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| March 16, 2007 — On his way to the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Olympic Champion Alexander Popov stopped by the Singapore Sports School with some words of advice on training, competing and education for local athletes preparing for the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. |
| Stressing the importance of education, the multiple gold-winning Popov said: “You have to have a real life after sports.” Nicknamed the ‘Russian Rocket’ during his competitive years, the 35 year-old Popov now has a master’s degree and a clear-headed philosophy of an athlete’s responsibilities. “You have to be able to support yourself. Education is an investment in yourself.”
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| However, Popov didn’t limit himself to academics. He signed autographs, posed for pictures and actually got into the pool for a short training session with local swimmers to demonstrate the famous technique that won consecutive golds in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
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| Popov was in Singapore at the invitation of Ng Ser Miang, vice president of the Singapore National Olympic Council and executive board member of the International Olympic Committee. As part of the SNOC’s new ‘Project 0812’, Ng will be arranging for Olympic champions to speak to Singapore’s Olympic hopefuls. Popov, who retired from competition after the Athens Games, now sits on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission.
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| “Be prepared for pain, probably more than any of you have experienced so far,” Popov told a rapt audience of 200 students and coaches at the Sports School. Among the attendees was 20 year-old disabled athlete Theresa Goh, who broke three records at the recent FESPIC Games in the 50-metre, 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle events, and 16 year old Tao Li, who won a gold medal in the 50-metre butterfly at the 2006 Asian Games.
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| Popov said he sometimes went through such intense periods of training that he found it easier on his muscles to swim than to walk. However, he stressed that the swimmer needs to get keep pushing to get through this stage to continue improving. “Not that many athletes can break through.”
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| In response to media questions, Popov acknowledged that sport has become even more competitive since his heyday in the 1990s. Many athletes are training full time with substantial government support and private sponsorship. However, as a Russian training in Australia from 1992, Popov never saw huge corporate sponsorship offers as a result of his gold-medal winning performances in Barcelona.
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| Popov became the best sprint swimmer of his generation, largely on his own drive and talent and intelligent coaching by long-time mentor Gennady Touretski. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Popov won golds in the 50-metre freestyle and the 100-metre freestyle. He made history in Atlanta in 1996 when he won both events again—becoming the only man in Olympic history to win the 50-metre freestyle at consecutive Games.
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| When he trained in Australia, he had the opportunity to become an Australian citizen—a move that likely would have brought him lucrative sponsorship. However, he remained loyal to Russia. In a famous quote, he said: "I made my reputation as a Russian swimmer, and I plan to remain a Russian swimmer." |
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