In an interview with BUSINESS Online, Poletaev admitted that he could continue his career at Fakel, spoke about working with Tuomas Sammelvuo and how he survived not being included in the Olympic team.

A few years ago, in the Russian sports press, Viktor Poletaev was called the “golden boy” of Russian volleyball. At the junior and youth level, he won everything he could with the national team, regularly being recognized as the best player in the European and world championships. At the age of 17, he made his debut in the Super League and the Champions League, and at the age of 18 he made a significant contribution to the victory of Zenit Kazan in the Final Six of the 2014 Russian Championship.

A great future opened up ahead, but at Zenit Poletaev was Maxim Mikhailov's replacement, receiving a minimum of playing practice for two seasons. At the same time, the diagonal left-hander managed to break into the national team from the reserve of the Kazan club, making his debut at the 2015 World Cup, and until the last remaining a candidate for a trip to the 2016 Olympics.

When it became known last summer that Zenit was giving Viktor on loan to Kuzbass, even fans of the Kazan team were happy for the talented guy. The start of the Russian championship showed how hungry Poletaev was for volleyball. 112 points in four matches, including 35 points in the recent match against Fakel (3:1). In general, the "golden boy" has already grown up and is ready for serious achievements.

“IN THE SUMMER THE OPTION WITH THE “TORCH” WAS CONSIDERED

–Victor, how did the rental option come about? Who took the initiative?

- I didn't have much game practice last season. I knew it was time to change the situation, to move on. I didn't want to spend another year on the bench. He approached the coach: "Vladimir Romanovich, I really want to play, let me go." Alekno, as soon as he heard this, immediately approved and promised to help.

- I have been playing outside the home for a long time and my parents have always taught me to be independent. When I announced my decision to them, they supported me, they said that if I feel that it will be better this way, I need to leave.

– In the summer there were rumors about the "Torch".

- Yes, this option was considered, but in the end I ended up in Kuzbass.

– Together with a friend and longtime partner in the youth teams Pavel Pankov.

- By the way, the fact that we ended up on the same team is just a coincidence. My negotiations with Kuzbass began before it became known that Pankov would also go there. Of course I was glad. Pasha and I are good friends, and we understand each other very well on the court.

– Kuzbass leaves a good impression at the beginning of the season. Did your expectations match reality?

“To be honest, I didn’t think of anything. I went to Kuzbass with a great desire to play, with the mindset to work hard and bring maximum benefit to the team. As long as I like it. At our home arena, the stands are located close to the site and the atmosphere during matches is excellent. The fans are very supportive. Flights, of course, are a little hard, but I'm slowly getting used to it. As for the city and living conditions, this is not so important, because I did not come to Kemerovo as a tourist.

"SAMMELVUO NEVER BOOSTS THE ATMOSPHERE"

– What can you say about working with the Finnish specialist Tuomas Sammelvuo? What is this coach?

- He just recently finished playing, so he understands the players perfectly. What I like about him is that he never escalates the atmosphere when something doesn't work out. On the contrary, it supports, explains what needs to be fixed. Usually the player himself understands that he messed up and if you put pressure on him, it can be even worse. As for the pre-training and game set-ups, he knows how to find the right words and set up the team well.

– What is the strength of Kuzbass?

- Hard to say. There is no one distinct element. Pankov and Kolya Apalikov have excellent serves, libero Lauri Kerminen plays very well in defense, he picks up a lot of balls. We also know how to play on the block and in the attack.

- Fakel approached the match with Kuzbass as the best block team in the championship, but you showed 71% effectiveness in attack. This is space!

- We knew that the opponent was strong on the block, we dismantled him well, and the mood was excellent. On the other side were the guys with whom I played together in the national teams, and I really wanted to beat them. That evening, I really did a lot.

– 35 points - a personal performance record?

- Maybe I scored so much, but only at the junior level. In official matches, definitely a record. But all these figures are of secondary importance. The main thing is the scoreboard.

“IN KUZBASS THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE”

- In August, you and Dmitry Kovalev were the last to leave the location of the Russian national team before the team left for Rio.

- I tried, I really wanted to go to the Olympics. I knew it would be a great experience for me. It didn’t work out… For some time, of course, there was an incomprehensible state. It seems that they just trained together, and the guys are at the Olympics, and you are watching TV. By the way, I watched almost all the matches, supported the team.

– Last season, it was clear that you are very worried about mistakes. Now everything is completely different.

- At Zenit, I usually came on as a substitute and it was necessary to immediately prove myself in a short game period. But it was not always possible to immediately get into the game. Of course, I was nervous, worried about mistakes. The next time there was not so much confidence, there was a certain fear of letting the team down. In Kuzbass, if I make a mistake, I have the opportunity to correct it. So much easier psychologically.

- It will be interesting, but not to say that I'm looking forward to it.

– Because there is little chance of winning?

- (smiles). Well, why not? We will fight like any other team. A match with such a strong opponent will be useful in any case.

– With whom from Zenith do you keep in touch?

– We often correspond with Vlad Babichev, with Theo Salparov. Sometimes with Leon and Gutsalyuk. By the way, I sincerely congratulate Sasha on the birth of her daughter!

"GOLD" OF THE RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP-2014 - THE MOST MEMORABLE"

– At Zenit, you played with top setters. Whose programs were "candy"?

- Of course, first of all it is Nikola Grbic, he passed very well. We also played well with Igor Kobzar.

Russian Viktor Poletaev is a high-level volleyball player. The athlete is still only 21 years old, and for several seasons he has been a key player in the Kazan “Zenith” and is involved in the Russian team.

School years

Viktor Evgenievich Poletaev was born on July 27, 1995 in Chelyabinsk. At the beginning of his studies at school, the boy showed an interest in athletics, not particularly paying attention to other sports. However, in the 5th grade, at the insistence of his first volleyball coach, Lyudmila Alekseevna Timofeeva, who noticed the talent of young Vitya, he moved to the sports class of the school, where he began to train hard on the volleyball court.

As a teenager, having impressive data for playing volleyball, Poletaev Viktor began performing at regional and all-Russian competitions as part of his school. The power of the athlete, combined with his game vision and talent, did not leave the scouts of professional volleyball teams indifferent, and in early 2012, the 17-year-old Russian signed his first contract, becoming a player in the Zenit volleyball club (Kazan).

Junior start

From the first days as part of the Kazan club, Poletaev Viktor took one of the leading roles. The progress and ambitions of the athlete forced the attention of the coaching staff of the national team, where the Russian was called up during his first season for Zenit.

As a result, in 2013, Viktor trained as part of the Russian youth team for the matches of the European Championship, to which he went already as a captain. The Russians went through the tournament grid very easily - in the group the team lost only 2 sets in 5 meetings, defeated Belgium in the semi-finals, leaving it no chance, and in the final Poland was conquered, having managed to catch on for one set in the match. According to the results of the tournament, Viktor Poletaev was recognized as the most valuable player of the competition.

Double worldwide success

Thanks to the victory at the European Championship, the Russian team was selected for the world championship, where Viktor was also invited. And at the World Cup, the Russians again did not experience serious resistance, becoming the undisputed winner, having given only two sets to their rivals in 8 matches. According to the results of the tournament, Poletaev was again among the best, was chosen as a diagonal player in the symbolic team.

Inspired by the success, Victor did not stop there, and in the same 2013 he also took part in the World Youth Championship, where athletes two years older than the Russian took part. But Poletaev completely closed this nuance with his experience - in a difficult struggle, the Russian team left the group from the first place, eventually becoming the winner, leaving Brazil no chance in the final match. According to the results of the tournament, the youngest athlete of the competition was recognized as the best player in the championship.

The game at the heart of Zenith

The next season was marked for the volleyball player by getting into the base of Zenit. Due to the injury of Maxim Mikhailov, Poletaev Viktor entered the main team for the time of the Final Six games of the Russian Championship, together with the club he won the Cup of the country, as well as the national championship. In 2015, the collection of the Russian included a number of other awards. As part of his club "Zenith" (Kazan), Victor took trophies in the cup and national competitions for the second time, and also helped the team win the Champions League and take second place in the Club World Cup in Brazil, where Kazan lost in the final only to the local Cruzeiro Garden.

Every year Victor's progress was visible to the naked eye, and in September 2015 the volleyball player made his debut for the main team, playing under the leadership of Vladimir Alekno at the World Cup. 2016 was just another success for the athlete. Again Poletaev Viktor became the owner of a number of national awards, for the second time in his career he won the Champions League. But, dissatisfied with the amount of playing time due to the return to the base of Mikhailov, which is why he did not get to the Olympic Games, in the summer he agreed to go on loan to Kuzbass Kemerovo.

As part of the new club, Poletaev immediately showed how hungry he was before the game, contributing to local success and team growth. As a result, at the start of the championship, Victor led the championship scorer race for some time. And now the athlete is waiting for the end of the season to try again to win a place in the first team of Zenit.

The youth volleyball team of Russia became the world champion the day before, defeating the age-old rivals of the Brazilians in the final. The main hero and the most valuable player of the tournament was 18-year-old Zenit-Kazan diagonal Viktor Poletaev, who amazes specialists with a fantastic jump, terrifies opponents with serves and collects personal awards from major tournaments. Correspondent "BUSINESS Online" has collected all the facts and opinions about the rising star of world volleyball.

CHELYABINSK PHENOMENON

Young talent "Zenith-Kazan"

February 17 this year Victor Poletaev for the first time entered the court of the Kazan Volleyball Center in the form of "Zenith-Kazan", replacing the Olympic champion Maxim Mikhailov. This event happened at the very end of the match against Shakhtar Soligorsk, won 3-0, and for most of the fans who were already going home, it went unnoticed. However, for Victor himself, several debut draws in the Super League will certainly be remembered for a long time. A very young volleyball player, who did not stand out at all in height, bounced like a grasshopper, and twice easily bypassed the block of rivals surprised by such jumping ability.

“Alekno encouraged me, asked me not to worry and not be afraid to lose the ball. In fact, it was very difficult to contain the excitement, but I tried not to show it. The first points in the Super League gave me confidence in my abilities,” Poletaev said after the match.

A native of Chelyabinsk attracted the attention of Zenit-Kazan coaches by playing for the youth team. In terms of average performance per game (6.22 points), he became the best in the Youth League. In April, Poletaev, as a captain, went with the Russian junior team (players under 18 years old) to the European Championship, and returned home not only with a gold medal, but also with the title of the most valuable player of the tournament. We can say that only Poletaev got one game for the Russians - 25 points in the final match with Poland (3: 1). In July, the same team won the Junior World Championship (U-19) in Mexico. In the decisive match, defeating China (3:1). Poletaev entered the symbolic team of the tournament as the best diagonal. And he didn’t get the title of MVP only because his friend and roommate, setter, played as brightly as he did Pavel Pankov.

For most juniors, including Zenit Andrey Surmachevsky, the season on this major note was completed, but Poletaev in Zenit-Kazan received a call to the training camp of the Russian youth team. Victor went through another preparatory stage and went to the second World Championship of the summer, where he had to play against opponents two years older.

JUMPER POLETAEV

In Turkey, Poletaev proved that it makes no difference to him who is against him on the other side of the net. Every second attack is a point, every fourth serve is an ace. Awesome stats! But by volleyball standards, Poletaev is quite a baby - his height is “only” 193 cm. But he compensates for this with a crazy jump. According to the official data of the International Volleyball Federation, the maximum height from which Victor hits the ball is 360 cm! Even two-meter Mikhailov does not reach this indicator, Nikolai Apalikov and other players of the main "Zenith".

Another plus of Poletaev is that he is left-handed. There are much fewer such players and it is much more difficult and unusual to adapt to them on the block. In Russian volleyball, the brightest left-hander was Alexander Gerasimov, who played in Zenit-Kazan in the 2007/08 season. As part of "Belogorye" performs Maxim Zhigalov, which in July became one of the winners of the Universiade in Kazan.

Poletaev's serves are simply killer. How strong, so accurate. The Brazilians in the final seemed to dodge balls more than they tried to receive them. Two matches with Brazil, perhaps, were the best for Poletaev in the tournament. In the first, which opened the tournament for Russia, the striker scored 28 points, and his team won 3:2.

In the final, Poletaev fluttered like a butterfly and stinged like a bee, not noticing the wall from the hands of the Brazilian blockers. Victor scored 8 points and made 2 aces only in the first game. The rivals were demoralized and could not find an antidote to Russian attacks. As a result, 25:16, 25:16, 25:20. Zenit Poletaev and Ivan Demakov as a result, they became the most productive players of the team in the final. The first scored 20 points, the second - 11.

After such a phenomenal performance by Poletaev in the final, the organizers had no doubts about who was the best in the tournament. The young prodigy from Zenit-Kazan received the title of MVP of the tournament, and Russia became a rising star on a global scale.

VLADIMIR ALEKNO: “I WOULD NOT BE GREATLY DECEIVED”

Oleg Bryzgalov- Director of Zenit-Kazan, Vice-President of the Volleyball Federation of the Republic of Tatarstan, Director of the St. Petersburg Volleyball Center:

- It's nice that Russian volleyball is on the rise now: seven tournaments won in a calendar year. It is especially pleasing that this success is the merit of our club. So our guys flashed at the World Youth Championship. Both Demakov and Poletaev worked very hard on themselves, were involved in the main team, gained invaluable experience, which was useful to them in Turkey.

Poletaev deserves separate words. Winning three tournaments in a few months is an outstanding achievement. I don’t even know if there were such precedents in the history of volleyball. This guy can become a great master. I want to note the attentive, scrupulous work with Poletaev of the Zenit-UOR coach Andrey Kukushkin. He helped the young player improve. He has great faith in his son and Evgeny Poletaev, who is constantly in touch with our coaches. Joint efforts and gave such a great result. Of course, we are counting on Poletaev. A long-term contract will give him confidence in the future and will allow him to focus only on his game.

Vladimir Alekno— head coach of Zenit-Kazan, triumphant coach of the 2012 Olympics:

- It's good that at the junior and youth level we have been the strongest in recent years. But I wouldn't be too embarrassed. Unfortunately, quite a few players then make their way to the super league teams. Let's see what will happen to this generation of guys next. As for our guys, I am very happy for Poletaev and Demakov. Both need to continue to work hard, and they will have chances to prove themselves in Zenit-Kazan.

“VICTOR DID NOT LIKE IT IN THE TORCH”

Evgeny Poletaev- father of Viktor Poletaev:

— I have liked volleyball since my school days. He often played and, of course, planned to send his son to the section. One day we were walking down the street with Vitya, and a woman approached us. It turned out that she was a volleyball coach. Apparently, she paid attention to growth. We exchanged phone numbers, and at the beginning of the school year I brought my son to her. He then went to second grade.

Victor's jump is a natural gift. This is hard to train. But who went in for sports, he understands that after every big start, you need a rest. They wanted to attract their son to the national team born in 1991, but we all decided that he should not go there. Vladimir Alekno contributed to the solution of this issue. Thank God, they gave the child a rest, he's not a two-wire. Now he will come to us for two weeks and take a breath. It was evident that the last matches of the World Cup in Turkey were given to him quite hard.

At one time, the son was invited to Fakel. He went to the training camp in Anapa, but he didn’t like something there - he returned home to Chelyabinsk. The next year we went to Kazan together, where we met with the coaches and management. We liked everything, and Viktor became a Zenit-Kazan player. I will not guess when my son will play for the main team. I rely on experts in this matter. Vladimir Romanovich is an experienced coach. He follows Victor's career and probably knows what to do to keep him progressing. I only wish my son no injuries and good health. There is hope to see him in the Super League and in the national team.

After winning tournaments, Vitya came home and I watched him carefully. Was wondering if he caught a star? I did not notice any arrogance in him. He is by nature quite a modest guy. My wife Anna and I are often invited to visit us to watch Viktor's matches together, but we have a tradition of doing this at home. We sit down together, turn on the computer and cheer for the national team and our son. We are very worried and do not want to show our feelings to anyone.

Evgeny Kuznetsov- Director of Zenit-UOR:

- Two years ago, we noticed Vitya Poletaev at the Spartakiad of schoolchildren in Nizhny Novgorod. Failed to get it on the first try. Children's coaches and parents of children are looking at future coaches very carefully. When Zenit-UOR was headed by Kukushkin, Poletaev moved to Kazan, and with him two more promising guys - Dmitry Emelyanov and Ivan Kralya.

The performance of our Zenit guys at the World Championships in Turkey did not come as a surprise to me personally. Vanya Demakov spent the whole last season in the main team and showed himself well when he came on as a substitute. Poletaev played in the Youth League and played very well. It immediately became clear that he was utterly stronger than not only his peers, but also older rivals. Still, they still lack experience, so in the new season they will play in the farm club "Academy". There we gather all the talented guys, the future of Zenit-Kazan. In addition to Poletaev and Demakov, these are Vladimir Chivel, Semyon Dmitriev, Arseniy Sarlybaev, Laurent Alekno and world junior champion Surmachevsky.

Poletaev is a unique guy and we need to take care of him. That is why both the leadership of Zenit and the head coach Vladimir Alekno are categorically opposed to Viktor going to the third world championship in a year. This time for players under 23 years old, which will be held for the first time this year. We know that Sergei Shlyapnikov would love to take the guy to Brazil, but he needs to rest. More to play!

Next season, Poletaev will gain experience by playing in the major league "B" against men's teams, and a year later he may well get into the main Zenit-Kazan team. Now the task of the coaching staff of the Academy, headed by the most experienced specialist Ivan Andrienko, is to comprehensively reveal Poletaev and work with him on the technique. There is no limit to perfection. The future belongs to universal players. The same Maxim Mikhailov periodically plays as an underscorer, which allows the coach to change the tactics of the game.

THREE OPTIONS FOR POLETAEV'S FUTURE

Optimistic. After a season at the Academy farm club, Poletaev moves to Zenit-Kazan, where he is Mikhailov's replacement. Alekno regularly makes double substitutions at the end of games, using Viktor's strong point - the serve. Mikhailov, who has been experiencing shoulder problems since 2012, is more likely to get a chance to rest. In some matches, Poletaev plays on the diagonal position, and Mikhailov goes to the end game, and in some matches, Alekno surprises his opponents with reverse castling. The universalism and technique of Poletaev do not go unnoticed by the coaches of the national team. Victor gets to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and defeats the Brazilians again.

Realistic. After a season at the Academy farm club, Poletaev is loaned to one of the Super League clubs, which does not solve serious tournament problems and is not a direct competitor of Zenit. At one time, Alexei Obmochaev and Kazan volleyball graduate Maxim Shpilev went through such a path, who spent the 2009/10 season at Dynamo-Yantar from Kaliningrad. Obmochaev became the Olympic champion last year, and Shpilev is now one of the leaders of Tyumen, who returned to the Super League. Poletaev returns to the Kazan club as a mature and experienced player, ready to play in the starting six and implement our optimistic option.

Pessimistic. Star disease, injury or other circumstances do not allow Victor to get stronger properly and break into men's volleyball. Among the MVPs of recent world championships are Brazilians Thiago Alves (2005), David Costa (2007) and Mauricio Silva (2009), as well as Russian Leonid Shchadilov (2011). None of them could loudly declare themselves at an adult level. However, there are more pleasant examples. In 1999, Pavel Abramov, whose name is quite widely known in the world of volleyball, became the MVP of the youth world championship. You can also give an example of the most valuable player of the 2009 World Junior Championships, Alexander Atanasevich, who replaced the legendary Ivan Milkovich, nicknamed the Terrible, in the Serbian national team.

Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter

- In the last round Kemerovo "Kuzbass" lost to "Nova", and with a score of 0:3. It surprised. What happened?
- Yes, we didn’t succeed with the reception, which is why we switched to high balls. Therefore, there were difficulties in the attack, in the organization of our game. Plus, I think they underestimated the opponent, since they arrived on the day of the match. The result is a dry defeat.

- You started the Russian Championship for the first time as a main player, which means this is a new feeling. It is so?
- Undoubtedly. Although it is easier for me in Kuzbass - I am mistaken with the understanding that in the next episode I will be able to improve. At Zenit, the situation could not always develop in this way, because I often came on as a substitute.

- In the match against Fakel, you scored 35 points, showing 71 percent in attack. Cool statistics, which many called space. Is this also space for you?
- To be honest, during the game I didn’t even feel that I could play so effectively ( Laughs.) Still, the first rounds, and a breakthrough usually happens later. But with Novy Urengoy, a lot worked out, especially since they played with their fans. Prepared, dismantled the opponent. It's nice.

“For now, the goal is to be in the top six”

- How is life in Kemerovo? A couple of days ago, when we agreed on an interview, you said that you were going to training using the navigator.
- No, I already figured out the route ( Smiling.) I even pick up Sebastian Schwarz, who doesn't have his own car. And so, for the first time I went so far, but everything is fine - you just need to get used to long flights. At home matches, this is a plus, opponents fly to us for a long time, at away matches - a minus.

- After your game with Belgorod, I read the words of an interview with Maxim Zhigalov, in which he said that Poletaev is a talented boy, but there is another scrap against scrap. Didn't that condescending tone offend you?
- I read it, but did not pay attention to it. Said and said. Everyone has an opinion and the right to express it. I don't think it's always right. Although the guys from the team said that it was not the most beautiful behavior. But, again, I did not pay attention to it.

To be honest, during the game I didn’t even feel that I could play so effectively ( Laughs.) - 35 points.

- “Kuzbass”, as it seems, can get not only to the “Final Six” of the Russian Championship, but also go much further. This is true?
- If there are no drops in the game, then completely. First, let's fight for the six.

- Kuzbass is headed by Finnish coach Tuomas Sammelvuo, who himself was an active player not so long ago. He managed to completely rebuild.
- I think yes. He can joke, we refer to him as you, but all the players have an understanding that this is the head coach. Everything is serious.

- Does Tuomas speak Russian well?
- His assistant Nicola Jolita communicates better on the great and mighty, but the head coach also speaks at a good level. And if anything, Nicola will help.

“The final of the Czech Republic in 2014 is nice to remember”

- In 2014, there was also the Final Six of the Czech Republic, in which Zenit outplayed everyone. Maxim Mikhailov was injured, you came out and played without any downturns. Do you remember?
- It happens. So far this is the most memorable event in my career.

Why didn't you decide to leave Kazan then? It seemed like a good moment.
- He was very young. It was too early, but at the end of the 2014/15 season, you can already leave.

Although it is easier for me in Kuzbass - I am mistaken with the understanding that in the next episode I will be able to improve.

- In general, is it hard to leave a team like Zenit, even on loan?
- Not. I even wanted to leave because I want to play. Now for me the main thing is playing time. Moreover, Kuzbass faces serious tasks.

- Did you talk about it with Vladimir Alekno?
- Of course. When Vladimir Romanovich found out about my desire, he reacted positively. He advised me not to rush into choosing a club.

- That is, they consulted with him on Kuzbass?
- Yes, we discussed this option for two weeks. We came to the conclusion that at the moment it is optimal.

- By the way, there is an opinion that some Zenit players, who rarely go to the site, are in no hurry to leave Kazan because of the comfort. Yes, somewhere you can be the main one, but the amenities will not be the same. Is there such a thing?
- I do not agree that such a thing exists. If you want to develop, the reserve even at Zenit, these intense workouts will not help. I note that I am extremely happy for Lyokha Spiridonov. He went to Yenisei - it's great.

“If I were in Rio, I would get a great experience”

- You have many victories at the youth level, which is why you have been called the “golden” boy of Russian volleyball for a long time. Pay attention to such epithets?
- Not. I understand that these are two different topics: the children's level and the Superleague. Men's volleyball is different. Didn't pay attention to it.

I am extremely happy for Lyokha Spiridonov. He went to Yenisei - it's great.

- You did not get to Rio, although you could. How did you feel the moment you found out you weren't going?
- It happened two days before the departure of the national team, I was upset, but I understood that it was probably better this way. The composition included young Yegor Klyuka and Dmitry Volkov. Where else? Therefore, he reacted calmly to the coaching decision. Although I understood that if I got to Brazil, it was a great experience for me.

- But there is a new Olympic cycle ahead, and there is great hope for you. Are you ready for this responsibility?
- Ready. I really want to play for the Russian national team.