All about boxing. Lebzyak Alexander Borisovich, Russian boxer: biography, sports career Ups and downs
Second middle weight
Light Heavyweight
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G. M. Ryzhikov
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Alexander Borisovich Lebzyak(born April 15, 1969 in Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR) - Soviet and Russian boxer, coach, winner of the Grand Slam of amateur boxing (Olympic champion, world and European champion) in the light heavyweight division. Head coach of the Russian boxing team (2005-2008, since 2013). Honored Master of Sports of Russia (1996). Knight of the Order of Honor (1995) and the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th degree (2001).
Biography
Alexander Lebzyak was born on April 15, 1969 in Donetsk. A year later, his family moved to the village of Burkandya in the Magadan Region, where he began boxing under the guidance of Vasily Denisenko. In 1985, he continued boxing at the Magadan Youth Sports School, where Gennady Ryzhikov began to train him. In 1987, he received an invitation to the USSR junior team and won the World Junior Championship. In 1991, he was recruited to the USSR national team and became a medalist at the European Championship and World Championship. In 1992, as part of the United Team, he took part in the Olympic Games in Barcelona. A few weeks before the Olympics, his lung burst due to intense weight cutting. Then he was able to quickly recover, but he failed to go beyond the second round. This happened again at the Olympic Games in Atlanta (1996), when during the first fight he suffered a relapse.
After an unsuccessful performance at the Olympics in Atlanta, Alexander Lebzyak decided to change the weight category and move from second middleweight to light heavyweight. In the new weight category, he dominated throughout the next Olympic cycle, became world champion, won the European Championship twice, and won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000).
Having become the owner of all titles in amateur boxing, in September 2001, Alexander Lebzyak had one fight in the professional ring, in which he won by knockout. However, he refused to continue his professional career and preferred to switch to coaching. In 2002-2004 he was the head boxing coach of CSKA, and from 2005 to 2008 he headed the coaching staff of the Russian national team. In 2008, he returned to work at CSKA, in 2010 he was elected president of the Moscow Boxing Federation, and in 2012 he was appointed advisor to the head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Moscow Government.
Since 2013, he again headed the coaching staff of the Russian national boxing team.
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Notes
Links
- (English) - statistics of professional fights on the site BoxRec
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| USSR national team - 1991 World Championship | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Russian national team - Olympic Games 2000 | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Russian national team - Olympic Games 2008 | Russia |
|---|---|---|
|
up to 48 kg: David Hayrapetyan | up to 51 kg: Georgy Balakshin | up to 54 kg: Sergey Vodopyanov | up to 57 kg: Albert Selimov | up to 60 kg: Alexey Tishchenko | up to 64 kg: Gennady Kovalev | up to 69 kg: Andrey Balanov | up to 75 kg: Matvey Korobov | up to 81 kg: Artur Beterbiev | up to 91 kg: Rakhim Chakhkiev | over 91 kg: Islam Timurziev | Head coach: Alexander Lebzyak |
||
| Russia | Russian national team - World Championship 2005 | Russia |
|---|---|---|
|
up to 48 kg: Sergey Kazakov | up to 51 kg: Georgy Balakshin | up to 54 kg: Ali Aliyev | up to 57 kg: Alexey Tishchenko | up to 60 kg: Khabib Allahverdiev | up to 64 kg: Oleg Komissarov | up to 69 kg: Andrey Balanov | up to 75 kg: Matvey Korobov | up to 81 kg: Egor Mekhontsev | up to 91 kg: Alexander Alekseev | over 91 kg: Roman Romanchuk | Head coach: Alexander Lebzyak |
||
| Russia | Russian national team - World Championship 2007 | Russia |
|---|---|---|
|
up to 48 kg: David Hayrapetyan | up to 51 kg: Georgy Balakshin | up to 54 kg: Sergey Vodopyanov | up to 57 kg: Albert Selimov | up to 60 kg: Alexey Tishchenko | up to 64 kg: Gennady Kovalev | up to 69 kg: Andrey Balanov | up to 75 kg: Matvey Korobov | up to 81 kg: Artur Beterbiev | up to 91 kg: Rakhim Chakhkiev | over 91 kg: Islam Timurziev | Head coach: Alexander Lebzyak |
||
| Russia | Russian national team - World Cup 2015 | Russia |
|---|---|---|
|
up to 48 kg: Vasily Egorov | up to 57 kg: Adlan Abdurashidov Suddenly this terrible vision disappeared somewhere and around again the bright and joyful Stella world shone, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow... And I, unable to recover from the nightmare I had seen, tried to preserve it in my memory the pure image of this wonderful, brave little boy, and I didn’t even notice that I was crying... I felt tears flowing down my cheeks like a river, but for some reason I wasn’t the least bit ashamed... To my great surprise, unlike what I had seen before, we found ourselves in a completely different time and place, which was similar to France, and the clothes were reminiscent of the eighteenth century. A beautiful covered carriage was driving along a wide cobbled street, inside of which were sitting a young man and a woman in very expensive suits, and apparently in a very bad mood... The young man stubbornly proved something to the girl, and she, not listening to him at all, hovered calmly somewhere in her dreams, which really irritated the young man... | ||
In one of his interviews, Alexander admitted that, like many of his colleagues, he does not keep track of fights, but, of course, he remembers the most important of them, those in which he was lucky or not.
Born on April 15, 1969 in Donetsk. Father - Lebzyak Boris Yakovlevich (born 1939). Mother - Lebzyak Larisa Vasilyevna (born 1941). Brother - Lebzyak Sergey Borisovich (born 1962). Wife - Lebzyak Irina Vladimirovna (born 1970). Daughters: Tatyana (born 1987), Anna (born 1993).
Alexander Lebzyak spent his childhood in the harsh conditions of the Kolyma region. Here, in the small village of Burkandya, Susumansky district, which can hardly be found on the map of the Magadan region, Donetsk miner-explosive worker Boris Yakovlevich Lebzyak got a job in one of the mines where gold was mined. In 1970, his wife and sons moved in with him.
Located 900 kilometers from Magadan, among mountains and hills, beyond which there are no roads, Burkandya was no different from dozens of similar gold mining villages: about three thousand inhabitants, a mine, a store, a canteen, a school, a club. There is practically no entertainment.
Sasha grew up as an ordinary kid. Like all the guys, he climbed through abandoned mines, kicked a puck or a ball, rushed through the streets, had accidents and fought. In winter, I spent almost all my time with friends at the club and looked forward to summer to go fishing, pick mushrooms and berries. Those who have lived in such small villages know how difficult it is to express yourself here, to find what you are passionate about, and how often everything can be decided by chance.
Everything went as usual until chance brought the coach-teacher and physical education teacher Vasily Nikolaevich Denisenko, who had good training as a boxer and karateka, to the village. With his arrival, the life of the village boys immediately changed. Vasily Nikolaevich began to slowly practice karate, which was then prohibited, with the guys, then he opened a boxing section. Alexander also signed up.
The conditions in which the training took place can be called Spartan - an ordinary hall in which two rubber bags filled with water hung. To teach students discipline, the coach introduced a rule: check grades before classes. The bad ones are that you sit on the bench the entire training session. It was a shame to sit out his pants, and Alexander began to slowly pull himself up. The first success came in boxing - 3rd place at regional competitions.
By 1985, Alexander Lebzyak was already well known not only in the region, but also in the region, where he won championships more than once. Among four promising young boxers from Burkandy, Alexander received an invitation to the Magadan Sports School. From then until now, his mentor was the Honored Trainer of Russia Gennady Mikhailovich Ryzhikov, who at one time began training the famous boxer Viktor Rybakov.
Boarding school No. 12 turned out to be no cakewalk: after school, grueling training followed. And so every day, and even far from home and parents. Two of Alexander’s friends couldn’t stand it and left. Yes, he himself tried to return home more than once. However, the craving for boxing prevailed, and, gritting his teeth, Sasha trained.
New victories followed - at the regional and all-Union levels. Alexander was included in the national youth team. And in 1987, in Cuba, he first felt the taste of a major victory: he became the world champion among juniors in the 71 kg weight category, defeating not just anyone, but a Cuban - a representative of the country - a trendsetter in this sport. It was after this victory that Alexander felt that he had a long road ahead of him along the difficult road of big boxing. He didn't have such confidence before.
Meanwhile, it was time to join the army. Alexander decided to ask to go to Afghanistan, but he, a talented boxer, was not allowed there, and he served his entire service life (from 1987 to 1989) in a tank regiment in Magadan.
After the service, Warrant Officer Lebzyak was assigned to the Red Banner Far Eastern District, continuing to perform in the ring. In 1991, he reached the finals of the World and European Championships, but only a little was missing from victory. Almost the same picture continued a year later. In 1992, Alexander, together with his friend and partner Oleg Nikolaev, moved to Moscow, and in 1995 they were officially offered a transfer to the Moscow Military District.
After leaving for Moscow, I had to leave the Khabarovsk Institute of Physical Education and devote 5 years to boxing, but still the desire to get a higher education did not leave me, and Alexander entered the Malakhovsky Institute of Physical Education (now an academy). He graduated from it in 1999 and became a certified specialist.
By this time, the parents had returned to Ukraine, to Donetsk, and brother Sergei ended up in Belarus. Oleg Nikolaev, having stopped performing, became Lebzyak’s second coach, as he puts it, a “playing coach,” because they worked together in sparring. He received the title of Honored Trainer of Russia, but soon died tragically.
After the spectacular victory in Havana, experts had no doubt that Alexander Lebzyak would have a stellar sports career. However, at prestigious “adult” tournaments he was unable to rise above second place. Since 1992, the boxer was plagued by injuries, and in 1995 he did not go to the World Championships at all because his daughter fell ill, followed by his wife Irina.
Before Sydney, the captain of the Russian team, Alexander Lebzyak, had already been to two Olympic Games. However, he was unlucky. In 1992, a few weeks before the Olympics, his lung burst due to intense weight cutting. Then he was able to quickly recover and even win a place in the team, but he was unable to get beyond the second round in Barcelona. A similar situation happened in Atlanta when he relapsed during his first fight. But even in this state, Alexander brought the battle to the end.
After the Olympic failures, many gave up on Lebzyak. According to some, the boxer developed a “decisive fight complex”, due to which he was doomed to be content with secondary roles at the main competitions.
However, Alexander himself believed that the root of his failures was not in psychology, but in “physics.” Competing in the 75 kg weight category, before the competition I lost 6 kg, went hungry, steamed... And this is a huge additional load, so I simply didn’t have enough strength for the final part.
Failures did not cripple Alexander and he rolled up his sleeves and decided to continue his career. After consulting with coach Gennady Mikhailovich, he moves to a heavier weight category - 81 kg. After this step, Alexander seemed to be replaced, and he began to win one competition after another. In 1997 in Budapest he became the world champion, in 1998 and 2000 - the European champion in Minsk and Finland, and was recognized as the best boxer on the continent and the best fighter.
In Russia, Alexander Lebzyak did not lose to anyone, he became the champion of the USSR, the winner of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, was a repeated winner of the USSR Cup, and a six-time champion of Russia. There was only one goal left before him that had not yet been achieved - Olympic gold.
The Sydney Olympics was the third in Alexander Lebzyak’s career. Before the Games they constantly told him: you have to win. To this he replied that he did not owe anything to anyone, although he understood: this was his last chance. Due to the age limit, he will no longer be able to get to the Olympic Games.
And the dream came true. As always, elegant and outwardly even light. In the final with the Czech Rudolf Krazek, he boxed playfully, confidently leading with a score of 20: 6. One more blow - and the fight would have ended ahead of schedule. But Alexander decided to leave the ring gracefully, so he stretched out the pleasure and tried to extend, even if only for a moment, his sports career.
After the Sydney victory, Alexander was repeatedly offered to switch to professional boxing. He was called to Japan, to Germany, to Italy, to England, to America. But he had long ago decided that he would become a coach and set himself a new goal - to train at least one Olympic champion. And another idea of Alexander Lebzyak is to open a sports center under the code name “United Fighter”.
In one of his interviews, Alexander admitted that, like many of his colleagues, he does not keep track of fights, but, of course, he remembers the most important of them, those in which he was lucky or not. In total, Lebzyak fought over 300 fights, of which he lost in no more than 20.
Alexander Lebzyak - permanent captain of the national team, Olympic champion (2000), world champion (1997), two-time European champion (1998, 2000), finalist of the World Championship (1991) and European Championship (1993), bronze medalist of the European Championships (1992, 1996) , multiple national champion, best boxer in Europe (1998, 2000), four-time world champion among military personnel. He was awarded the Order of Honor (1995) and "For Services to the Fatherland" (2001), the Medal of the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, II degree (1999) and the Medal "In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" (1997).
Alexander is interested in hockey, tennis, and football. He is an avid motorist. He prefers to spend his free time with his family. In his spare time he likes to look through encyclopedias, enjoys listening to Russian pop music and Russian chanson, and watches historical films.
His family has a magnificent German Shepherd - everyone's favorite dog named Douglas, named after James Buster Douglas, nicknamed "Buster", who once knocked out Mike Tyson himself.
Lives and works in Moscow.
Alexander Borisovich Lebzyak. I present to you a large detailed biography of the legendary Soviet and Russian boxer. Olympic champion, world champion, European champion and coach of the country's national boxing team.
Childhood and youth
Alexander Borisovich Lebzyak was born on April 15, 1969 in Donetsk ( Ukraine, USSR). When the boy was one year old, his family moved to Magadan. Father - Boris Yakovlevich worked in a gold mine, mother - Larisa Vasilievna was engaged in housekeeping, and older brother - Sergei was boxing. It was Sergei who brought ten-year-old Sasha to the fist arts section with coach Vasily Nikolaevich Denisenko. Lebzyak studied for 10 months and quit.
A few months later, Alexander watched the Olympic Games in Moscow ( 1980). Fierce boxing fights returned the boy's passion for the ring. He returned to the section.
In 1985, Lebzyak won several intra-Union tournaments and first met his future mentor, Gennady Mikhailovich Ryzhikov, who trained the famous Soviet boxer Viktor Rybakov. The results were not long in coming.
In 1987, Alexander wins the World Youth Championship ( category up to 71 kilograms), defeating the Cuban boxer in the final. Even then Lebzyak began to be called " specialist on Cuban fighters". Sasha imposed his style of fighting on the technical Cubans, knocked them out of position and ended many fights ahead of schedule.
1988 Olympic Games ( Seoul) Lebzyak missed it. Evgeny Zaitsev went to the tournament, losing in the quarter finals to the famous Roy Jones. However, Lebziak did not miss the next three Olympic cycles. He firmly secured his place in the national team ( 4 years in the USSR national team and 9 years in the Russian national team).
Over the years, as a member of the national team, he took part in three Olympics, three world championships, five European championships, twice became a bronze medalist at the Goodwill Games and twice won the world championship among military personnel. In the early 90s, Alexander was one step away from a gold medal every time. Silver and bronze. It was just a little short of gold.
At the 1992 Olympics, a terrible injury occurred - a ruptured lung. In the middle weight category, Lebzyak lost in the second round of the competition to the famous American, Chris Bird, who won the silver award. The relapse occurred at the 1996 games. Alexander reached the 1/4 final stage, where he lost to the future winner, Cuban Ariel Hernandez.
At that time, the captain of the Russian national team was already 26 years old. He takes a risky step - moving to light heavyweight ( up to 81 kilograms). The decision turned out to be correct. Gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest ( 1997) and European Championships in Minsk ( 1998) and Tampere ( year 2000), gave Lebyazka the last opportunity to win the coveted gold of the Olympic Games.
The Olympics in Sydney became a benefit for the 31-year-old captain of the Russian national team. He literally crushed all his rivals and mockingly easily defeated the Czech athlete Rudolf Kray in the final.
During his rich amateur career, Lebziak had more than 300 fights, losing only 20. He was one of the rare number of boxers who conquered all three main peaks of the amateur ring: the Olympic Games, the World Championship and the European Championship.
Professional boxing
After his triumph at the Olympics, Alexander rested for only a week and returned to the gym. In the fall of 2001, he had his first and only fight in the professional ring in Tashkent. Lebziak won by technical knockout in the first round. Coaching work
In 2002, Lebzyak became the head coach of the Armed Forces national team ( CSKA). In 2005 he led the country's national team, and in 2008 he returned to work with military personnel.
In 2012, Alexander Borisovich was appointed advisor to the head of the Moscow Department of Physical Culture and Sports. In 2013, Lebzyak again led the Russian national team, but in September 2016, after the Olympics, he left his post.
Outside boxing
Alexander is married. Wife - Irina. The couple has two daughters - Tatyana and Anna. His family lives with a German shepherd named Douglas, named after the famous boxer James Buster Douglas, who inflicted the first defeat in his career on the great Mike Tyson.
Awards: " For services to the Fatherland" (year 2001), "Order of Honor" (1995), "For services to the Fatherland"2 degrees ( 1999), medal in " Memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow" (1997).
Lebzyak lives and works in Moscow. He is actively interested in sports. Follows basketball, hockey, football and, of course, boxing.
Honored Master of Sports, Olympic champion, world and European champion
Born on April 15, 1969 in Donetsk. Father - Lebzyak Boris Yakovlevich (born 1939). Mother - Lebzyak Larisa Vasilyevna (born 1941). Brother - Lebzyak Sergey Borisovich (born 1962). Wife - Lebzyak Irina Vladimirovna (born 1970). Daughters: Tatyana (born 1987), Anna (born 1993).
Alexander Lebzyak spent his childhood in the harsh conditions of the Kolyma region. Here, in the small village of Burkandya, Susumansky district, which can hardly be found on the map of the Magadan region, Donetsk miner-explosive worker Boris Yakovlevich Lebzyak got a job in one of the mines where gold was mined. In 1970, his wife and sons moved in with him.
Located 900 kilometers from Magadan, among mountains and hills, beyond which there are no roads, Burkandya was no different from dozens of similar gold mining villages: about three thousand inhabitants, a mine, a store, a canteen, a school, a club. There is practically no entertainment.
Sasha grew up as an ordinary kid. Like all the guys, he climbed through abandoned mines, kicked a puck or a ball, rushed through the streets, had accidents and fought. In winter, I spent almost all my time with friends at the club and looked forward to summer to go fishing, pick mushrooms and berries. Those who have lived in such small villages know how difficult it is to express yourself here, to find what you are passionate about, and how often everything can be decided by chance.
Everything went as usual until chance brought the coach-teacher and physical education teacher Vasily Nikolaevich Denisenko, who had good training as a boxer and karateka, to the village. With his arrival, the life of the village boys immediately changed. Vasily Nikolaevich began to slowly practice karate, which was then prohibited, with the guys, then he opened a boxing section. Alexander also signed up.
The conditions in which the training took place can be called Spartan - an ordinary hall in which two rubber bags filled with water hung. To teach students discipline, the coach introduced a rule: check grades before classes. The bad ones are that you sit on the bench the entire training session. It was a shame to sit out his pants, and Alexander began to slowly pull himself up. The first success came in boxing - 3rd place at regional competitions.
By 1985, Alexander Lebzyak was already well known not only in the region, but also in the region, where he won championships more than once. Among four promising young boxers from Burkandy, Alexander received an invitation to the Magadan Sports School. From then until now, his mentor was the Honored Trainer of Russia Gennady Mikhailovich Ryzhikov, who at one time began training the famous boxer Viktor Rybakov.
Boarding school No. 12 turned out to be no cakewalk: after school, grueling training followed. And so every day, and even far from home and parents. Two of Alexander’s friends couldn’t stand it and left. Yes, he himself tried to return home more than once. However, the craving for boxing prevailed, and, gritting his teeth, Sasha trained.
New victories followed - at the regional and all-Union levels. Alexander was included in the national youth team. And in 1987, in Cuba, he first felt the taste of a major victory: he became the world champion among juniors in the 71 kg weight category, defeating not just anyone, but a Cuban - a representative of the country - a trendsetter in this sport. It was after this victory that Alexander felt that he had a long road ahead of him along the difficult road of big boxing. He didn't have such confidence before.
Meanwhile, it was time to join the army. Alexander decided to ask to go to Afghanistan, but he, a talented boxer, was not allowed there, and he served his entire service life (from 1987 to 1989) in a tank regiment in Magadan.
After the service, Warrant Officer Lebzyak was assigned to the Red Banner Far Eastern District, continuing to perform in the ring. In 1991, he reached the finals of the World and European Championships, but only a little was missing from victory. Almost the same picture continued a year later. In 1992, Alexander, together with his friend and partner Oleg Nikolaev, moved to Moscow, and in 1995 they were officially offered a transfer to the Moscow Military District.
After leaving for Moscow, I had to leave the Khabarovsk Institute of Physical Education and devote 5 years to boxing, but still the desire to get a higher education did not leave me, and Alexander entered the Malakhovsky Institute of Physical Education (now an academy). He graduated from it in 1999 and became a certified specialist.
By this time, the parents had returned to Ukraine, to Donetsk, and brother Sergei ended up in Belarus. Oleg Nikolaev, having stopped performing, became Lebzyak’s second coach, as he puts it, a “playing coach,” because they worked together in sparring. He received the title of Honored Trainer of Russia, but soon died tragically.
After the spectacular victory in Havana, experts had no doubt that Alexander Lebzyak would have a stellar sports career. However, at prestigious “adult” tournaments he was unable to rise above second place. Since 1992, the boxer was plagued by injuries, and in 1995 he did not go to the World Championships at all because his daughter fell ill, followed by his wife Irina.
Before Sydney, the captain of the Russian team, Alexander Lebzyak, had already been to two Olympic Games. However, he was unlucky. In 1992, a few weeks before the Olympics, his lung burst due to intense weight cutting. Then he was able to quickly recover and even win a place in the team, but he was unable to get beyond the second round in Barcelona. A similar situation happened in Atlanta when he relapsed during his first fight. But even in this state, Alexander brought the battle to the end.
After the Olympic failures, many gave up on Lebzyak. According to some, the boxer developed a “decisive fight complex”, due to which he was doomed to be content with secondary roles at the main competitions.
However, Alexander himself believed that the root of his failures was not in psychology, but in “physics.” Competing in the 75 kg weight category, before the competition I lost 6 kg, went hungry, steamed... And this is a huge additional load, so I simply didn’t have enough strength for the final part.
Failures did not cripple Alexander and he rolled up his sleeves and decided to continue his career. After consulting with coach Gennady Mikhailovich, he moves to a heavier weight category - 81 kg. After this step, Alexander seemed to be replaced, and he began to win one competition after another. In 1997 in Budapest he became the world champion, in 1998 and 2000 - the European champion in Minsk and Finland, and was recognized as the best boxer on the continent and the best fighter.
In Russia, Alexander Lebzyak did not lose to anyone, he became the champion of the USSR, the winner of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, was a repeated winner of the USSR Cup, and a six-time champion of Russia. There was only one goal left before him that had not yet been achieved - Olympic gold.
The Sydney Olympics was the third in Alexander Lebzyak’s career. Before the Games they constantly told him: you have to win. To this he replied that he did not owe anything to anyone, although he understood: this was his last chance. Due to the age limit, he will no longer be able to get to the Olympic Games.
And the dream came true. As always, elegant and outwardly even light. In the final with the Czech Rudolf Krazek, he boxed playfully, confidently leading with a score of 20: 6. One more blow - and the fight would have ended ahead of schedule. But Alexander decided to leave the ring gracefully, so he stretched out the pleasure and tried to extend, even if only for a moment, his sports career.
After the Sydney victory, Alexander was repeatedly offered to switch to professional boxing. He was called to Japan, to Germany, to Italy, to England, to America. But he had long ago decided that he would become a coach and set himself a new goal - to train at least one Olympic champion. And another idea of Alexander Lebzyak is to open a sports center under the code name “United Fighter”.
In one of his interviews, Alexander admitted that, like many of his colleagues, he does not keep track of fights, but, of course, he remembers the most important of them, those in which he was lucky or not. In total, Lebzyak fought over 300 fights, of which he lost in no more than 20.
Alexander Lebzyak - permanent captain of the national team, Olympic champion (2000), world champion (1997), two-time European champion (1998, 2000), finalist of the World Championship (1991) and European Championship (1993), bronze medalist of the European Championships (1992, 1996) , multiple national champion, best boxer in Europe (1998, 2000), four-time world champion among military personnel. He was awarded the Order of Honor (1995) and "For Services to the Fatherland" (2001), the Medal of the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, II degree (1999) and the Medal "In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" (1997).
Alexander is interested in hockey, tennis, and football. He is an avid motorist. He prefers to spend his free time with his family. In his spare time he likes to look through encyclopedias, enjoys listening to Russian pop music and Russian chanson, and watches historical films.
His family has a magnificent German Shepherd - everyone's favorite dog named Douglas, named after James Buster Douglas, nicknamed "Buster", who once knocked out Mike Tyson himself.
Lives and works in Moscow.
Domestic boxing is a source of pride for our country at all times. It is known for certain that boxers and coaches who were trained in Soviet times are true masters of their craft and have always represented their country with dignity at all world competitions. In the modern galaxy of Russian sports figures who have gone through all the difficulties of the transition period from the Soviet Union to present-day Russia, I would especially like to highlight the current coach named Alexander Lebzyak. His sporting fate will be discussed in this article.
A few facts
The famous boxer, and now a coach, was born in the city of Donetsk on April 15, 1969. But literally a year later, Lebzyak Alexander and his parents moved to the Magadan region (the village of Burkandya). The guy's father worked in a mine and mined gold.
The village itself was removed from the regional center by as much as 900 kilometers and hid among the mountains and hills. However, it was no different from other similar mining towns and had a population of about three thousand people.
Childhood
Lebzyak Alexander grew up as an ordinary guy. Like many of his peers, he played hockey, climbed old mine workings, ran through the streets, where sometimes he had to fight. The young man was especially looking forward to summer to enjoy fishing and going for mushrooms and berries. It goes without saying that this situation was not very conducive to the fact that Sasha would quickly be able to discover any talents in herself, or indeed make a decision in life. But everything changed by chance...
Meet the master
So Sasha would have continued to live as an ordinary street boy if a physical education teacher and part-time coach, Vasily Nikolaevich Denisenko, had not come to their village. Thanks to his appearance in the town, the life of local youth changed dramatically. Denisenko began teaching children karate, which was banned at that time, and everyone’s favorite boxing. Lebzyak also joined his section.
The training took place in very harsh conditions. The gym had only two bags of water and one mat. The coach was also strict: he introduced a rule according to which he checked the grades in the guys’ diaries before training and could send them home or put them on the bench for poor studies. It goes without saying that none of the guys, including Alexander Lebzyak, wanted to sit out their pants. Sasha’s first serious victory was third place at the regional championship.
Studying at a boarding school
Amateur boxing in those days provided for the existence of special boarding schools in which promising athletes studied, trained and lived.
In 1985, Alexander had already established himself very well both in the district and in the region thanks to his numerous victories. In this regard, he received an invitation to Magadan Sports School No. 12. It was there that he began to train under the guidance of Honored Trainer of Russia Gennady Mikhailovich Ryzhikov.
Studying at the boarding school was a heavy burden: every day after school, extremely grueling training was carried out. And this despite the fact that the guys were far from home, parents, and loved ones. Two of Lebzyak’s friends could not withstand the stress and returned to their native walls. Sasha himself repeatedly rushed to go home, but still his love for boxing prevailed.
Major victories
Patience and perseverance did their job, and Lebzyak Alexander Borisovich won regional and all-Union competitions. These successes secured him a place in the country's youth team.
In 1987, the Soviet boxer was able to taste a truly important victory, as he became the world junior champion in the weight category up to 71 kilograms. Moreover, in the final he defeated the Cuban, a trendsetter in amateur boxing. Thanks to this success, Lebziak realized that amateur boxing was his path; previously he did not have such strong confidence.
Army
Lebzyak spent the period from 1987 to 1989 in the army. Initially, he asked to go to Afghanistan, but, as a talented boxer, he was not allowed there, but was sent to serve in a tank regiment in Magadan.
After being transferred to the reserve, with the shoulder straps of an ensign on his shoulders, Alexander was enlisted in the Red Banner. He continued to box. And in 1991 he reached the finals of the European and World Championships. But, unfortunately, the first places eluded him.
Moving to the capital
In 1992, Alexander Borisovich Lebzyak, together with Oleg Nikolaev, moved to Moscow, where three years later they were both offered to transfer to the Moscow Military District.
After leaving for Belokamennaya, Alexander had to give up continuing his studies at the Khabarovsk Institute of Physical Culture and devote five years to boxing. However, the desire to get a higher education did not leave him. In this regard, Lebzyak entered the Malakhovsky Institute of Physical Education and graduated from it in 1999.
Ups and downs
Alexander Lebzyak, whose biography can serve as a good example for the younger generation, was considered a very promising fighter after his victory in Havana. But at prestigious tournaments among adults he could not rise above the second stage. Since 1992, he has been plagued by injuries, and in 1995 he did not make it to the world championship at all due to the illness of his wife and daughter.
Before the Sydney Olympics, Lebziak had already been to two similar competitions, and as a captain. But he was always haunted by elementary bad luck. So, in 1992, literally a few weeks before the Olympic tournament, his lung burst. The reason is weight loss. True, then he was able to quickly return to duty and even get into the team, but in Barcelona he ultimately performed unsuccessfully. The worst thing is that the athlete had a relapse with a ruptured lung at the games in Atlanta, and directly during the fight. But even such a terrible injury did not stop the boxer, and he brought the fight to the end, although he was later forced to withdraw from the competition.
A series of problems cast doubt on his ability to be number one. Many experts have already given up on him, believing that he will never become the best. However, Alexander himself said that his problem was not psychology, but the so-called “physics,” because weight loss made itself felt and had an extremely negative effect on his health.
Together with his coach, Alexander Lebzyak, for whom boxing was paramount then, decides to continue his career and rises to a higher category, starting to compete in a weight of up to 81 kilograms. This move turned out to be beneficial for the athlete, and he began to win all the prestigious tournaments. In 1997 he became the world champion in Budapest, and won the European Championship in 1998 and 2000. He was deservedly recognized as the best boxer of the Old World.
It is worth noting that Lebzyak never lost to anyone domestically. He was the champion of the USSR, won the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, won the USSR Cup many times, and was a six-time champion of the Russian Federation. Everything was generally not bad, but there was only one unconquered peak left - Olympic gold.
Sydney 2000
As a rule, Olympic boxing champions are people who won the award at a fairly young age. Therefore, when Lebzyak went to the games in Australia, everyone understood perfectly well that this was his last chance to win, since the next Olympics was no longer available to him due to his “retirement” age from a sporting point of view.
And a miracle happened. Alexander was able to win gold. In the final match, he faced the representative of the Czech Republic, Rudolf Krazek. Lebzyak boxed confidently, clearly, elegantly. He led the match with a score of 20:6. In principle, one more accurate blow from the Russian - and the fight would have been completed due to a clear advantage, but Sasha did not do this. Perhaps because he understood: his sports career was coming to an end, and he wanted to extend his time in the ring as a fighter.
After his victory in Sydney, Lebziak was offered many times to start a career as a professional boxer. A tempting prospect opened before him to fight in Japan, Italy, Germany, England, and America.
As a result, he still had one fight in the pro ring, which he confidently won by knockout. But still, he decided to give up performing as a professional and switched to coaching.
At the main post
Since 2013, the coach of the Russian national boxing team, Alexander Lebzyak, has confidently led the country's main team. However, this is not his first command of the best. Between 2005 and 2008, he also trained with fighters of this level.
In 2010, he was president of the federation, and in 2012 he even served as an adviser to the head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Moscow Government.
As for personal preferences and hobbies, Lebzyak is an avid motorist and loves hockey, tennis and football. He tries to spend all his free time with his family, especially since he already has grandchildren. In addition, he enjoys reading various encyclopedias, watching historical films, and often listening to Russian pop music and chanson.
He was awarded the Order of Honor “For Services to the Fatherland” and has a medal “In Memory of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow.”
His family has a universal favorite - a German shepherd nicknamed Buster. The dog received this nickname from Alexander in honor of the famous American boxer James Douglas, who was the first in the history of sports to sensationally knock out the legendary “Iron” Mike Tyson and take the championship title from him.
