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Alexander Zubkov: bobsledder biography and sporting successes. Biography The bobsleigh crew began to be perceived from the position of direct competitors

Alexander Zubkov is the champion of the Olympic Games in Sochi, deprived of this title in 2017. The famous athlete was disqualified for violating anti-doping regulations.

Luge appeared in his life quite late. Alexander was already a ten-year-old schoolboy. The thing is that in the Soviet Union, until 1984, no one knew about this sport. Sleighs and bobsleigh became of interest to young people after the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. The boy was no exception.

Childhood

Alexander Zubkov was born in early August 1974 in the city of Bratsk, in the Irkutsk region. I dreamed of a sports career since childhood. However, at first he spent some time skiing, like most of his peers. After the 1984 Olympics, he became interested in bobsleigh and luge. Entered the Olympic reserve school. The young man’s first coach was Elena Karabanova. After some time, the boy was recommended to engage in sports at a higher level. I had to move to Irkutsk.

In the capital of Eastern Siberia, Alexander began training under the guidance of Lyudmila Antonenko. Mentors noted that the guy had a sense of purpose in his character and incredible perseverance, thanks to which he strived to achieve championship. And the first positive results were not long in coming. The young athlete was sent to competitions, in which he repeatedly became a prize-winner.

The formation of a sports biography

Alexander Zubkov achieved his first results as a luger in the early 90s. By 1994, the young man had already become the national champion three times. In the same year, the athlete was sent to international competitions. He took part in the youth championship. And he won gold together with his partner Daniil Chaban in a two-seater crew.

For four years, Alexander Zubkov (photo below) prepared for his first Olympic Games. In 1998, the world championship was held in the Japanese city of Nagano. But the young athlete failed to achieve success. He arrived at the finish line only twentieth. After the failure, the famous bobsleigh coach Alexander Leichenko invited Zubkov to try himself in this sport, related to luge.

The choice was not easy to make. But the disappointing results of the Olympics took their toll. I had to agree.

Bobsleigh in the life of A. Zubkov

A new sport burst into the guy’s destiny. Bobsleigh is technically more difficult than luge. I had to work hard to grasp the basic principles.

It was the transition to bobsleigh for Alexander Zubkov that can be considered the beginning of his sports career. Grueling training, inflexible character, the will to win and new achievements did their job. Zubkov the luger managed to loudly make a name for himself in bobsleigh.

The 2000s are the peak of the athlete’s career. Victories rained down like from a cornucopia, one after another. First in all-Russian competitions, then in international ones. However, the second Olympic Games also did not bring good results, like the first. But then Zubkov finished sixteenth. And this was his small victory in his new role. The coaching staff discovered a simple truth - this is his sport, he needs to continue training. It's a small matter.

First triumphal games

The next Olympic season was marked by numerous victories in international arenas. The rating of Russian athletes-partners grew before our eyes. Without any doubt, the coaching staff was ready to send Alexander Zubkov along with his teammates - Golubev, Stepushkin, Seliverstov - to the next Olympic Games in Turin. The Russian four came second, losing the championship to the Germans.

And it was a real triumph, considering that literally on the eve of the games Alexander received a serious injury - he sprained his Achilles tendon. But refusing to participate in the world championship would be much worse than defeat.

Immediately after receiving the medals, Zubkov was sent for treatment. I had to miss the next season of training for more than good reasons. The course of treatment and rehabilitation took place in Germany. The athlete was successfully operated on. A difficult period of recovery began. It was possible to return to its previous form by the beginning of 2008. During the same period, Russian bobsledders won the World Cup in two disciplines - double and quadruple.

Difficult season 2010-2011

Preparing for new competitions was not at all easy. Despite the fact that bobsleigh in Russia became more and more popular every year thanks to the victories of athletes, the tracks on which it was necessary to prepare promised to be much better. The guys traveled abroad - to Switzerland, Germany, America, where they could properly prepare for competitions. However, sensing the competitiveness of the athletes, the organizers were increasingly reluctant to agree to rent out the tracks.

In 2010, Alexander came up with the idea to end his career and focus on politics; he was invited to the committee of the Ministry of Sports for the Irkutsk region. But after working for a while, I decided to return to bobsleigh. Alexander Zubkov was not mistaken - in 2011 at the World Championships he became first in doubles for the first time in the history of the Russian team.

Sochi Olympics and disqualification

Before the start of the Winter Olympic Games in our country, Alexander Zubkov was elected ambassador and standard bearer. At the end of February, he was awarded the title of Olympic champion, winning two gold medals in the competition. Immediately after the end of the games, I decided to leave big sport and focus on coaching.

In 2017, 3 years after the Sochi Olympics, Alexander Zubkov was stripped of his gold medals and disqualified for life with a ban on ever competing at world championships. In February 2018, the life ban was lifted.

Personal life

Alexander Zubkov has been married for a long time. His family has three children - two daughters and a son. Girls also engage in winter sports - skeleton and curling. The boy is still too young to think about sports. According to Zubkov, his family is the real rear. The wife has always provided invaluable support to her husband; she is his best critic and best adviser.

Alexander Zubkov is the champion of the Olympic Games in Sochi, deprived of this title in 2017. The famous athlete was disqualified for violating anti-doping regulations.

Luge appeared in his life quite late. Alexander was already a ten-year-old schoolboy. The thing is that in the Soviet Union, until 1984, no one knew about this sport. Sleighs and bobsleigh became of interest to young people after the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. The boy was no exception.

Childhood

Alexander Zubkov was born in early August 1974 in the city of Bratsk, in the Irkutsk region. I dreamed of a sports career since childhood. However, at first he spent some time skiing, like most of his peers. After the 1984 Olympics, he became interested in bobsleigh and luge. Entered the Olympic reserve school. The young man’s first coach was Elena Karabanova. After some time, the boy was recommended to engage in sports at a higher level. I had to move to Irkutsk.

In the capital of Eastern Siberia, Alexander began training under the guidance of Lyudmila Antonenko. Mentors noted that the guy had a sense of purpose in his character and incredible perseverance, thanks to which he strived to achieve championship. And the first positive results were not long in coming. The young athlete was sent to competitions, in which he repeatedly became a prize-winner.

The formation of a sports biography

Alexander Zubkov achieved his first results as a luger in the early 90s. By 1994, the young man had already become the national champion three times. In the same year, the athlete was sent to international competitions. He took part in the youth championship. And he won gold together with his partner Daniil Chaban in a two-seater crew.

For four years, Alexander Zubkov (photo below) prepared for his first Olympic Games. In 1998, the world championship was held in the Japanese city of Nagano. But the young athlete failed to achieve success. He arrived at the finish line only twentieth. After the failure, the famous bobsleigh coach Alexander Leichenko invited Zubkov to try himself in this sport, related to luge.

The choice was not easy to make. But the disappointing results of the Olympics took their toll. I had to agree.

Bobsleigh in the life of A. Zubkov

A new sport burst into the guy’s destiny. Bobsleigh is technically more difficult than luge. I had to work hard to grasp the basic principles.

It was the transition to bobsleigh for Alexander Zubkov that can be considered the beginning of his sports career. Grueling training, inflexible character, the will to win and new achievements did their job. Zubkov the luger managed to loudly make a name for himself in bobsleigh.

The 2000s are the peak of the athlete’s career. Victories rained down like from a cornucopia, one after another. First in all-Russian competitions, then in international ones. However, the second Olympic Games also did not bring good results, like the first. But then Zubkov finished sixteenth. And this was his small victory in his new role. The coaching staff discovered a simple truth - this is his sport, he needs to continue training. It's a small matter.

First triumphal games

The next Olympic season was marked by numerous victories in international arenas. The rating of Russian athletes-partners grew before our eyes. Without any doubt, the coaching staff was ready to send Alexander Zubkov along with his teammates - Golubev, Stepushkin, Seliverstov - to the next Olympic Games in Turin. The Russian four came second, losing the championship to the Germans.

And it was a real triumph, considering that literally on the eve of the games Alexander received a serious injury - he sprained his Achilles tendon. But refusing to participate in the world championship would be much worse than defeat.

Immediately after receiving the medals, Zubkov was sent for treatment. I had to miss the next season of training for more than good reasons. The course of treatment and rehabilitation took place in Germany. The athlete was successfully operated on. A difficult period of recovery began. It was possible to return to its previous form by the beginning of 2008. During the same period, Russian bobsledders won the World Cup in two disciplines - double and quadruple.

Difficult season 2010-2011

Preparing for new competitions was not at all easy. Despite the fact that bobsleigh in Russia became more and more popular every year thanks to the victories of athletes, the tracks on which it was necessary to prepare promised to be much better. The guys traveled abroad - to Switzerland, Germany, America, where they could properly prepare for competitions. However, sensing the competitiveness of the athletes, the organizers were increasingly reluctant to agree to rent out the tracks.

In 2010, Alexander came up with the idea to end his career and focus on politics; he was invited to the committee of the Ministry of Sports for the Irkutsk region. But after working for a while, I decided to return to bobsleigh. Alexander Zubkov was not mistaken - in 2011 at the World Championships he became first in doubles for the first time in the history of the Russian team.

Sochi Olympics and disqualification

Before the start of the Winter Olympic Games in our country, Alexander Zubkov was elected ambassador and standard bearer. At the end of February, he was awarded the title of Olympic champion, winning two gold medals in the competition. Immediately after the end of the games, I decided to leave big sport and focus on coaching.

In 2017, 3 years after the Sochi Olympics, Alexander Zubkov was stripped of his gold medals and disqualified for life with a ban on ever competing at world championships. In February 2018, the life ban was lifted.

Personal life

Alexander Zubkov has been married for a long time. His family has three children - two daughters and a son. Girls also engage in winter sports - skeleton and curling. The boy is still too young to think about sports. According to Zubkov, his family is the real rear. The wife has always provided invaluable support to her husband; she is his best critic and best adviser.

The Moscow City Court upheld the claim of athlete Alexander Zubkov, who now heads the Russian Bobsleigh Federation, against the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which stripped him of the title of Olympic champion due to doping allegations. Thus, Zubkov was allowed to keep the gold medals of the Olympic Games in Sochi and not enforce the CAS decision on Russian territory.

However, as lawyer Artem Patsev explained to TASS, the Moscow City Court did not overturn the decision of the sports arbitration court, since it does not have the right to do so.

Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) commission found Zubkov guilty of violating anti-doping rules and annulled his results from the 2014 Olympics, where he won two gold medals. He was also banned for life from participating in the Olympic Games. Later, CAS replaced the lifelong ban from the Olympics with inadmissibility only to the Games in Pyeongchang, but Zubkov’s results at the Sochi Olympics remained annulled.

Zubkov later filed a lawsuit against being recognized as a violator of anti-doping rules in Russia. According to the athlete, he suffered both non-material moral damage and material damage, since he was deprived of a lifelong presidential scholarship. In the lawsuit, he insisted that the decision of the Arbitration for Sport was contrary to the “public policy of Russia.” He also stated in court that it was important for him to retain the title of Olympic champion in Russia.

“Today the court considered Zubkov’s objections to recognizing him as a violator of anti-doping rules on the territory of Russia - this is exactly what worries him, as a citizen of Russia. The Russian court did not cancel or change the CAS decision; it does not have the right to do this. The Russian court, based on the text of the CAS decision, recognized that to apply such a harsh punishment as the confiscation of gold medals from the Games and serious charges of violating anti-doping rules, such a catastrophically small evidence base contained in the motivation for the CAS decision is clearly insufficient,” explained lawyer Patsev.

Judge Ilnar Basyrov in his decision referred to the presumption of innocence and stated that the CAS decision was based on speculation, because none of the witnesses “directly indicated the fact of sample substitution.”

During the hearing, Zubkov’s defense also explained that the athlete’s doping test could not have contained prohibited substances, since Zubkov, as a car driver, does not need to use serious physical effort.

Representatives of the IOC have not yet contacted Zubkov with a demand to return the medals. Zubkov, in turn, stated that if they contact him, he “will either object or return it voluntarily.”

At the Sochi Olympics, Zubkov won two gold medals. Before that, he became a silver medalist in the fours at the 2006 Olympics in Turin and won a bronze medal in the doubles at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.