care of that they be given carts to leave Moscow. The butler, to whom such requests were addressed, although he felt sorry for the wounded, resolutely refused, saying that he would not even dare to report this to the count. No matter how pitiful the remaining wounded were, it was obvious that if they gave up one cart, there was no reason not to give up the other, and give up everything and their crews. Thirty carts could not save all the wounded, and in the general disaster it was impossible not to think about yourself and your family. This is what the butler thought for his master.

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. This is the 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.

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. You 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 was not 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, I must say, 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.

All of them are faced with this choice sooner or later. 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 don't 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.

“In my opinion, you are 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 the Italians are not the British... - I suggested. - The Italian wanted something from the judge all the time, 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 nightfall 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, this time I seemed to have serious problems, 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's 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 last night in the Olympic village 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's 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 someday return to Ufa from everywhere.

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:

Are you not 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