Ilya Khomenko is an international master of sports in swimming. The young athlete is a gold medalist at the World Junior Swimming Championships, as well as a gold and silver medalist in relay swimming. At the 2013 European Championships, Ilya won bronze in single swimming and gold in relay.We talked with the champion about his sports career, moving to Rostov and plans for the future.

Why did you choose swimming for yourself, what attracted you to this sport?

In my kindergarten, during “quiet hour” the children were taken swimming. I also became interested and asked my parents if I could go to classes. They said why not. Since this all started.

We know that you came to Rostov-on-Don from Essentuki. What was the reason for your move?

I came to study. He entered the Academy of Physical Culture and Sports (SFU) at the coaching faculty. Initially, I chose between Krasnodar, Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. In the summer I had to apply, and in May I came to Rostov for competitions, where I met Georgy Viktorovich Shevelev. He offered to take me to train with him. This determined my choice.

How did it happen that you liveDon- Plaza?

The President of Don-Plaza, Igor Viktorovich Gorin, is the President of the Rostov Region Swimming Federation. He invited me here, and I’m not the first (laughs). Before moving to the hotel, I lived in a student dormitory, and life there was not conducive to training. Igor Viktorovich noted my sporting achievements and offered help. I am very grateful for the trust shown.

Why did you succeed as an athlete in Rostov?

In Essentuki, I swam, as I was later told, to develop a base, but not for results. In Rostov, I began training with Georgy Viktorovich, who trained about 50 masters of sports, 4 international masters of sports, one honored master of sports - Vladimir Pyshnenko, champion and two-time medalist of the 1992 Olympics, silver medalist of the 1996 Olympics. The coach gave certain tasks and structured the training in such a way that results appeared.

What do you think helped you achieve good results?

Work on yourself, constantly striving to improve your performance.

How do you set yourself up for a successful performance?

First I think about everything, and then I go to the start line and stop thinking about anything at all. You can’t think when you’re swimming, everything should be automatic. We have a technical sport. There was a time when I swam poorly because I was thinking about how I was swimming. This cannot be allowed.

You are the winner of many competitions, which victory is the most valuable for you?

Of course, this is the World Youth Championship. Gold for the 100m breaststroke. My result is a competition record. Recently it was decided to introduce world records among juniors. Now they took my result as a basis.

What victories do you plan to achieve in the future?

Now my main goal is to qualify for the European Championships and compete with adult athletes. The qualifying competitions will begin in Moscow on May 12, I will try my best. If we talk about long-term plans, of course, I would like to compete at the Olympic Games. It would be great to go to the Olympics in Rio in 2 years.

At the Russian Swimming Championships held in Moscow, Khomenko became a silver medalist in the 200 m breaststroke and won a ticket to Ri De Janeiro this summer.

At the same distance, Anton Chupkov won, showing a time of 2 minutes 9.91 seconds, Khomenko (2:10.19), Kirill Prigoda (2:10.57) closed the top three.

"I understand that my result is so far only the result of the level of the Russian Championship, no more, but there is still time before the Games, I hope to improve. I just started swimming, one might say, in this Olympic cycle, I qualified for the Youth Europe, the Youth World, then went to Berlin for the European Championships, then to the World Championships in Kazan, but it didn’t work out there. I hope it will work out at the Olympics,” Khomenko told reporters.

Ilya Khomenko. Born in 1995. He studied at the swimming department at the Essentuki Youth Sports School. After graduating from sports school in 2012, he became a student at the Rostov Olympic Reserve School. Master of Sports of International Class.

At the moment, Khomenko represents the Federal Aviation Administration of the Russian Defense Ministry CSKA (SKA, Rostov-on-Don).

Soviet and Russian swimmer, Honored Master of Sports (1992).

Winner of the European Championships in 1991 (in the 4x200 m freestyle relay) and 1993 (in the 4x100 m and 4x200 m freestyle relays). Champion of the 1992 Olympic Games in the 4x200 m freestyle relay (he competed as part of the Unified Team, which set a world record of 7:11.95). Silver medalist of the 1992 Olympics in the 4x100 m freestyle relay (did not participate in the final) and in the 4x100 m medley relay (did not participate in the final). Lives in Rostov-on-Don.

Efimova Yulia Andreevna

Russian swimmer, bronze medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, three-time world champion, three-time European champion (2008 and 2010) in long pools, seven-time European champion in short pools, world record holder in the 50 and 200 m breaststroke in the short pool, Honored Master sports of Russia. Efimova's victory in the 50m breaststroke in Rome in 2009 was the first pool victory for Russian women's swimming at the world championships.

Yulia Efimova was born in Grozny; because of the Russian-Chechen war, she and her family had to move to Volgodonsk. There Yulia grew up, and there she began training at one of the local sports schools, under the guidance of her father Andrei Mikhailovich. Until 2011, she lived in Taganrog, where she trained with the Honored Trainer of Russia Irina Vyatchanina. In March 2011, the athlete left for the USA, where she trains in California with David Salo.

Three-time European champion in 2007 in short course swimming (50, 100 and 200 meters breaststroke), champion (200 m breaststroke) and silver medalist (50 m) at the 2008 European Championship. European and European record holder in the 100m breaststroke.

She took part in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where she took 4th place in the 100 m and 5th place in the 200 m breaststroke.

At the 2012 London Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke with a score of 2:20.92.

In 2008, the All-Russian Swimming Federation recognized Yulia Efimova as the best swimmer in the country and “Discovery of the Year.” She won 2 medals of the highest standard at the 2010 European Aquatics Championships at distances of 50 and 100 meters breaststroke.

In 2013, at the World Championships in Barcelona, ​​Yulia won the gold medal in the 200 meters, overtaking Rikki Pedersen and Mika Lawrence, simultaneously updating the Russian record of 2:19.41. At a distance of 50 meters breaststroke, she updated the world record in the preliminary heat - 29.78. In the final she showed a time of 29.52 and beat the Lithuanian athlete Ruta Meilutyte, becoming a three-time world champion in the fifty-meter pool.

Sludnov Roman Andreevich

Famous Russian swimmer. World champion 2001, two-time world champion 2000 in short course. Five-time European champion. Former world record holder. Participant of four Olympic Games.

At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, he won a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke.

Sludnov became the first athlete in the world to overcome the “magic” mark of one minute in the 100 m breaststroke, showing a result of 59.97 on June 29, 2001 in Moscow. With this, he improved his own world record (1:00.26), set just a day earlier. Less than a month later, at the World Championships in Fukuoka, in the semifinal heat, Sludnov again broke his own record - 59.94. In the final he swam a little slower (1:00.16), which nevertheless brought him a gold medal.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens he performed unsuccessfully, failing to make it to the finals in the main distance - the 100-meter breaststroke.

Participant of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing. In the qualifying heats, he was able to make it to the Olympic final, where he took sixth place in the 100 m distance (59.87 seconds - a new Russian record).

Khomenko Ilya

A student of the Rostov School of Olympic Reserve, a graduate of the swimming department of the Essentuki Youth Sports School, Ilya Khomenko, won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke at the World Championships in Dubai with a record at the junior world championships.

Today, August 5, the XXXI Summer Olympic Games start in Rio de Janeiro and will last until August 21. They will bring together athletes from 206 countries and will compete for medals in 42 sports for more than two weeks.

In total, about two hundred Russian athletes will take part in the opening ceremony - the final list of the national team has not yet been approved, since the issue of admission of representatives of a number of sports has not been fully resolved. At the moment we are talking about 261 athletes from the Russian Federation.

But in any case, one of the most representative delegations in the Russian national team will be the Rostov region, which delegated nineteen people to the Rio Games.

According to experts, who predict the Russian team as a whole to take 4th place at the end of the 2016 Games, Rostov Chan has a good chance of performing in women’s handball (there is simply a great lineup of the best players in Russia - moreover, six girls from Rostov-on-Don at once). Don"), in artistic gymnastics, swimming (men, 200-meter breaststroke) and synchronized swimming, boxing, wrestling - in a word, see for yourself who will defend the colors of the Russian flag at this Olympics!

SWIMMING

Ilya KHOMENKO- master of sports of international class, 20 years old. He plays for Rostov-on-Don (SDUSSHOR No. 22).

Champion of Russia (2015), silver medalist of the Russian Cup (2015), silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2016).

At the Olympics he will compete in the 200-meter breaststroke.

In my kindergarten, during “quiet hour” the children were taken swimming, - Ilya Khomenko himself told.“I also became interested and asked my parents if I could go to classes.” They said why not. Since this all started. But in Essentuki, my homeland, I swam, as I was later told, to develop a base, but not for results. And I came to Rostov to study - I entered the Academy of Physical Culture and Sports (SFU) at the coaching faculty. Initially, I chose between Krasnodar, Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. In the summer I had to enroll, and in May I came to Rostov for a competition, where I met Georgy Viktorovich Shevelev, who trained about 50 masters of sports, 4 international masters of sports, one honored master of sports - Vladimir Pyshnenko, champion and two-time medalist of the 1992 Olympics year, silver medalist of the 1996 Olympics. And he offered to take me to train with him. This determined my choice. The coach gave certain tasks and structured the training in such a way that results appeared.

SYNCHRONOUS SWIMMING

Vlada CHIGIREVA- Honored Master of Sports, 21 years old. He competes in the parallel competition for Moscow and the Rostov region.

Six-time world champion.

Vlada's coach is her mother. At the 2010 junior championship, Chigireva became a three-time world champion. In 2012, at the Junior World Championships, she won gold in the individual program in the new figure discipline. She was repeatedly European champion among juniors. In 2013, she became the champion of the 2013 Universiade in combination and group.

At her first World Championships in Barcelona she became the champion in the group (technical program). At the next World Championships in Kazan, she repeated her success, winning three more top awards, thus becoming a six-time world champion.

TAEKWONDO

Alexey DENISENKO- Honored Master of Sports from Bataysk, 22 years old. He competes in the parallel competition for Moscow and the Rostov region.

Bronze medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games, medalist of the junior and youth championships of Russia and Europe, medalist of international G-1 rating tournaments. In 2015 he won bronze at the 1st European Games in Baku.

ROWING SPORT

Women:

Ksenia YAMAYEVA(Volkova) - international master of sports in rowing (coxswain), 23 years old, competes for Rostov-on-Don.

Champion of Russia 2012-2016 Participant in the 2013 World Championship, where the Russian eight finished eighth, and participant in three European Championships. Bronze medalist of the 2013 and 2016 European Championships in the eights race, 2015 European champion in the eights competition.

Member of the Russian national team since 2012.

Yulia POPOVA(Pozdnyakova) - master of sports of international class, 28 years old. He competes in the parallel competition for the Rostov region / Saratov region.

Champion of the 2013 Universiade in Kazan in the lightweight fours race. Participant of two world championships in the eights race - 8th place (2010) and 9th place (2013). European champion 2015 in eights competition.

Ekaterina POTAPOVA- master of sports in rowing, 26 years old. He plays for CSKA. He competes in the parallel competition for St. Petersburg / Rostov region.

Champion of Russia (2014). Winner of the Russian Cup (2015). Prize-winner of the Russian Rowing Federation Cup (2015)

Men:

Georgy EFREMENKO- Honored Master of Sports, 30 years old. Competing in the parallel competition - Rostov region / Moscow region.

Vice-champion of Europe in rowing. Participant of two world championships. The best result is 9th place (2013). Participant of six European Championships. Silver (2014) and bronze (2015) medalist of the European Championship in eights competitions. Universiade Champion - 2013.

Vladislav RYABTSEV- master of sports of international class, 28 years old. He competes in the parallel competition for St. Petersburg and the Rostov region.

At the 2012 Olympics in London, he was eighth as part of the Russian four. Participant in four world championships (the best result was 5th place in 2011) and four European championships, and won gold at last year’s.

Champion of Russia (2011, 2012 - four sculls). Silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2009 - double sculls).

Alas, at the moment I have not received admission to the Olympics Ivan BALANDIN- master of sports of international class, 27 years old, competing in a parallel competition for the Rostov region and the Moscow region. And he could be a great help in the fight for medals.

Ivan is the European vice-champion in rowing. Born in Ukraine, had Ukrainian citizenship until 2011. In 2008 at the European Championships he was eighth in the Ukrainian eight. At the 2009 World Championships, he was seventh as part of the Ukrainian team.

In 2011, the family moved to Kolomna, near Moscow. In 2012, at the European Championships, he was fifth in the Russian eight. At the 2013 World Championships he was ninth in the eights race. In 2014 he became European vice-champion. In 2015, at the European Championships, he became a bronze medalist in the eights competition. Champion of the Universiade 2013.

KAYAKING AND CANOEING, SPRINT

Evgeny LUKANTSOV- master of sports of international class, 25 years old. He competes in the parallel competition for the Ryazan region / Rostov region.

Winner of the World Championship (2014), winner of the European Championship (2014), silver medalist of the European Championship (2013), bronze medalist of the World Universiade (2013), champion of Russia (2011, 2012, 2013), multiple winner of the Russian Championships, multiple winner and medalist of the Championship Russia.

GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING

Islam MAGOMEDOV- master of sports of international class, 25 years old. He competes in the parallel competition for the Rostov region and Chechnya.

Bronze medalist of the 2015 World Championship, champion of the European Games (2015), champion of Europe 2015. He competes in the weight category up to 98 kg.

Ibrahim LABAZANOV- master of sports of international class, 28 years old, competes in a parallel competition for St. Petersburg and the Rostov region.

Champion and prize-winner of Russian championships, prize-winner of the 2013 World Martial Arts Games in St. Petersburg.

Russian Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship 2006 - 2nd place, Russian Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship 2012 - 2nd place, Grand Prix Ivan Poddubny 2012 - 2nd place, Russian Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship 2013 - 2nd place, Russian Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship 2014 - 2nd place, Russian Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship 2015 - 1st place, Grand Prix Ivan Poddubny 2016 - 1st place , Russian Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship 2016 - 1st place.

BOXING

Adlan ABDURASHIDOV- master of sports of international class, 26 years old, competes in a parallel competition for the Rostov region and Chechnya.

Prize-winner of the Russian Boxing Championship, winner of the 2013 Universiade in Kazan.

In 2015, he successfully competed in the team championship of the World Series of Boxing, winning five out of six fights and taking a place in the top three boxers in the series.

GYMNASTICS

Nikita NAGORNY- master of sports of international class, 19 years old, plays for Rostov-on-Don.

Three-time champion, silver and bronze medalist of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, 2015 European champion in vault, 2016 European champion in team competition and floor exercise.