Isaev Mansur Mustafaevich. Performances on the international stage

Mansur is the only child in the family. Mother Asiyat Abdurashidovna works as a nurse in the intensive care unit of a local hospital in Dagestan Kizilyurt, father Mustafa Rasulovich is a driver.

His mother says that at first Mansur was torn between breakdancing and judo. He even became the champion of the republic in dancing. But then judo won. Moreover, a specialized wrestling school was opened in Kizilyurt.

MOM ONLY DEMANDS VICTORIES

Mansur’s mother constantly calls me,” smiles the coach of the Olympic champion from Chelyabinsk, Alexander Miller. - Sometimes he swears: they say why their son sometimes loses. I tell her that without defeats there are no victories. But Asiyat stubbornly stands his ground: give only victories! That's right, that's how a mother should fight for her child, monitor his development. Well, here, of course, we must also take into account the hot southern temperament.

They say that Manschur promised his parents that if he becomes an Olympic champion, he will definitely get married?

Don't know. I don’t really interfere in his personal life. A regular guy. With a wide soul. I remember that with his first big bonus money he bought my father a Mercedes. I arrived in my native Kizilyurt and gave the car to my father. And he is a very sociable, sociable, friendly guy. One might say, the soul of the company. He will definitely find a good girl for himself. And he will introduce her to her parents.

Will there be a girl from Chelyabinsk?

Mansur has been training in Chelyabinsk for more than eight years. I met him at a tournament. He was still playing in juniors back then. I see he is an explosive, talented guy. I talked to him. He offered to come live and train with us. The conditions are good - an apartment, a decent salary, plus money for travel to competitions and training camps. Mansour agreed. What else does an athlete need? At first they paid for his rented housing. Then they allocated a two-room apartment.

LOST SIX TIMES, WON THE SEVENTH TIME

Didn't you fall off your chair when Mansour became an Olympic champion?

No, I didn't fall! I just hugged my friends, with whom I watched the broadcast.

In fact, big victories are like wine. You feel their taste over time. The more time passes, the more clearly you feel the significance of this “gold”. Today I couldn’t sleep all night... I didn’t lie down.

Did Mansur perform a miracle?

Yes it is! The vice-president of the Russian Judo Federation and adviser to our governor on sports, Dmitry Chernykh, has been constantly repeating to him for the last two years: “You must become an Olympic champion, you will be an Olympic champion!” He trained like a detached person. I followed the regime and did not allow myself anything unnecessary.

On his way to gold, he beat all the Asians who were considered favorites. In the semi-finals, Mansur defeated the Korean Wang Ki Chun. He had lost to him six times before! Chun, it seems, believed in his victory even before the start of the fight, and this “broke” him. He was so upset that he was left without a medal, having lost in the battle for bronze. And in the final he beat the world champion! This is also far from being a whipping boy. Great master. By the way, Mansur told me that he dreams of becoming a world champion and in the finals winning against the Japanese, the founder of judo. It turns out that he won the Olympics! And the Japanese! This is doubly great!

UNPREDICTABLE LIKE A CAT

Mansour, as you said, is a friendly guy. And on the tatami...

- … lightning! Man is an improviser. It is like mercury in a container - it flows here and there. By character, by temperament, he is a leader, a winner.

In the final fight, our judoka did not look as pumped up as the Japanese world champion Riki Nakaya. How did Mansur win?

x HTML code

Director of the Chelyabinsk Olympic Judo Training Center about the victory of Mansur Isaev.Valery ZVONAREV

Isaev generally looks the smallest in his weight category. He won due to his speed, agility, and explosive reaction. He makes counter decisions very quickly. A fraction of a second ahead of the opponent. Always ready to carry out a counter move. Always offers extraordinary moves. It is very difficult for classical judokas to “read” him. It is impossible to predict what Mansur will “throw out” next. He turns out like a cat. Offers moves that opponents cannot solve.

And, for example, the Chelyabinsk world champion Vitaly Makarov had other advantages. He had a refined technique. Everyone knew what he could do, but did not know when and how he would carry out this or that technique. And everyone fell. Isaev is the opposite of Makarov. He is a pure improviser.

Were there any training secrets?

We trained in such a way as to get the athlete into optimal shape by July 30, when the final matches took place.

GUYS FROM THE CAUCASUS ARE NOT SPOILED BY COMPUTERS

Before the London Olympics, Russia had not yet won gold medals in judo. And here there are already two - Arsen Galstyan and our Mansur Isaev. Why are fighters from the Caucasus region increasingly “ruling” martial arts today?

In previous years there were more Slavs in the national team. Today there are many judokas from the Caucasus on the team. In Russia, children are now completely captivated by computer games. There is no time left for sports. And in the Caucasian republics there are not many computers. The environment is better there too. Eating healthier. But among our athletes there are good personnel, and at the next games in Rio de Janeiro you will hear new names from Chelyabinsk.

The governor promised 30 million rubles for winning the Games. That's almost a million dollars! The Germans promised their gold 15 thousand euros...

This, in my opinion, is an assessment of the athlete’s merits. As far as I know, the funds will not be allocated from the regional budget. The governor simply turned to businessmen to sponsor these bonuses. This is common practice in many regions. Somewhere they pay more, somewhere less.

DOSSIER "KP"

Isaev Mansur Mustafaevich was born on September 23, 1986 in the city of Kizilyurt, Republic of Dagestan. Master of Sports of Russia of international class in judo. Height 170 cm. Weight 73 kg. Trainers - D. Magomedov, A. Miller.

Since 2005, he has been training in Chelyabinsk under the guidance of Honored Trainer of Russia Alexander Miller. Bronze medalist at the World Championships (2009, Rotterdam, Netherlands). European Youth Champion (2008, Zagreb, Croatia). Bronze medalist at the European Team Championship (2010, Vienna, Austria). Winner of the European Club Championship as part of the Yavara-Neva team (2007, 2009, 2010). Repeated winner and prize-winner of World Cup stages, Grand Slam, Grand Prix and Masters tournaments. Champion of Russia among youth (2006, 2008). Bronze medalist of the championship Graduated from Dagestan State University. Single. Hobbies - alpine skiing; extreme, giving adrenaline. Favorite films: “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”, “Ocean’s 11”, “Lucky Number Slevin”, “Gladiator”. Favorite actors: Brad Pitt, Scarlett Johansson, Monica Bellucci, Denzel Washington, Will Smith. Favorite performers: Eminem, Chris Rea, 2Pas.

It's time for the Japanese to sprinkle ashes on their heads - the second final in the men's Olympic judo tournament, their athletes are outright losing to our guys!

Following Arsen Galstyan, who excelled in the category up to 60 kilograms, Mansur Isaev, in the weight category up to 73 kg, brought the second gold to the Russian national team.

Do you know that Mansur, who had the fourth rating before the start of the competition, managed to defeat the entire elite of world judo on his way to first place?!

First, Isaev defeated the 2004 European champion, 2005 World Championship medalist, Spaniard Kiyoshi Uematsu, then it was the turn to throw out the “white flag” to our athlete Rustam Orujov from Azerbaijan.

In the quarterfinals, Mansur faced a well-deserved opponent - the winner of the 2012 Grand Slam tournament in Paris, Mongolian Nayam-Ochir Sainjargal. And what? Sainjargal was left behind, losing to ippon, that is, outright!

In the semi-finals, 23-year-old prodigy from South Korea Wang Ki-Chun, a native of Dagestan living in Chelyabinsk, could not resist.

The Korean, whom bookmakers called the main contender for victory, won nine out of ten tournaments before the Olympics! In addition, Isaev has never defeated Ki-Chun.

From the first seconds the fight took place in a very cautious fight, and in the second minute the opponents simultaneously received criticism for passively conducting the match. At the beginning of the second half of the match, the Russian took the lead due to a Juko score. The Korean spent the last minute of the fight in constant attacks, but Isaev maintained his advantage and reached the final of the tournament.

The decisive fight on the tatami against the 2011 world champion of Japan, Riki Nakai, left no doubt - Isaev is more worthy of bearing the title of Olympic champion. The Russian judoka confidently controlled the course of the fight and managed to make an effective throw. In the last seconds of the fight, Nakaya frantically tried to escape, but Mansur showed wisdom and calmly managed to “extinguish” all the Japanese’s attempts to escape. The stands stood and greeted the victory of the Russian athlete!

The team's senior coach, Vitaly Makarov, who was watching the fight next to the tatami, was beside himself with joy and rushed to hug our second champion, and then gave a short comment to reporters:

You can call me a happy person. What the guys did was fantastic! It’s great that before the Games in London, all the team’s problems and injuries were left behind and the athletes approached the Olympics in the best physical condition. The guys were ready to fight for medals from the very first day. I am confident that every athlete in the Russian judo team is capable of winning an Olympic medal. Alas, someone was unlucky, but Arsen and Mansur used their chance and for this we bow to them from all of us - those who prepared, trained, and supported. We are glad that we are helping Russia maintain its title as a sports power.

Truth from a champion

Mansur, who in a short time became a real leader of domestic judo in the weight category up to 73 kg and achieved a high place in the world rating list, is a very sociable person in life.

This is how he explained to reporters immediately after the final, how he was able to achieve his goal:

I am always determined only to win. I always tell myself - calm down, pull yourself together, because you just need to go out and win medals, please your loved ones and yourself. So my secret is this: you just need to concentrate on training and not be distracted by anything else.

You looked very confident against the Japanese, were you really not afraid of losing?

Mansur Isaev: I’ll tell you this - throughout the entire tournament, all the fights, I was calm, because I clearly knew what needed to be done. And the final is no exception - he could have won cleanly when he tried to apply a painful hold. It’s a pity that he was able to dodge, but the main thing is the result that was achieved. I want to say thank you to everyone who believed in me, and especially to my parents.

Do you live in Chelyabinsk?

Mansur Isaev: Yes, but originally from Kizilyurt. Fate has scattered our team all over the country, some of the guys live in Novosibirsk, some in Samara, some in Chelyabinsk, but they rarely manage to be home. We have a very strict regime - training camps, training, tournaments. Three to four days are left to rest among your loved ones. Of course, this is not enough, but we are not the only ones. The same situation happened to all the guys in the entire Russian team.

Games in London are your debut. It turned out to be deafening!

Mansur Isaev: Yes, I was not familiar with the atmosphere around the Olympics; for me, everything was new here. This is a special spirit, atmosphere. But, probably, this helped me get ready. I knew that I had no right to burn out or break down, I clearly went towards my goal and achieved my goal. Believe me, I really wanted to show myself.

And yet, weren’t you ever worried in London that you might not be able to get on the podium?

Mansur Isaev: I was worried, of course, but I don’t remember when. Exactly - not during the tournament!

Do you think your example with Galstyan will inspire the Russian team to win?

Mansur Isaev: No doubt! Our time has come!

Isaev became a millionaire

Of course, every work must be well paid. As Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko recalled, Russian Olympians who win gold medals at the London Olympics will receive a bonus of four million rubles:

All champions will receive a well-deserved reward, although I do not exclude that the amount may be higher, because many regional heads and business representatives will probably also want to congratulate the champions!

Isaev can safely count not only on solid gratitude from the state, but also on the million dollars that the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Mikhail Yurevich, promised the Ural athletes.

Do you know what Mansur Isaev was doing in the Olympic Village on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Games?

He ate a lot! I witnessed a scene in the dining room when Mansur and Musa Mogushkov were making an “approach” to the counter with fried meat. The guys served quite modest portions; being limited by the weight categories, there was no way they could eat up.

The food is simply excellent, tasty and varied. “We are very pleased,” Mansur smiled. - And I like the conditions in the village. We live in apartments for eight people, but everyone has their own territory, so everything is very comfortable.

I note that Isaev and Mogushkov took a break from eating and vying with each other to explain to me where the Russian delegation lived, showing me the right place on the map. Our athletes settled in sector S4, in the complex with the letter N. It takes about ten minutes to walk there from the dining room: Russians live almost on the very outskirts of the village.

It seems that now the champion will be able to afford a double portion of meat, although the journey to the canteen may take a long time: our judokas have become very popular, and even their rivals strive to take their autograph!

Dossier "RG"

Mansur Isaev

My father brought me to the judo section and started training at the age of 8. The first coach was D.S. Magomedov, and then A. Miller.

Sports achivments:

3rd place, 2009 World Championships in Rotterdam;

3rd place, Masters tournament 2012 in Almaty;

1st place, European Youth Championship 2008 in Zagreb;

1st place at the Russian Youth Championship 2008 in Nalchik;

2nd place Grand Slam 2011 in Tokyo;

1st place Grand Prix 2010 in Abu Dhabi.

Education: higher economics, graduated from DSU in 2009.

Family: Mustafa and Asiyat Isaev.

According to Isaev, sometimes non-compliance with the regime hinders the fight. And what helps on the tatami is a good mood, a good mood, a desire.

For Mansur, “judo is a way of life, a sport that defines character, discipline, and myself.”

Isaev prefers to relax with family and friends, and when it comes to food, he prefers chuda (mountain pies with various fillings) with sour cream.

Favorite color: white.

Favorite films:"Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", "Ocean's 11", "Lucky Number Slevin", "Gladiator".

Favorite actors- Brad Pitt, Scarlett Johansson, Monica Bellucci, Denzel Washington, Will Smith.

Mansour started judo at the age of 8. The first coach was D.S. Magomedov.

Participant of three world championships - 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2009, in Rotterdam, Mansur Isaev won a bronze medal. At the European Championships in 2012, Isaev became seventh.

In the period from 2010 to 2012, he successfully performed at three major international competitions - the Grand Slam tournament in Japan, the Grand Prix in Holland and the Masters in Kazakhstan. In each of them, Mansur Isaev climbed to the podium.

At the Olympic Games in London in 2012, he became the Olympic champion in the weight category up to 73 kg. In the final fight, Isaev defeated the Japanese Riki Nakai.

Victory in London (30.07.12)

On the way to the final, Mansur Isaev defeated: Kiyoshi Uematsu (Spain), Rustam Orujov (Azerbaijan), Nyam-Ochir Sainjargal (Mongolia), Wang Hee Chun (Korea).

Particularly worth highlighting is the semi-final fight with two-time world champion, Korean Wang Hee Chun. This was their seventh head-to-head match, and Mansur Isaev had lost in the previous six. From the very first seconds the war began - both opponents attacked each other with outstretched fingers, wide grips and backhand strikes. Then the Korean completely let up his hands, but Isaev reacted simply - he threw his opponent onto the tatami and decided the issue of reaching the final.

In the final, Mansour met Japanese Riki Nakaya. The final match began with a careful fight with no room for error. And after 45 seconds, the opponents simultaneously received criticism for passively conducting the fight. Soon Isaev carried out his first dangerous attack, but it was unsuccessful. Towards the end of the fourth minute of the fight, Isaev performed a clear move, rated “yuko”. In the last seconds of the fight, the Japanese continuously attacked, but Isaev was able to hold back the onslaught and won.

After the victory, the Russian judoka expressed his feelings with restraint, saying that “he doesn’t feel any special emotions yet.” But he noted that he believed in his strength, and emotions would probably come later.

The victory of Mansur Isaev became the second victory of Russian judokas at the London Olympics. It is worth noting that before the Olympic Games in London, our judokas did not manage to climb to the top step of the Olympic podium for 32 years.

Childhood

The athlete’s father, Mustafa, is an Avar, and his mother, Asiyat, is a Kumyk. Already at the age of eight, Mansur began practicing judo. At that time he was coached by Dzhabrail Magomedov. The Dagestani began playing for the Chelyabinsk region in 2006. Then under the leadership of coach Alexander Miller.

The athlete does not forget about his profession. In 2009, he graduated. Mansur Isaev graduated from Dagestan State University and became an economist.

Sports career

Mansur Isaev participated in three world championships. He started in 2009, continued in 2010, and also in 2011.

At his first World Championships in Rotterdam he won a bronze medal. But at the European Championships in 2012, Mansur became only seventh.

In total, from 2010 to 2012, Mansur Isaev performed quite successfully at three major international competitions. First there was the Grand Slam tournament in Japan, then the Grand Prix in Holland, and then the Masters in Kazakhstan. And in every competition the athlete climbed to the podium.

“Everyone asks me how I feel. Yes, I'm calm. Do you know why? Because I have always believed that I am the best judoka in the world today.

Our head coach Ezio Gamba, by the way, is a great athlete about whom I can say a lot of good things, he constantly says positive words to me. He explained to me after my first fight: “Mansur, you are at your peak and you are strong. Just go forward and don’t think about anything,” Mansur said in the summer of 2012.

In 2012, at the Olympic Games in London, Mansur Isaev became the champion in the weight category up to 73 kilograms. In the final, the judoka fought with the Japanese Riki Nakaya and defeated him.

And on the way to the final fight, Mansur prevailed over the Spaniard Uyeshi Uematsu, the Azerbaijani Rustam Orujov, the Mongolian athlete Nyam-Ochir Sainjargal, as well as the Korean Wang Hee Chhun.

It is worth noting here the semi-final fight with the Korean Wang Hee Chun. This is a two-time world champion. The athletes had their seventh head-to-head match. In the previous six, Mansour had lost. And in the Olympic bout between judokas, a real war began. The opponents immediately went at each other with outstretched fingers, backhand strikes and wide holds. Afterwards, the Korean athlete completely let up his hands, but Isaev reacted quickly and simply to such an outburst - he threw his opponent onto the tatami, thus ensuring his access to the finals.

Mansur Isaev on video

In the final, Mansur Isaev met with Japanese opponent Riki Nakaya. The fight began with a careful fight, with no room for mistakes. And after just 45 seconds, both opponents simultaneously received remarks. The reason is the rather passive conduct of the fight. But literally the next second, Mansur Isaev carried out a dangerous attack for the first time, although it was unsuccessful. But by the end of the fourth minute of the fight, the Russian athlete performed a clear technique, which was appreciated by “Yuko”. Well, in the last minutes of the competition, the Japanese began to constantly attack, but Isaev was able to hold back the onslaught, and, as a result, won.

It is worth noting that the Russian athlete, after winning, showed his feelings rather restrainedly. Mansur only said that “he doesn’t feel any special emotions at the moment.” But he noted that in all the games he believed in his own strength, but emotions, he said, would probably come later.

Mansur Isaev danced Lezginka after the victory

It is worth noting that this was the second victory of Russian judokas at the Olympic Games in London. And before this triumph, our judokas did not manage to climb onto the podium at the Olympics for 32 years.

However, the judoka, who, by the way, won Olympic gold in the up to 73 kilogram category, is not at all surprised by his result. Instead of numerous words, he expressed his gratitude to team coach Ezio Gamba.

“Now it’s very difficult for me to understand what happened,” Mansur Isaev said a little later. “I’m overwhelmed by emotions, but the full realization of success will probably come a little later. I went to the Olympics only for a gold medal, our coach supported me with all his might. He constantly told me “Mansur, you are the best.” Therefore, a huge thank you to the coaching staff and in particular to Ezio Gamba, who never left our side every day of the year during this Olympic cycle. I would like people in Russia to be proud of the medals that we have won, and to know that we are working for these awards, for the sake of our dreams.”

Mansur Isaev noted that he was especially happy about the victory over the Japanese athlete in the final fight. The athlete always dreamed of snatching victory from the Japanese in the final game of the World Championship in his home country with an opponent. Therefore, this time we can consider that the dream has practically come true.

And after the victory, Isaev noted that with the arrival of Gamba in the Russian national team, the entire training of athletes changed radically. “We went to absolutely every competition, and we started working on physics a lot more. We became friends with the whole team and started spending a lot of time together. Therefore, many thanks for his work with us, in particular, for his psychological work,” says the judoist.

By the way, Mansur Isaev entered the tatami with an injury. But the athlete himself admits that she did not make herself known at the Games. “Oddly enough, it’s the other way around, she gave me a little rest and regained my strength,” says the judoist, “but the foundation that was laid in us in the Russian national team did not disappear anywhere. That's why there was such a surge in results. I think I'm not at my peak right now, but I'm pretty close. It’s really great that you have time to get in shape and come prepared for the competition.”

Awards

In August 2012 alone, after his triumphant march at the Olympic Games in London, Mansur Isaev received two awards at once. On August 13 he was awarded the Order of Friendship. It was awarded “For his great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, as well as for high sporting achievements at the Games of the Thirtieth Anniversary Olympics in 2012 in British London.” And exactly a week later, the judoist earned the honorary title “Honored Master of Sports of Russia.”

Mansur Mustafaevich Isaev is a professional judoka from Russia. At the Summer Olympics in London (2012) he won a gold medal in the weight category up to 73 kg. Bronze medalist at the 2009 World Championships in Rotterdam.

Life story: introduction to judo

Born on September 23, 1986 in the city of Kizilyurt (Republic of Dagestan, Russian Federation). At the age of 8, his parents enrolled him in the judo section. The first mentor of the future champion was Dzhabrail Magomedov. His father Mustafa is a purebred Avar (Caucasian people from Mountainous Dagestan), and his mother Asiyat is a Kumyk (Turkic-speaking indigenous people of Dagestan). In 2006, Mansur Isaev began to defend the honor of the Chelyabinsk region at judo competitions, but under the tutelage of another coach - Alexander Miller (Honored Worker of Physical Culture of Russia). During the period of hard, grueling training, the talented judoka did not forget about education. In 2009, he graduated from the Dagestan State Institute with a degree in economics and finance.

Performances on the international stage

From 2009 to 2011, Mansur Isaev regularly participated in world judo championships. In 2009, at his debut World Cup in Rotterdam (Netherlands), he managed to win bronze. In 2010 and 2011, the Russian athlete was unable to please the country with prizes. In 2012, he took seventh place at the European Championship, which, by the way, was held in Chelyabinsk (Russia). In general, Mansur Mustafaevich Isaev performed well at major international tournaments from 2010 to 2012. He took part in the Japanese Grand Slam tournament, then fought in The Grand Prix, held in Holland, and finally competed in the Master tournament in the Republic of Kazakhstan. In each of the listed championships, Mansur stood on the podium and took home prizes.

Olympics 2012: how was it?

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the Dagestan judoka managed to win gold and add another medal to the Russian team’s treasury. In the final clash he was stronger than the Japanese Riki Nakaya. Both athletes competed in the weight category up to 73 kg.

Mansur's first fight took place in the 1/16 tournament against the short Spanish judoka Kenji Uemanu (158 centimeters). Without betraying his traditions, the Russian fighter began with aggressive attacks and attempts to throw his opponent to the floor. It is worth noting that it was not possible to throw the Spaniard with a bend, but Isaev controlled all movements and applied more pressure in holding. At the end of regular time there was an additional period, in which the Dagestan judoka showed greater enthusiasm in the confrontation and won, securing passage to the next round.

Easy win against Rustam Orujov

In the 1/8 of the tournament, the Russian athlete was expected by Azerbaijani Rustam Orujov. Fans and fans of judo expected a lot from this confrontation, because both fighters were titled and experienced in their field. Nevertheless, Mansur Isaev quickly ended this fight. Stepping at his opponent’s feet, he made a successful throw over himself, after which the judges proclaimed Isaev’s triumph.

Quarterfinals

The next fight was expected by the entire judo community. The experienced and tenacious Mongolian Sainjargalyn Nyam-Ochir stood in the way of the Russian athlete. The fight was difficult, equal and uncompromising, but very short-lived: having caught his opponent making a blunder, Mansur Isaev, in an elegant style, twisted his opponent in the air and laid him to rest on his shoulder blades. The judges' verdict declared "Ippon" (the highest mark in martial arts such as judo, karate and jiu-jitsu).

½ vs. Wang Ki-Chun

In the semi-final bout, Isaev took revenge against the invincible Korean Wang Ki-Chun. Previously, these wrestlers had already met each other at one of the international championships, where Mansur was never able to win. This time the Russian was only waiting for victory. Apparently, the zeal for “gold” and strong-willed emotional readiness bore fruit. Before the fight, when the fighters were warming up, the Korean nervously clenched his fists and looked warily at the calm and confident Russian. Spectators and fans had the impression that Isaev had already won, because his attitude only pointed to this. Soon the Korean Wang Ki-Chun himself agreed with this state of affairs: from the first seconds of the fight, Isaev began to carry out tenacious holds, from which it was not so easy for his opponent to get out. Several manipulations, Mansur caught the Korean making a mistake and made a good throw, which brought the required number of points for victory. This time the judges did not proclaim “Ippon,” but the smell of victory was nonetheless fragrant. Especially when you see the depressed state of your losing opponent. A lucky ticket to the final was already secured, the cherished dream had become a reality.

Final showdown: one step away from gold

At the finish line, the Russian judoka was waiting for the former world champion (2011), Japanese Riki Nakaya, whose fame is due to victories at tournaments in Tokyo, Astana, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Chelyabinsk and Rio de Janeiro. The Russian athlete was ready for battle in body and soul, because after the triumph over the previously unsurpassed Korean, statistics ceased to be a competent science. All fans of the judo world understood perfectly well that Isaev would not miss his chance. And they turned out to be right: the Dagestan athlete uncompromisingly prevented all attempts by his opponent to impose a fight. Throwing himself into the tenacious stalls, Isaev managed to find a comfortable position for himself and mock the Japanese hand - the crunch from the painful hold was heard until the very last stands. It seemed that this fragment of the fight was already final, but the samurai did not give up. Riki Nakaya was able to endure the pain and break free of the hold to continue the fight. The Japanese began to try to impose his game, but Mansour, who was one step away from the vacant gold medal, prevented all Nakai's counterattacks and maintained his advantage until the end of the match. Result: Mansur Isaev is an Olympic champion, and the Russian judo team has gained a third gold medal.

Promised million US dollars from the governor

After the declaration of victory, the Russian judoka did not even smile. He continued to stand with a confident face in the ring, wrapped in the flag of the Russian Federation and the Chelyabinsk region, as if he were winning Olympic gold every day. The stands chanted, the Russian team rejoiced, and Mansur simply stood and enjoyed his victory with restraint and composure. The fighter did not even throw his hands up, as others usually do when they win a gold medal. A joyful Vitaly Makarov, who is his senior coach and second, ran up to Isaev and independently raised the winner’s hands up. The triumphant's obsession and focus bore fruit. Olympic champion is not a temporary title, but a dignity for life. Mansour achieved his sporting wealth. Speaking of wealth: for his feat he received $1 million, which was promised to him by the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Mikhail Yurevich.

National hero

After a triumphant performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the Russian athlete returned to his homeland as a real hero. On August 13, 2012, Mansur Isaev was awarded the “Order of Honor” for his great contribution to the culture of Russian sports and taking first place at the 2012 Olympics. Exactly a week later (August 20), Isaev received the title of “Honored Master of Sports.”