Why the youngest Soviet boxing champion became a gravedigger in a cemetery: the tragedy of Vyacheslav Lemeshev

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Vyacheslav Lemeshev is the youngest Soviet Olympic boxing champion: at the time of his triumph in Munich, he was only 20 years old. Just think, in the "golden" Games for himself, he won four out of five fights by knockout. Moreover, the athlete was distinguished not only by tremendous strength, but also by a unique reaction, which allowed him to take his rivals by surprise. In the USSR, he was a favorite of the public: crowds of fans literally followed on his heels. But the star of the outstanding boxer went out as quickly as it lit up. Why did it happen?

Ordinary boy, ordinary childhood

The future champion was born in 1952 in a simple Soviet family: his father is an officer who went through the whole war, his mother is a housewife who devoted herself to raising children. Lemeshev was born in the city of Yegoryevsk (Moscow region) and was the youngest of three sons.

Both Vyacheslav's brothers were involved in boxing and even managed to become masters of sports. Therefore, when the elder Zhenya took the younger to the section, he did not object, but he did not show much zeal for training either. And in terms of physical data, Slavik was significantly inferior to his relatives: too tall, too thin, too, it seemed, awkward. Nevertheless, the athlete brother was not going to retreat and "threatened" that he would check every week what the newcomer had learned.

By the way, Lemeshev's character was calm, and at first he himself was engaged in boxing because he was “brought in”. But, unexpectedly for everyone, at the age of 14, Vyacheslav won his first welterweight victory. And not just anywhere, but in Moscow itself. It was then that Lev Segalovich noticed him, who immediately realized that he was a real nugget. I must say, the coach was a representative of the old Soviet school of boxing, the pupils of which were distinguished precisely by precise hard punches. An experienced mentor immediately realized that if Lemeshev could hone his skills, then there would be no equal to him. And so it happened: Vyacheslav soon began to defeat one opponent after another, deftly making deceptive moves, provoking opponents to attack, and then knocking them out with an accurate blow.

Under the leadership of Segalovich, the talented athlete more than once became the best boxer in the country, celebrated a triumph at the European Youth Championship. But after 4 years he moved to Yuri Radonyak, who was the head coach of CSKA and the national team, but did not forget about the first mentor either.

Incredible triumph

But Lemeshev might not have gone to the 1972 Munich Olympics. The fact is that at the adult USSR championship he did not even get into the top three, but experts who applied for the Games from the country noted that yesterday's junior had a higher reflex rate than other boxers. Therefore, they decided to include Vyacheslav in the national team.

However, our athlete was not considered a favorite at the Games either. After all, everyone mainly relied on the American Marvin Johnson, to whom, by the way, Slava lost a few months before the Olympics. And Lemeshev's condition was unimportant: a few days before the start of the tournament, he fell ill, so he could not train at full strength. However, already in the semifinals, Lemeshev defeated Johnson. And the American, after such a crushing loss, never entered the ring anymore.

In the final, Vyacheslav met with the Finn Reima Virtanen, who was 5 years older than him. But after 2 minutes and 17 seconds, the opponent fell to the floor and could not get up. By the way, Lemeshev won four of five fights by knockout. It was an absolute triumph. But then the Soviet athlete was barely 20 years old, and he became the youngest Olympic boxing champion in the USSR.

Test of Glory

It is not surprising that Slava became a real star in his homeland. Moreover, the fans noted not only his excellent physical fitness, but also admired his incredible charm and friendliness: the champion was happy to communicate with the fans. And outwardly, he looked like a hero: tall, stately, with a magnificent mustache. In general, a dream. However, Lemeshev himself, it seems, was not ready for such attention to his person.

The athlete decided that the professional experience he had gained was now enough to win, so he began to skip training more and more often. He also became addicted to alcohol. At first it was only a friendly feast, and then he could have a drink either with the janitor or with the shoemaker. After all, the whole country knew the champion, so it is not surprising that people on the street stopped him and asked them to have a glass or two. And Slava, relying on the Russian tradition, could not refuse anyone.

The fact that Lemeshev had an incredible talent is also proved by the fact that for the first few years after the Olympics he coped with rivals, as they say, by experience, practically without training. The mentors, on the other hand, turned a blind eye to violations of the regime simply because Slava was gifted. After all, he later managed to win the European championships twice. But no one was going to give him a ticket to the Games in Montreal for nothing: absolutely all athletes had to pass the national selection.

Beginning of the End

Lemeshev won against Anatoly Klimanov, but lost to Rufat Riskiev. The latter went to the Olympics and brought the "silver". However, it was only later that it turned out that Vyacheslav in the selection performed with a hand injury and therefore was forced to box with almost only his left hand. He needed an urgent operation, but they did not do such in the USSR. Therefore, Lemeshev kept himself only on painkillers.

As a result, the boxer announced the end of his amateur career. At first, he wanted to go into professional sports, but the "fun" life finally pulled the former champion: feasts, drinks, women …

Although Slava had plenty of opportunities to change something: he wanted to get a job at the Academy of the Soviet Army, but then changed his mind. However, he agreed to go to the GDR to train the soldiers. But in sparring Lemeshev suffered one defeat after another: the newcomers, for whom he was an idol yesterday, easily knocked him out. In addition, Vyacheslav increasingly began to complain of headaches, but he was in no hurry to undergo medical examinations, preferring to get drunk in bars. Locals recalled that the boxer often could not even stand on his feet. Once he fainted, but did not attach any importance to this (you never know what happens with a hangover).

Tragic ending

And in the homeland of the 30-year-old champion, no one was expecting: Goskomsport no longer offered a job. In addition, the athlete began to complain more and more about his health: his head, liver, kidneys hurt, his eyesight deteriorated … In order to feed himself, Lemeshev worked as a machinist at a pumping station, a gardener, a janitor and even a gravedigger at a cemetery. And he did not receive any benefits for past merits.

Vyacheslav was given the first group of disability. It turned out that he had progressive brain atrophy, plus psoriasis was added to this. Therefore, there could be no talk of any work, and Lemeshev practically stopped leaving the house. Next to him was only the third wife Zinaida (the two previous ones left due to the fact that they could not come to terms with the lifestyle of the ex-champion).

In 1995, Slava underwent craniotomy, after which he spent more than a week in a coma, but was able to survive. A year later, he was again in the hospital, but he could not get out: the atrophy of the brain did not leave the champion a chance. Lemeshev was only 43 years old.