The event took place at the ROC Innovation Center both online, allowing all those wishing to participate, and offline — some of the guests were present in the studio.
This time round, students from Moscow’s schools aged 12-14 took part in the sports and educational project. Some of them came to the ROC while students from schools №1287 and №1159 joined the Olympic lesson online.
The event was formally opened by the President of the ROC Stanislav Pozdnyakov.
— I am very glad that we have the continuity of generations. Here, in one place, we have students who are just about to take their first serious steps in elite sport, Olympic champions who formed the backbone of our team at the Tokyo Games and proved that sport in Russia is a way of life, and a generation of veteran athletes like myself. Our task is to pass on experience, knowledge and our victorious traditions to each other. Interest in sport and a healthy lifestyle should be passed on from generation to generation, — said the four-time Olympic champion.
According to the head of the ROC, those who set ambitious tasks for themselves need to train a lot because work forms more than 90 percent of success.
— I really hope that our meeting will give you an additional incentive to go in for sport. Not everyone is destined to become a great champion, but you need to grow up to be a real citizen and patriot of your country, which is also very important, — summed up the President of the ROC.
Two-time Olympic champion in shooting, Vitalina Batsarashkina, who won the first gold medal for the ROC Team in Japan, and Maksim Khramtsov, who became the first Russian Olympic champion in taekwondo, talked to students about the main Olympic values — striving for excellence, respect and friendship.
— You always need to respect your opponents, the judges along with their decisions, spectators and coaches alike, — said Vitalina Batsarashkina. — In my sport, your main objective is not to compete against someone, but to claim victory, first and foremost, over yourself. As for shooters, we get on well with each other, we are friends and we support each other. You could say that we are rivals, but not enemies.
— Even if I lose, I will always shake hands with my opponent and applaud the spectators who were rooting for him. In taekwondo, everyone knows each other well. For example, my rival in the Olympic final was Saleh El-Sharabati from Jordan and we often went to the training camp together. I can say that we are friends. As the president of our international federation once said: ‘Taekwondo is one big family’, — said Maksim Khramtsov.
The heroes of Tokyo were happy to answer questions from students. Vitalina Batsarashkina admitted that she was reading a series of books about Sherlock Holmes and advised to follow her example. She also spoke about her very first steps taken in sport.
— Since early childhood, I have seen weapons very often. Both of my grandfathers are hunters. Perhaps this decided my future fate. At the age of 13, I started taking lessons in shooting as part of extra-curricular activities. But even before that, I went hunting with my grandfathers, and they acknowledged my progress.
– As for me, my idol was Jackie Chan when I was very young. I would watch his films and tell my parents that I wanted to fight just like him. True, I had to wait two years until I was seven. After that, I was sent to the karate class, and from there I switched to taekwondo, — said Maksim Khramtsov.
The orthosis on Maksim’s arm did not escape the attention of the students. After asking about that, the students found out what hardships the athlete had gone through on the way to his Olympic victory.
— In the first fight in Tokyo, I broke a bone in my wrist joint when I threw a punch. Then it turned out that I also had a ligament rupture. Two weeks ago, I underwent an operation, and now I am recovering. In about a month, I will be able to take off the orthosis and start proper training, — said the athlete.
After the Olympic lesson, the students were in for a pleasant surprise. A tour had been planned around the ROC Innovation Center with a short presentation about its work, and there were Olympic souvenirs for each guest — the mascots of Team Russia (a roly-poly matroyshka bear and an ushanka cat with earflaps), T-shirts of the Olympic Patrol project and photographs.
The Olympic lesson at the ROC Innovation Center became part of the 2nd Federal Educational Marathon “New Knowledge,” which took place from September 1 to 3 throughout Russia, as part of the Open School Day for students who were able not only to broaden their horizons, but also learn how the largest organizations of our country operate.
