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Klokov Training Methods of The Russian Champion PDF
Klokov Training Methods of The Russian Champion PDF
DMITRY KLOKOV
Clean Catch 96
The Jerk 99
and participated in weightlifting for two years, training in the same gym
as I, but with a different coach. In those two years, she has won the
women’s event two times at the Moscow City Championships. She has
an end upon her starting college. Once in college, there was not much time
for sports, as she was entirely devoted to her studies, graduating from one
trainer has coached. In reality, my father did not want me to get involved
in weightlifting professionally.
Why? In the days when he competed, the sport did not bring in money,
while at the same time carrying the chance of great heath risks and
injuries. In 1996-1998, my father was a very wealthy man, and during his
his son, he wanted only the best education. This is why, when it came time
to choose schools, I was only given two options: Cambridge and Oxford,
and the money he had made in business would allow me to attend one
of those schools. My father had to fight the pressure from all his friends
people were his comrades from sports, they were trying to convince him
pressure from his friends, he finally could not resist. When it was decided
This trainer was not only one of my father’s closest friends, but also our
neighbor. Of course, the trainer could not refuse, even though he had never
previously worked with children. He has also never trained girls, which is
Despite the fact that I had been involved in soccer and judo prior to
weightlifting, I was not been very well prepared for weightlifting. I was
slow, not very flexible, and so on. Starting from December 1995 to May
were in summer camps and resorts, I spent all summer in my home with
training for me meant morning jogs, throwing kettle bells over head to
my trainer, pushups, walking with the bar on my back, lunges, and many
others.
Olympics in Atlanta, where I saw Pyrros Dimas, who was the two-time
for the next three or four years. After such an active summer, I was able to
easily beat the competitors who had bested me in May. I had three such
Due to this, in only three years I became the winner of the 1999 Russian
Championship for the 16 and under category, and qualified for the Russian
National youth team for weightlifting. In that same year, I took 3rd place
in the European Championship for the 16 and under category. In the 83kg
weight class, I lifted 125kg in the snatch and 150kg in the clean and jerk.
I competed in the 20 and under class in the 94kg weight class. I was
only 19 years old. Just like my father I preferred the clean and jerk to the
snatch.
In the Snatch I took 6th place but in the Clean&Jerk I lifted a weight that
was almost unread for me at the time: 207.5kg 0n the 3rd attempt. I took
1st place in the clean and jerk, and 2nd place overall. I lost to a fellow
month and a half, the news came that he had failed a drug test, and the
Although it was very pleasant, at the same time it was a bit confusing as
20 age class. Although the result wasn’t impressive, this was my first
serious victory.
In 2003 I moved to the 105kg weight class, which I’m still in to this day. In
2003, at the age of 20, I lost the junior World Championship taking only
2nd place.
At that point I realized that my junior career had ended, and it was time
weightlifters. I did just that. In only one year, we added quite a bit to my
During the 2004 Russian Cup, in the 105kg weight class, I lifted 185 in
the snatch, and 225kg in the clean and jerk, taking 3rd place which has
earned me a spot on the national team in time for the preparation for the
2004 European Championship, which was a qualifier for the 2004 Summer
As a result of an injury, the man who took 2nd place at the Russian
championship, along with the champion. Once again, in the snatch I did
poorly relative to my competition, taking only the 4th place with the result
of 185KG, but in the clean and jerk, after two successful attempts (220 and
225kg) I took 3rd place in the clean and jerk, and 4th place overall.
For the 3rd attempt, we had 3 choices: first was 227.5kg, which would
have secured 3rd place overall, 230kg, which would have secured 2nd
place, or 232.5kg which locked up 1st overall. We decided to fight for the
title of champion!
Unfortunately, I was not able to complete the lift with 232.5kg, but from
champion. This gave me the strength I needed for further training and
class.
My coach and I decided to take a brief break, and soon began preparing
the upcoming year. I had rested for about 3 months, until the end of the
Olympic Games. After I saw my partner win the Olympic games on TV, I
was not able to sleep all night, and could not stop crying. I understood
have gone to the Olympics, and my life would have been different.
That night, though it hurt me deeply, made me a stronger person. Early the
following morning I was in the gym, and told myself that I would be the
This was a very different Dmitry Klokov. A higher goal, made me both
interests, such as video games and so on. Right after the Olympic Games,
as I began to understand that some of his methods were not very fitting
for my training. He had always been a dictator about his methods, and did
not want to change since one more of his students was also supposed to
that he no longer wished to train me. To this day I am hurt by his actions,
years.
Of course my father was deeply upset that my coach and I had ended our
relationship, since in his opinion there was no better coach that he would
want for his son. Training alone, in his opinion, was impossible. At this
point he demanded that I quit weightlifting and begin devoting more time
to my studies.
From that point I began my studies in the Institute for Physical Education
to become a trainer. Of course my father was worried that his son had
I never lost faith, and the desire still burned inside me! The emotions I
experienced after the Olympic Games had given me hope for a possibility
“You can help me, but if not, I will still try to prepare myself for the 2005
In just a few days, I packed all my belongings into my car, and drove
the national team has trained. Thus I began training with them.
I wrote myself a plan with all my goals for the next 6 months — every day
I moved closer to them. I had so much fire and anger in me that I was able
to train every day, twice a day for six months, not missing a single session.
Six months later, I once again saw my father when we arrived at the 2004
Russian Cup Weightlifting Championship. Only this time I had a new goal:
To beat my father. Yes, my goal was to total higher than 440kgs, which
was his best during his career. He had recorded this total at the age of 24.
113 at the time, I had to drop some weight. Although in the Russian
200kg, I still dropped the 3 KGs just to be at 110kg, just like my father, to
Just a reminder, six months prior my best lifts consisted of a 185kg snatch
and a 225kg clean and jerk in the 105kg weigh class. Here I was 110kgs, and
had never had before, and I had much more muscle mass. Comparing old
195kgs, and 200kgs. In only six months I was able to add on 15kgs to my
snatch!
During the clean and jerk, due to the sudden drop in weight I could not lift
the 240-242.5kgs, which I have planned to lift. I was not yet a professional
when it came to dropping weight, and made mistakes during the weight
I began with the 225kgs, which was fairly easy. 235 I was able to get off
cramped up so bad that I needed help walking off the platform from my
This was a very important moment, and I will tell you about it later, but
he had actually won the competition earlier that day prior in the 105kg
weight class.
overall, but the main goal was not reached; my fathers record stood.
to both him and my old coach, that I could indeed train alone. (This
This time my true weight was 109.90kg and once again I dropped weight,
though still competing at a bodyweight heavier than 105kg. This time I was
much wiser in the way I cut weight, not making the same mistakes I had
This time everything went very well. Snatch attempts were 190kgs,
197.5kgs, and 202.5kgs, and all 3 attempts were successful. Now I only
needed 240kgs to reach my ultimate goal, and I did just that. In the first
attempt I clean and jerked 230kgs, and in the second attempt 240kgs,
There it was, my ultimate goal; 442.5kgs total. I was finally stronger than
my father had ever been! There was no limit to my happiness at this point;
however, there was one more attempt, for which I requested 245kgs.
Unfortunately, I could not fully prepare for this lift, and while trying to
put the bar on my chest, the bar was left in the front. Immediately after
the award ceremony I weighed myself one more time, and my weight was
108.3kgs. The fact that I took second at the 2005 Russian Championship
“Congratulations, your dream finally came true!” This was the last time my
coach has ever congratulated me for anything. This was February 20th
2005, 2 days after my 22nd birthday. This was an excellent birthday gift
for myself, and of course my father was very happy, just like I will one day
Now that one of my dreams had come true, it was time to keep the
Champion.
against my friend, Dmitry Lapikov in the 105kg weight class. We started
the 2005 World championship. Dmitry and I worked very well together,
and strongly supported each other since we were both young and had to
compete against older lifters who have already been very experienced in
this category.
Everything went very well. Following one of the meets, Dmitry and I,
together with the team, took the train from Taganrog to Moscow, which
was the place for our next meet. At the train station in Moscow, I realized
that my old coach was there greeting Dmitry. I was confused by the
meaning of this. I had no idea that my old coach worked with Dmitry and
He had never mentioned this to me, even though we shared just about
everything. I felt betrayed by him, and the fact that he had never told me
about this deeply upset me. Although this may now sound silly, keep in
mind that this was 10 years ago; I was only 22 years old.
I began vigorous training, while dealing with injuries and new records.
Dmitry and I never talked, and never so much as looked in each other’s
Russian Championship.
injury.
congratulate my father or
members train. Dmitry was in excellent form. It was easy to tell that,
competition as revenge, and they had been working at it very hard. I was
also very well-conditioned up until the point where I had to hold my for
Having lost several kilograms, I injured my hip while clean pulling only
255kgs, even though 15 minutes prior I had jerked 230kgs with ease.
Everything was great until this moment. I started panicking with a little
over 20 days left to the competition, and I could not do any movements,
which involved putting weight on my legs. All I was able to do were high-
pulls, standing shoulder presses, and deadlifts. I have had many similar
situations in my career, but in those days that was very worrying. I began
to lose motivation.
All of the sudden, help arrived in the form of my father. It was then that he
began to teach me that preparation not only involved the body, but also
the mind. Now I understand this concept very well, but then it was very
don’t even remember what spot he placed. Having had a chance to finally
let my leg heal, I attempted to lift in Qatar 3 days before the competition.
I snatched 90kgs and clean and jerked 105kg, plus I squatted for
At the World Championship, I was able to lift 192.5kgs in the snatch, having
successfully completed three attempts, and winning the gold medal for
the snatch. In the clean and jerk, after completing 2 successful attempts
of 220kgs and 227.5kgs, I won the gold medal and the title of 2005 World
Champion.
With one more attempt left, my father said, “lets go for the record!” He
was, of course, talking about the world record for the jerk, but it was most
likely a joke. Everyone was very happy with the results; my father, mother,
the sport; why we need the sport, what we now want from it, and what
will happen after my weightlifting career. This was very important since
the sport was not only gaining popularity, but now I started getting some
which I immediately spent. Where could a young man spend all that
money? Of course I purchased a new car. A Brand new Honda Accord from
Then I didn’t need an apartment, since I was very content about living in
sports facilities.
My father, I’m sure, understood that spending all the winnings on buying
Interestingly, he has always looked for sponsors for me, always found me
extra income, but has never asked me how I was spending it; I think it’s the
I now live with wife and child, and although I am the one who brings
home the income, I never ask how they spend it, even during the times
when our financial situation was rough. I still had some hard times after
my lack of success at the London Olympics, but for that moment, I was
appearances. It sure would have been nice if things could have continued
like that forever! I took a 10-day vacation with Elena to Thailand, and after
Did the fame after the World Championship negatively affect me? Some
say that it did, and I honestly don’t even remember. Maybe it did. Even if it
When one experiences success at 22, people may think of it as just youth,
but if that same success came for someone at 30 or even later, then
Championship. I once again took first place, beating out Dmitry Lapikov,
232.5kg moving with great ease, again only using two attempts. I had one
more attempt left, but again I did not go for the record. Russian records
never motivated me, and I was not quite ready to take the world record.
That’s how I became the two-time Russian Champion, and began preparing
title.
have been in spectacular condition twice. The first time was for the 2006
World Championship, of which I mentioned, and the second was for the
2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. For those two competitions I was
truly very strong, sadly these were the two most disappointing stories in
my sports career.
is where it is important
overworked.
the racks.
KLOKOV 27
It is essential for the human body to take
breaks to heal and recover, and this is
where it is important to have a coach who
can stop you at the right time.
His best result in this exercise was 275kgs, and I was moving towards it. In
good form, I jerked 262kgs, which was a 7kg improvement from 2005, but
A week after a 262 kg jerk from the racks, I had another workout focusing
on jerks, setting a goal of 265kgs for the day. I jerked 225kg and 245kgs,
but at 245 I began to feel that my legs are no longer fresh, and my calves
were cramping up. Because of this, during the squat I was falling forward
position.
everything was the same during the 255kg attempt, where I fell onto my
toes. I was able to push the bar up, but it was not balanced. Even in such
a tired condition I was able to push out the bar, but even with extended
arms I struggled with the weight. The bar started to fall backwards and my
body leaned forward. Everything would have ended well if I would have
just dropped the bar behind my head, but I was too strong. I did not drop
I right away knew what happened and knew that it was serious.
I did not yet understand the extent of the injury. I played off that my injury
was not serious as I simply walked out of the gym and sat on the bench by
the entrance to the gym. Our doctor walked out of the gym immediately
shoulder being such a large joint, the spray would be very ineffective. He
immediately ran into the cafeteria and asked the workers for a piece of
frozen steak.
It was a very sad feeling. In a few minutes, the head coach of the national
team, David Adamovich Rigert (1976 Olympic Champion) came over and
asked me, “How is the shoulder?” I replied, “Will know more tomorrow.” He
I still had a frozen steak tied to my arm, I was cold, so I went back inside.
I removed the steak by the door and proceeded to walk into the weighting
room. I strongly dislike the feeling when every single person in the gym
looks at me from head to toe, asking how I feel and asking me what
I spent some time in the shower and then laid down in my bed. At that
time, the adrenaline started to wear off and pain began to settle in. (As
adrenaline rush.) That same effect was now wearing off in my body.
It was now 7 p.m. and my roommate had returned from training and asked,
“Are you going to dinner?” I replied, “No, I do not want to see anyone.” He
said “Well, I will bring your dinner to the room.” After eating dinner, I tried
to fall asleep. Of course, 8 p.m. was very early for a bedtime, but after the
adrenaline rush and dinner, I passed out. I slept for two hours and woke up
from the sound of the door closing. It was my roommate returning from a
nightly stroll.
While the shoulder pain was increasing, we were talking about different
things. I was trying to distract myself from the pain in the shoulder, but
turned off the light and went to sleep. I could not just lie there since the
We were no longer talking, and each of us was lying there with our own
thoughts. Mine were about my future and what it would bring. I was in
such good form during this preparation, having snatched 195kg and clean
and jerked 245kg in the gym. With confidence, I was moving toward my
increasing. I got out of bed, wiped my tears and walked out of the room. In
the hallway, there were several guys watching television. I walked by them
and without looking at them, walked straight to the doctor’s room. The
doctor asked, “How are you?” to which I replied, “I am terrible; I cannot fall
asleep due to the pain.” He gave me a shot into the shoulder and one into
BOUNCING BACK
I don’t remember how I fell asleep, but I woke up at 11 the next morning. At
that time, my friend was already out of bed and getting ready for training.
We talked briefly, and he went to the weight room. I did not want to train
since I did not know what I could and couldn’t do with an injured shoulder.
I could not raise my right arm, not even to parallel to the ground. This
was on a Tuesday. I got into my car and went for a drive around the city.
I drove for about two hours, listened to music and thought about what I
could do.
I realized that it’s all in the hands of God. I was going to do all that was in
my hands and leave the rest to him. I went into a church, lit a few candles
and just stood there for about 15 minutes. I started thinking of all the good
the World Championship and other things. I started feeling much better.
Before leaving the church, I asked God to give me patience and luck. By
2 p.m., I was in the cafeteria for lunch with everyone, as if nothing had
happened. At 4:30 p.m., I went into the weight room. At that moment, I
right side of the bar, where I would normally grip it in a snatch, I tied a
rope. The rope was suspended about a meter from the bar.
With my left hand, I was able to grip the bar; with the right, I grabbed the
rope, so I could balance the bar on my back without lifting my right arm.
After a warm-up, the guys loaded 70kg on the bar, and I continued to
squat. In such a position, it was difficult to balance the bar and squat at
the same time, but I really had no other choice. I remember that during
that training session, I was able to squat 180kg for five reps.
mornings with the rope and glute-ham raises. These exercises allowed me
until the World Championships. Because I was the current champion, I did
Republic. Our team, like always, did not travel all as one but in small
Santo Domingo, my main rival, Dmitry Lapikov, who I wanted to beat the
most, was already there. Together with my first coach, they made the
All the competitors and coaches, like always, were placed in the same hotel,
where we were always able to keep an eye on one other. We ate in the
same cafeteria, swam on the same beach, and so on. To be honest, I was
not comfortable being around everyone this time since I did not have the
additional fee, which he had done. I really wanted to hide from everyone,
so I spent the next two days alone in the room, practically not appearing
outside at all. Toward the end of the second day, I was sitting by the pool,
and I saw that my first coach and Dmitry Lapikov were departing to the
the bus that takes athletes and coaches to the meet, were my father and
my current coach. They asked me how I was doing and wanted to know
I woke up in the morning, and my father and coach told me that when they
came by the night before, I did not open the door, which was probably
for the better. I woke up a bit earlier than when my alarm went off, and
although I would not say that it was a good thing, I did feel rested. I went
to the cafeteria for breakfast just to kill some time, and then went over to
the bus that was supposed to take us to the weigh-ins for Group A in the
After the weigh-ins, everything was very routine; quick snack and rest
before the meet. During my rest time, I found out that in Group B, Dmitry
Lapikov lifted a very impressive 194kg in the snatch and a very average
result in the clean and jerk. Being in my current state, I was not sure if
I could beat his result. It all depended on how well my injured shoulder
obviously weakened.
Since my injury, this was my first snatch and clean and jerk of more than
120kg. Every set during the warm-ups was difficult, due to my instinct and
those numbers were very low for me, considering my 195kg snatch and
242kg clean and jerk before the injury, but what could I do — I was happy
During this meet, I was not only battling Dmitry Lapikov, but also a Polish
his best shape, but he was good enough to lift a total greater than Dmitry
Lapikov’s. Now, the ball was in my court. After my first clean and jerk
attempt of either 217kg or 218kg, I had only two attempts left to become
World Champion and beat all of my opponents. For that, I only needed to
I walked out on the platform. I had already started to think about how I
would entertain the audience after a successful lift. I was not sure in this
attempt, and with ease, grabbed 227kg on my chest. Only two and a half
months ago, I was able to grab 245kg. I pressed 227kg and straightened
out my arms, but because of the long pause during the jerk, this was done
with very little confidence. I felt that with my right arm, I was holding a
bar with muscle only, while in the left arm, with my entire joint. I started to
rotate clockwise with the bar over my head, and as a result, dropped it.
This was a very new feeling for me. I could not have predicted this, and
bit lost. In my final attempt in the clean and jerk at the same weight of
227kg, the same thing happened, and once again, I dropped the bar after
what is going on with my shoulder and constantly work on it. I still rotate
clockwise with the bar over my head in the jerk, but then, it was a new
At the 2006 World Championship, I took third place, losing to both the
Polish lifter, Marcin Dolega, who took first, and Dmitry Lapikov. I was very
I, of course, was also very worried about my shoulder, since I lost exactly
normal; and in professional sports, they are inevitable. Every athlete also
understands that there are certain injuries after which you will never be
able to recover from in order to compete at the highest level. The thought
romantic, and ideally she, like any woman, dreamt of a much different
proposal. In that moment, I did this more for myself. I was aware that most
mind that this is what both my girl and I wanted. It has now been 8 years
since our wedding, and there has not once been any regret about my
decision.
Having asked her for her hand and heart, I did all I could and couldn’t do
to organize this wedding, and she was very happy. This was a wedding
there were not only eight champions of the World and Europe, but a few
After enjoying the wedding and New Year’s, I began training and continued
which was a qualifier for the 2007 World Championship in Thailand. This
this, it would have made qualifying for the Olympics a very difficult task. I
“dirty secret” tournaments. Thus, this called for very committed training
complex where the young Klokov family settled to live. After several
months of living with the national weightlifting team, Lena became a part
of the family. The entire team respectfully called her “Gregoryevna,” like it
Despite small problems in training, everything was going well. From time
in the shoulder was getting stronger and stronger, thus removing the load
from the joint. Not much could be said about this preparation – it was very
simple.
At the meet, there were only three athletes, all of which had to compete
for the title of Russian Champion. We were all, of course, more motivated
to qualify for the World Championship, rather than winning the Russian
Championship. We were all battling to win the trip to Thailand for the
Obviously, after you have already been the Russian Champion, you
understand that this title gives you nothing besides a trophy and a medal.
Just a few years ago, I was dreaming of this; but times changed, and now
and Gleb Pisarevskiy (Bronze medal winner at the 2004 Olympic games in
Athens).
knew how each of us prepared, we were both about the same in strength,
and both had small health issues, but there was still some tension between
us.
Lapikov was first, I was second, and Gleb was third, with which I was very
happy.
Of the three of us, the first on the platform was Dmitry Lapikov. He
successfully snatched 185kg. Next, Gleb easily snatched the weight, but
could not hold it at the top. We know that he was bothered by an old
After dropping the weight to weigh in, the muscle in the shoulder became
very weak, and the entire load is on the joint of the shoulder, which led
to his failure at the first attempt. But, overall, Gleb was in great form and
Next, I was able to snatch 187kg as well. In the second attempt, Dmitry
would need a higher snatch than 187kg, and from my understanding, was
prepared to attempt 193kg, maybe even more. He, however, did not risk
he did this with great ease, but during the squat, the bar caused him to
lean forward, and since the shoulder was hurting, of course he could not
battle as well as he could have if he were not in pain. In the final stage of
movement, he dropped 190kg. His final result in the snatch was 187kg.
This, of course, made both Dmitry and myself happy, and we could
187kg in the snatch was very low. For this reason, I wanted to attempt a
weight that was 1kg higher than Dmitry’s second attempt and that I was
this day.
Dmitry Lapikov was considered to be the king of the snatch on our team,
so he did not start nickel and dimming by adding 1kg for his third attempt.
He went straight for 193kg, and like the true king of the snatch, he lifted
this weight flawlessly. However, I was not ready to give up, since one of
my main goals was to take revenge against Dmitry and my old coach for
To win the snatch, I needed to go for 194kg since I was a bit heavier than
which in itself is extra stress and worry. But in this day, everything I have
done, I have done perfectly as far as my technique. The weight felt light,
What did this result bring me? First of all, it was my new record. This was
important to both me and the leaders of the federation, who had to have
faith in me and my potential for their consideration for the Olympic team
snatch” Dmitry Lapikov, since in the clean and jerk, I am stronger than
him, and he knows it. Now in the third attempt, I beat Gleb Pisarevskiy
by 7kg. This also very important, since all three of us will be preparing
for the 2007 World Championship; however, whoever takes third place
will be a backup, while the first two will be able to prepare for the
competitions.
The clean and jerk begin. It was a bit surprising to me that Dmitry Lapikov
decided to start with 220kg, since I was planning 223kg or 225kg for my
second place in the combined total. So the decision was made to simply
follow Dmitry and attempt the same numbers as him. Since I was already
in the lead by 1kg after the snatch, I would be able to beat him by 1kg if all
We followed this plan. Dmitry and I, in our first attempts, both successfully
handled 220kg. Gleb began with the weight of 221kg and was able to
easily lift it. If Dmitry was king of the snatch, then Gleb was king of the
clean and jerk. His best result in the gym was 250kg, and he was able to
get 255kg onto his chest, right in front of me. I, however, knew that he
had a problem with his shoulder, so we did not give him much attention,
For his second attempt, Dmitry Lapikov successfully attempted 225kg, and
although it wasn’t easy, he did it. I attempted that same weight, and it was
good form on such light weight. But what can I do? I have already made
the decision about my plan, and I had to follow it. It is very important to
have a goal and understand how to reach it based on what your abilities
Gleb, as a king of the clean and jerk would do, decided to take the wait-
Lapikov went forward with his third attempt but took a small step to only
227kg. I understood why he did this – it would take Gleb 233kg to beat
him at the 105kg weight class. With an injured shoulder, this would be very
227kg attempt, although he lifted it, it was not easy. Maybe he could have
gone for 229kg in the third attempt, but not 230kg. I then also lifted 227kg
with ease. This was my easiest attempt, easier than 220 and 225kg. I was
happy. I had beaten Dmitry, and more importantly, his coach, who in the
right to begin training for the World Championship for the main roster of
fans. He needed to clean and jerk 234kg, and to this day, I consider that he
did not hold the weight and the judges counted the lift undeservedly.
This was a long time ago, and I still live with that same feeling, and I
cannot change it. Now for me, this doesn’t matter. Back then, I was very
bothered by it. The judges counted his 234kg attempt, and he took first
Lapikov took third. With this squad in the category of 105kg, we returned
two to three weeks, Dmitry Lapikov decided that he did not want to waste
prepare for the next Russian Championship. Gleb stayed with me.
It was very evident that his shoulder was bothering him. Winning the
Russian Championship took a toll on him. He trained with me all the way
In the category of 105kg, I was the only one left to fight for all the medals.
In Thailand, I had to battle for medals – of course, for the gold ones. This
that point, my mother and wife had already arrived in Thailand and were
vacationing in a city called Pattaya. One day later, they came to visit me
in Chang Mei to see the tournament. My mom stayed with my father, and
my wife lived with me in the room, which caused worry and disapproval
in the eyes of my coaches. They felt that this would distract me from
What did they mean by that? They thought that I would live a full life with
my beloved woman, and this would take a toll on my form. I am, of course,
Neither Lena nor myself were even thinking about that. We both knew
how hard I had been preparing for this tournament and to start relaxing
before the tournament would be very unwise. The worries of coaches were
own depravity.”
In general, having Lena by my side only benefited me, with both her
actions and her moral support. When you live with other competitors at
tournaments, their worries also affect you, whether you like it or not.
The list of all applicants for the tournament was very impressive. All
the names and results were very satisfying to me. I was one of the
main contenders for the gold medal in the 105kg category in this World
Championship.
however, I did not pay attention to. It wasn’t because I wanted to have a
athlete, and the beginning of his professional career started from this
and went through good preparations. I came out with all the good signs
for all the main lifts, and most importantly, I started to forget about my
injured shoulder. Now I know why my shoulder did not bother me, but
then, I simply thought that my injury was healed, and I was now whole and
healthy.
I found out very soon that this was not the end of my history with the
injured shoulder.
The day of the tournament arrived. Like always, we had the weigh-ins, and
I went to the sauna to drop the 500g of sweat. The weigh-ins took place
ready. Like always after weigh-ins, I ended up being heavier than the rest
tactics for tournaments were always built around that, and I felt great.
the hotel to the tournament. I love this moment because everything really
starts here. I am sure that many athletes mentally break down on the bus;
they are together with their rivals, trying to hide facial expressions and
not show any signs of worry. I remember I was happy since I was already
main competition, who I had to battle with at this tournament and for the
This was Andrey Aryamnov from Belarus, who at this time was the youth
Bulgaria, who was the silver medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games in
Champion. There were other guys, but I thought that they would be the
main competition.
The tournament began, and Alan Tsagaev came out to the platform with
175kg. Since the snatch was his weak lift, and he was not capable to do
here what he can do in the clean and jerk, he was able to lift 175kg in the
first attempt and 180kg in the second. His third attempt with 183kg was
not successful. This was a very low result, but no one dismissed him from
I came out to 185kg with a good mood and a will to fight. I snatched the
bar easily and even hit myself with it on the way up, and I felt it in my
shoulder. I was pulled a bit forward, but I was able to complete the lift
successfully.
Once I dropped the bar, I realized I had strained my shoulder, and it was
now once again injured. This can be seen in the video: After the attempt,
room and lifted an empty bar over my head. I once again felt that same
pain that I had been battling for the last two years. Of course, I was upset
because this happened in the first attempt and the entire battle had only
Next, Andrey Aryamnov came up onto the platform and snatched 187kg
with great ease. I was not paying him much attention, since the entire
Belarusian team was very strong in the snatch, but their clean and jerks
were never impressive. I was sure that Andrey was only a snatcher. After
I came out with a risk, hoping that the lift didn’t strain the shoulder. With
the bar behind my head. I felt that this happened only because I was not
prepared to battle with the bar at the top. The snatch itself was very easy.
I really did not want to attempt 189kg again; the number in my head was
190kg. And even if I did snatch 189kg, it would have been too low.
I requested 190kg for my final attempt. Now that the tactical battle
had begun, my kind rivals allowed me to go ahead. For the 190kg, I was
simply came out and flawlessly snatched it. Of course, 190kg also damaged
my shoulder, but with all the courage and adrenaline in my blood, I didn’t
feel a thing.
Next, all I could do is wait and see how much my competitors would out-
Then the show of Marcin Dolega began. Like a true king of the snatch, he
waited to begin when everyone else had already almost finished. His first
attempt of 193kg also was his third. He wasted all three of his attempts
on this weight, and struggled with it. He received a score of zero for the
snatch.
After a short break, we started the competition in the clean and jerk. Once
again, the first on the platform was Alan Tsagaev, who easily lifted 217kg.
Andrey Aryamnov was next, and he easily lifted 200kg. I requested 221kg
for my first attempt. Already during the warm-ups, I did not feel right. It
was very hard and painful to hold the bar over my head; however, we were
not going to back down from the 221kg weight which we planned to lift.
where he would start having problems, but he easily handled the weight.
Exactly after this attempt, I realized that I underestimated this young man.
Marcin Dolega, who had no luck in the snatch, refused to back down from
competing in the clean and jerk. He started with the 226kg, happily and
confidently. Since I was prepared well for the clean and jerk and I had this
intense shoulder pain, we decided that I would only go onto the platform
which is not typical of him. The leader after the snatch was still Andrey
Aryamnov; he didn’t want to risk anything, and in his third attempt, lifted
228kg. After this attempt, Andrey secured first place in the combined
When Alan Tsagaev came out to 231kg, I did not think he would be able to
lift it. He did, and with that, moved me from second to third place. I was
getting impatient to come out on the platform, but had to still wait for
Marcin Dolega to finish his lifts. He made two attempts with 232kg and
When I came out to 234kg the first time, I was sure that I would be able
to get the bar onto my chest. At the same time, I understood that I would
not be able to get it all the way up because the pain in my shoulder was
indeed intense.
Everyone has heard the stories in which people were able to overcome
is not enough. One way or another, you also need technique. I did not
know how I could express great technique when a part of my body was
not working like it should. 234kg for me that day was very heavy, and I
couldn’t handle it. However, I did take the bar on my chest fairly easily,
After the unsuccessful attempt of 234kg, I had one more shot. This would
normally make me happy, but now I had doubts of whether I would be able
to place the bar onto my chest. Obviously, the third attempt of 234kg was
The one small thing that gave me a bit of comfort was the bronze medal
for combined total. Now, I cherish every medal I have ever won; but then,
the satisfaction was very minor. This performance did not increase my
ability to go at all; now, not only did I have to heal my shoulder, but I also
for the World Championship as a backup and left to prepare for the
next Russian Championship. This was more than two months ago, and it
was a very good forfeiture for him. The same can be said about a lot of
winner at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. All of them at this point
were already preparing for the next set of tournaments, which were all
qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games. At this point, all of us had equal
chances.
were confirmed. All the competitors had already made great progress.
Each of them had a precise plan on how to prepare and make the team
for the Olympic Games. Dmitry Berestov, 2004 Olympic Champion, was
category of combined total. Dmitry Lapikov was preparing for the Russian
Gleb Pisarevskiy, bronze winner of the 2004 Olympic Games – just like
prepare for. I did not have time for the next Russian Championship; and for
the European championship, there was no reason for the head coach to
choose me. For this reason, I decided that I would prepare for the Russian
Championship in Saransk.
jerks, doing only deadlifts and squats. I was still doing some physiotherapy
and massage, but it was not healing at all. Such trainings lasted more
than two months. I could not understand why in two months of rest and
I could not even hold a 100kg weight in the snatch; it felt as if there was an
electric shock in my shoulder. Holding the weight, the shoulder would give
At that same time, Dmitry Lapikov set a new record in the snatch and
China. He could easily do just that. In training, he was able to snatch 205kg
In this sport, anything can happen at any given minute. And that’s what
dropping weight, his body got significantly weaker. At his first attempt,
Dmitry received an injury with 190kg. He was finally able to conquer 190kg
In the clean and jerk, he also struggled with 220kg, which he was able
The injury he received was one of the most difficult to treat; I know very
many lifters who after getting this injury, retired from the sport. I, with my
and I think that there is not one athlete who doesn’t know this medical
facility. My father had his knee surgery here during his days of being a
recover after the first time I injured it? The fact is, when there is damage
to the joint, like I had, a hematoma develops. With time, it goes away, but
I have damaged my shoulder many times, the mass gets larger and larger.
This mass is located in the shoulder joint between the bones, and when
I lift my arms, the bones moving puts pressure on the joint. Since in the
middle of the joint I had this mass, it caused pain. This mass then needed
The day for the surgery was set. I arrived in the hospital one day in
spent the night in the hospital, and in the morning, there was a consulting
With the assurance from the doctors, they said that the seed would
dissolve into small parts and uniformly distribute in the joint. If they were
to do the surgery to cut out the hematoma, the joint would weaken, and
the recovery time would be far too long. The decision was made, and we
Since I had only been doing deadlifts and squats, I was in my best form in
these two lifts. It was now time to direct all that strength and training into
I started to do snatches and clean and jerks every day, every training
In such times, you need a coach to tell you to stop and take a break,
but since I was training alone, there was nobody to tell me this. With
was a crunch in my left wrist. Now, I understand that this happened due
to overtraining; since the wrist is the smallest joint, it broke first. This
Saransk.
Once again, I began to have anxiety and worry about my sports future
and the Olympics. The Russian Championship was the last chance I had
to make the team for the preparation for the Olympic Games. I started
to force the healing process of my wrist with all possible methods. There
phone call, but have never been with me to a meet; they strictly played the
role of managers.
On our team, there was a very strict distribution of roles, and each of us
was responsible for our own workload. I was responsible for my training
and recovery, and in 90% of cases where I had injuries, I never told them of
these injuries in order to not disappoint them. And that’s how it was this
time.
In reality, this was a tragedy for me. For about two weeks, I did not feel
any improvement in the injury because all I could do was deadlifts and
Now, when journalists ask me what advice I would give young athletes, I
constantly say: “Listen to your body! Only you know and feel it; it is your
best coach. When you get exhausted or feel a minor discomfort anywhere
in your body, that is your body’s way of telling you to stop and take a
break!”
Taganrog, 1,200 kilometers from Moscow. It was time to fly out for the
I had one day for rest and a light warm-up. The day before flying out of
knew I might just injure my wrist further, and then I could definitely forget
about the Olympic Games. If that’s the case, I asked myself, why would I
After returning from training into my room, where I lived with my wife,
immediately after lunch. She asked, “Why now, since your plane is not ’til
until lunch. I was planning on leaving Taganrog after lunch and arriving in
the doctor in that same hospital where they treated my shoulder injury not
too long ago. I had already called him and told him about my situation and
If the result was not critical, I could simply inject myself with a dose of
Betamethasone and Novocain right into the wrist and drive to the airport
Time was very limited; I did not have time to stop on the drive to Moscow
hours, which seemed like enough time. However, 15-20 kilometers outside
coming into Moscow for work. The amount of time I’d spend in traffic was
As soon as I finished telling this to Lena, she started crying. She did not
go with me to eat lunch, and like always, stayed in the room. I was already
full of determination. After lunch, I returned to the room with my bag, and
In five minutes, we were saying goodbye near the car like it was our last
time. I told her that I loved her, and that I would try to do anything that is
I remember the first 500 kilometers were easy, since I was very
started to fall asleep. This was in 2008, and before this, I drove to Moscow
and back tens of times, taking this same road. This time, though, was the
Honestly, I believe in faith and luck and even then, kept my beliefs strong.
This was a very long night, and at 9 a.m., I walked into the doctor’s office.
The chief doctor in the hospital allowed me to get all the procedures done
without having to wait in line, and in only a couple of hours, we had all the
results.
The injury was bad, but it was not as bad as I feared. There was a
moderate strain and inflammation in the joint, but no fractures. This meant
that with pain management, there was no risk of further fracture or injury,
traffic jams. After the security lines and registration, I ate at the café and –
like always after eating – began to fall asleep. At that point, I hadn’t slept
what had happened to me in the last 24 hours, there was not much left of
their good moods. Although now was a little too late to tell them about
this, I did it just so they would know the situation. The next day, I did some
deadlifts and squats to let my wrist rest. The tournament was organized
very well, which for me, is very important; there has to be a feeling that
lived here.
into the wrist right in the warm-up room. I also wrapped it in order to not
feel any pain. We were all ready for the tournament to begin.
like myself. Any weightlifter or fan would tell you that there are no battles
When we stepped out, all the spectators knew that this would be a war!
record holder for the World and European Championships Dmitry Lapikov,
Everything was ready. Here, the fate of who goes to the 2008 Olympic
A few days before the tournament, the head coach of the Russian
have a combined total of 430kg. Athletes who can hit that number will all
be invited to join the practice squad, while the first and the second place
The first surprise of the tournament was that the 2004 Olympic Champion,
Dmitry Berestov, withdrew, all due to the injury he got at the last European
Championship. The next surprise was that the Word Champion and the
lift an initial attempt of 180kg and received a score of zero in the snatch.
I started my first attempt in the snatch with 188kg, and although I was
not confident, I was able to complete the lift. Gleb Pisarevskiy and Dmitry
I lifted 192kg and did this a little easier than the first attempt, but I still
Then, Lapikov very easily handled 195kg. I, for a very long time, wished to
lift such a weight at a tournament, as I like how attractive the bar looks
In such a condition, I felt like I could lift a lot. Either from the adrenaline
rush or all the painkiller injections, I did not feel any pain in my wrist,
attempt of all three, and I was happy with my new personal record.
As I mentioned earlier, this was not only important for the head coach of
the team, but also for the president of the federation. They need to see
Next, Dmitry Lapikov got ready to lift 200kg, which was 1kg more than
the current World Record. But Gleb did the unthinkable and also snatched
200kg in his third attempt, which made him the winner of the snatch,
beating Dmitry Lapikov by the weight difference. I honestly did not expect
this from Gleb, and I’m sure Dmitry didn’t either. I can only imagine the
Vladimir Smorchkov refused to compete in the clean and jerk after having
no success in the snatch. In the clean and jerk, we had to go through a new
sitting position, I had shooting pain in my back. I did not drop the bar and
completed the lift, but understood that something was going on with my
back.
Indeed, this is very common for us. When taking painkillers, all the joints
and muscles in your body relax, and are thus injured easier, which is what
painkillers in the last 20 days. But backing down was not an option. With
lots of effort, I lifted 210kg and approached the platform with 225kg. I
could not place the bar on my chest because I let the pain take over my
that is where my exit was anticipated. I was able to handle 225kg, but with
great pain and no courage. I understood that I lifted this weight with no
courage and that I still had a good reserve of strength. We decided to wait
for the results of the other guys because I only had one attempt left.
Gleb, with effort, lifted 226kg in his first attempt and requested 230kg
for his second. It was evident that in the clean and jerk, he was not as
confident as he was with the snatch. Dmitry Lapikov, for his second
that weight.
After this attempt, in order for me to move forward, I needed to clean and
jerk 236kg, which would be 1kg better than my previous result in the clean
and jerk at the Russian Championship. And the guys still hadn’t finished
get the bar off his chest. Since he had beaten Dmitry in the snatch just
because of his own weight, it would not be wise to go for 230kg again;
Lapikov easily lifted 230kg and would obviously be able to lift 231kg if he
needed to. Because of this, Gleb increased his weight and came out to the
After he placed the bar on his chest, he started shaking, and the
spectators, who were scared that he would fall with the bar, screamed out
“Drop it!” Like a true warrior, he still jerked it, proving once again that he is
I would like to remind you that Gleb’s result in the clean and jerk in the
gym was 250kg, and he was able to get 255kg on his chest. I would not
would have been a lot for me even if I was healthy, but here I was with a
lower back injury. We made a decision that in the third attempt, we would
Fate did not allow Gleb to be the Russian Champion as he was beaten by
Dmitry Lapikov, who clean and jerked 233kg in the third attempt. Now, all
the spectators and competitors were waiting to see what weight I would
beat Lapikov? But I already decided on 235kg, and I requested it for this
attempt. Many spectators that day did not understand my choice – this
would give me nothing. I was already third, and they were especially
snatch. I had completed the total which was required and preserved my
I did this in spite of the obstacles that had been in my path up this point,
and I was simply happy to fight for the opportunity for a spot on the
235kg lift, I looked at the spectators. One of them later told me: “They
were lifting with strength; you were lifting with emotions.” This was a
weightlifting. That same evening, our Russian National Hockey Team won
When I woke up the next morning, I felt that my wrist was a bit swollen,
my back was hurting as well. But that morning, I did not want to think of
anything negative since I had two months until the Olympic Games.
MAKING THE
OLYMPIC TEAM
Preparations for the Olympic Games began the next morning. We were
Olympic Games are valued in that here, all the athletes and coaches battle
to their absolute limit. Of course, this is mostly politics, and 70-80% of all
was completely different. Unlike before, for the World and European
however, was still questionable. Of course, the main problem at this point
to retire from the sport. This was the type of injury that I needed to be
cautious with; however, this was also the point in my training in which I
Lapikov, who was the undisputed leader of the category, having earned
this position with his performance in the last two Russian Championships;
and myself.
three World Championships for this Olympic cycle, and also a great result
I was responsible for training and the recovery process just like in the
last four years. A lot of time was devoted to healing the injuries. The
first injury, which we were able to heal, was the wrist. The back, however,
improved extremely slowly and did not allow me to lift at all. All the guys
a great pool of candidates. I, unlike others, did not stand out at all and
was injured, and my father and I decided not to lift too much until it was
possible. But the time came when the head of the federation said it was
time to lift heavy. I absolutely did not need this training session because
pain. As a result, I snatched 185kg and either 220 or 225kg in the clean
weight; I was not able to attend. My father and I understood that there
was very little time left until the tournament and trying to lift now would
only damage my back further. We decided not to lift too heavy, but just
lower back. After the test training session, I was told at lunch that all the
guys did well and the entire team – both the main roster and backups –
were well-prepared.
I will not start talking about the behind-the-scenes battles since everyone
has their own facts, but Gleb Pisarevskiy together with his father cannot
forgive us until this day. At the executive committee of the federation, all
They chose Dmitry Lapikov and I to be included on the main roster for
the Olympic Weightlifting Team. The most pleasant part was that the
key deciding vote to get me on the team was from the head coach David
Adamovich Rigert. I really wanted to make him proud and show him that
Gleb is an elite athlete and great guy, but he had not competed well at
from a tournament without a medal, until that point and for the years to
come. The biggest motivation that I had for the Olympic Games was to
and prove to him that he made a mistake kicking me out of his gym.
After the main roster was officially announced, I felt a great deal of
days after the meeting with the executive committee, we were taken to
the Kremlin, where we received parting words from the members of the
Our team traveled to the capital city of China – Peking. I would like
we all had four seats and were able to rest comfortably. Also, they gave all
the Olympic Village in Peking. This is a mini-city built for athletes and
truly experience to understand. The Olympic Games indeed are worth all
the years of work in the sport. I consider that if you never competed in the
Olympic Games, you were never able to truly experience the sport. Even if
you are a five- or a six-time World Champion, if you have never competed
at the Olympics, you do not know the full story. My father, who was a
several different reasons, and I feel that he would agree with me.
The Klokov’s had finally reached the Olympic Games. We are very happy
despite the fact that it took us two tries, a lot of hard work and a long
period of time. People that have competed at the Olympics always told me
hour or half-hour, someone returns from their event with either a victory
or a defeat, and this causes a lot of pressure. I, however, did not feel it.
A few months before the Olympics, I noticed that the date for the 105kg
weight class in weightlifting was set for Aug. 18, 2008. Aug. 18 was a very
important date for my wife Lena and I. This is the date when we met three
team, I will try to get my wife an anniversary gift in the form of an Olympic
medal. The journalists loved that story and asked me about this topic many
Lapikov, and I honestly forgot the last time I spoke to him. I was under the
impression that this tournament would end this long, bad history between
100% of athletes from the countries of the former USSR. This was very
The environment in the room before and after the weigh-ins was very
pleasant and friendly. We all socialized and joked; there was no pressure.
We absolutely did not feel like we were at the most important tournament
of our lives. It is here where fates are decided and where we were
of the tournament. In the warm-up room, that all ended, and everything
The competitors were: Igor Razorenov from Ukraine, who was the two-time
champion of the world (1995, 1998), 2003 European Champion and a silver
medalist of the 2004 Olympics; Marcin Dolega from Poland, 2006 World
Champion; and Dmitry Lapikov, 2006 World Champion. There were others,
but these names were the ones who truly competed for the medals.
First to step out on the platform was Igor Razorenov with a weight of
185kg, and it was an unsuccessful attempt. I was next and was able to
snatch 185kg, but not with a lot of confidence. This is common for me, as
my first attempts are always successful, but not always pretty. After me,
Igor Razorenov came out for a second attempt and again failed to lift the
weight. Despite this, he is a very good athlete who handles his emotions
well. For his third attempt, he requested 187kg and snatched it very well.
As planned, Dmitry Lapikov snatched 190kg and handled this weight with
no problem. I also snatched 190kg and did this with a bit more confidence
than my first attempt of 185kg. After this attempt, I regained true courage,
started with a weight of 193kg. Less than a year ago, at the World
Championship in Thailand, he ended with 195kg and was very happy doing
it. This is a very impressive addition to his last result, and we all started
in the third attempt. Only after this attempt did I realize that I was indeed
Now all I could do was wait and see how much my weight would be
195kg. At this moment, I hardly thought that I could battle for the medals
in combined total even though I knew that these guys were not as good
in the clean and jerk as they were in the first exercise. He easily snatched
Record for the snatch that would be 8kg higher than what I ended with.
Next, Dmitry Lapikov stepped out on the platform for 195kg. Something
did not go right, and the bar was left in front. Later, he mentioned that it
believed him since only a week ago, we were all given new shoes and were
three sessions in these shoes, and the sole did not wear properly in time.
Unlike him, I, however, had not taken mine off in a week. I wore them when
I traveled from Moscow to Peking, wore them outside in the streets and in
the hotel, and trained in them. By the time the tournament started, they
I could not predict that Dmitry would finish the snatch with 190kg, but
that is what happened. In his third attempt of 195kg, the bar again was left
in the front. I can imagine his emotions at that moment. The tournament
continued with two athletes: Andrey Aryamnov and Marcin Dolega. Andrey
Aryamnov requested 197kg for his second attempt and lifted this weight
I have known Marcin Dolega since 2002, and one thing I can say about him
is that he took risks often, but most ended unsuccessfully. He came out
for his second attempt for 200kg, which was his own World Record, and –
although he lifted it – he dropped the bar. I think what happened was that
he got happy and started celebrating a bit too early. With a World Record
They each had one attempt left. Everyone was wondering whether there
would be a new World Record, but in the Olympics, this is not that
important. What was important was to lift the weight for which you are
can handle.
Andrey Aryamnov did not want to kill two birds with one stone and simply
went for a weight of 200kg in his third attempt. He snatched it with ease,
Marcin, however, wanted to kill two birds with one stone and went for
201kg in his third attempt, which surpassed his own World Record by 1kg. I
but accidentally dropped it. By adding 1kg, he not only would have to lift a
heavy weight, but also a new World Record, which has never been done by
anyone.
This kilogram played an evil trick on him – the bar barely went over his
head and then fell forward. I am sure that if he would have attempted
200kg in his last attempt, he would have lifted it and would have had a
I have jumped too far ahead. We still had a second exercise: the clean and
Out of the group that I mentioned in the snatch, the first person on
the platform in the clean and jerk was Dmitry Lapikov. He lifted 222kg
repeat after Dmitry with the same weight. By doing so, I would beat him by
I clean and jerked 222kg, and one of the side judges did not count my
lift for a reason unknown to me. In his first attempt, Igor Razorenov from
easier than Marcin. Dmitry Lapikov added 4kg to his second attempt for
226kg. To me, his lift looked good, but the central judge gave him a red
light; at the end, the weight was counted. I now had to repeat his attempt.
That day, I was able to get the bar on my chest fairly easily, but pressing
it from the chest – as was now normal for me – I would rotate clockwise
with the bar above my head. One of the judges did not like that, and once
again, he gave me a red light. Thanks to the other judges, who approved
As I have mentioned earlier, Marcin Dolega in his first attempt asked for
a lot of weight, and it was a good thing that he was able to lift it. After
adding only 3kg to his weight from the first attempt, he began to have
unsuccessful. This was definitely not his day, as he told me two years later
during the drug test. “I would give all three of my World Championship
gold medals for any Olympic medal,” he said. He might still win an Olympic
Andrey Aryamnov confidently led, but still had a desire to lock in his
victory with one more good attempt. He requested 230kg and lifted it with
great ease. After this attempt, it was evident that he was the new Olympic
At this point, no one was competing with him, and we were all competing
for second and third place. Dmitry Lapikov requested 230kg for his final
attempt, hoping to beat Marcin Dolega, who was currently in second place.
He did this well, and – although now I am happy for him – at that point, I
I was able to successfully complete the lift, I would move into second,
beating Dmitry Lapikov. If I could not complete the lift, I would stay in
fourth. This was a scary moment, which really messed with my psyche.
longer – just to sit on the platform and watch the applauding crowd.
Because of moments like this, athletes are willing to sacrifice a great deal.
the whole world approached me. As I had promised, I shouted into the
which my entire family had been moving for a very long time.
At this point, I was no longer worried if I would get beaten. The only ones
left were Andrey Aryamnov, who was already leading, and Igor Razorenov,
who needed to lift 237kg in order to beat me, and that is a lot. Igor knew
that this was too much for him, so he decided to battle with Dmitry
Lapikov for third place. For third, he needed to clean and jerk 234kg, for
which he had two attempts. He was not able to successfully complete the
lift, giving Dmitry three and a half minutes of real worry while he waited.
your Olympic fate is in the hands of someone else. That is now all history.
I am sure that, deep inside, Dmitry was upset that he lost to me, since he
and I constantly competed against each other. I, however, was happy that
note, it was a great feeling making our coach happy. Since two of his
students took second and third place, this is a result that any coach should
be happy with.
For this third attempt, Andrey Aryamnov easily lifted 236kg, setting a
new Olympic record for the clean and jerk and the combined total, and of
I figured that the award ceremony would cause great happiness, and it did.
My eyes were burning, and my smile was ear to ear until the medal was
the medal and looking at it. I told myself, “I did it, this is an Olympic medal,
and it’s mine!” After these words, tears started pouring from my eyes.
vain.
gambled on me by selecting
KLOKOV 85
had our own fate. Andrey’s was to be the 2008 Olympic champion; mine
was to become the silver medalist; and the fate of Dmitry Lapikov was to
take third. Each of us had our own limit. I am sure that all of us demanded
the impossible from ourselves, but in the end, we all received the award
audience, and this was his first time watching weightlifting. It was pleasant
to read in the newspaper the next day that in an interview, he said that
this was spectacular experience that he will not forget. What was the
this was not until the next day. After the tournament, we had a banquet,
memorable moment for me was that, after all of this, he and I chatted and
ended our long fight, as I had planned to do. The Olympics gave me a
lot, and opened a lot of doors, of which I will talk about in the next part.
To be continued...
VIDEO ONE
INTRODUCTION & SNATCH FROM
FLOOR TO BELOW KNEES
I T EM FOCUS
CrossFitters and beginner lifters need to understand that they aren’t advanced lifters
1
and not look at what Klokov is doing now but at earlier parts of his weightlifting career.
Strength is not enough either though, there must be synergy of strength, technique
3
and speed.
Toes straight ahead is a mistake because it causes weight to come forward to the toes
4
too often and a difficult tracking of the knees.
The bar needs to contact the shin during the first pull, not dragging but a light
5
scratching is proper.
6 Train with a slow first pull to feel and learn the position.
Focus on maintaining eyes straight ahead, down will cause your weight to come
7
forward but too high will cause you to fall back.
VIDEO TWO
SNATCH FROM BELOW TO
ABOVE THE KNEES
I T EM FOCUS
As you pull to below the knees, your shins need to come to 90 degrees with this
1
ground. This will be your strongest position.
If you’re having an issue with the weight rolling to the outside of your feet, as you
2
force your knees out, a more toe out position is probably best for you.
Focus on maintaining a full foot contact with the floor. This will create the best leg
3
engagement throughout the lift.
4 Keep the shoulders in front of the bar as the bar passes your knees.
Weakness in the back will cause the weight to pull you onto your toes as the bar
5
passes the knees.
During your warmups, train the movement slowly to build strength and learn the
6
positions.
Snatch grip deadlifts are also an important tool for training strength through these
7
positions and should also focus on controlled movement and feeling the muscles.
VIDEO THREE
HIP CONTACT IN
THE SNATCH
I T EM FOCUS
Biggest mistake most lifters make is forward action of the hips, rather than your hips
1
and shoulders extending vertically together.
Also, do not focus on particular extension on to the toes, this position will occur from
2
the momentum of your vertical hip extension.
Shrug is often a faulty cue for athletes as it causes a forward movement of the bar and
3
the arms to stop the bars vertical motion.
Elbows are like arrows and where they point will indicate the direction of the bar.
4
Focus on ELBOWS UP at hip contact.
Only focus on the arm pull from when the bar is at the hip, until it is at the bottom of
5
the chest.
Focus on the elbows staying forward, over the bar to help keep the bar close to the
6
body.
VIDEO FOUR
SPECIAL EXERCISES FOR
MOBILITY IN THE PULL
I T EM FOCUS
1 Focus on flexing the legs and glutes at the top of the pull to ensure full extension
VIDEO FIVE
SPECIAL EXERCISES FOR
STRENGTHENING THE FIRST PULL
I T EM FOCUS
An imbalance of strength between the legs and back will cause you to get out of
1
position during the first pull, either your legs or back taking over too early.
Deficit snatch grip deadlifts will be the best exercise for leg development through this
2
movement.
3 Deficit RDLs will be the best exercise for back development through this movement.
For weightlifting, don’t train a forward hip position at the end of deadlifting variations,
4
keep your shoulders slightly forward in the finish position.
VIDEO SIX
TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNIQUE
ERRORS IN THE SNATCH
I T EM FOCUS
Jumping too high will cause balance issues during the catch. Feet should slide out
1
during the catch, not be a jump into position.
Focus on finding a comfortable bottom position in the catch that you can bounce in
2
and stay on balance.
Focus on making every lift look identical. Trying to put maximal power into submaximal
3
weights may cause technical errors at lighter weights.
VIDEO SEVEN
TRAINING THE TRAPS FOR
THE SNATCH
I T EM FOCUS
1 Using straps during high pulls will help alleviate stress on the wrists
It is fine to bring the bar higher in these drills than you will during the snatch, as long
2
as a forward elbow position is maintained and elbows stay higher than the bar.
VIDEO EIGHT
CLEAN FROM THE FLOOR TO
ABOVE THE KNEES
I T EM FOCUS
There is less emphasis on a forward shoulder position in the clean than there is in the
1
snatch.
Contact with the bar should begin at the bottom of the quad and lightly drag to the
2
mid thigh.
VIDEO NINE
HIP CONTACT IN
THE CLEAN
I T EM FOCUS
The bar isn’t pulled as high in the clean as in the snatch to avoid the bar crashing in the
1
catch.
2 Elbows high and wide will keep you on balance during the pull.
VIDEO TEN
CLEAN CATCH
I T EM FOCUS
1 Focus on sliding the feet out into your catch position, not jumping to your position.
Focus on a full hand grip during the catch to be able to control the bar better than just
2
catching it on your fingers.
VIDEO ELEVEN
FLEXIBILTY FOR THE
FRONT RACK POSITION
I T EM FOCUS
Good flexibility in the wrists, triceps, shoulders and internal rotators is critical to
1
achieve a full hand grip in the front rack.
Mobility and flexibility training for 5-10 minutes before and after training should be
2
sufficient to achieve positions.
Insufficient flexibility can cause a number of issues in the catch and lead to potential
3
injury.
VIDEO TWELVE
THE JERK DIP
I T EM FOCUS
Weaker/More Beginner lifters should utilize a deeper jerk dip for improved bar
1
oscillation.
2 Deeper dip position will allow for greater leg engagement in the drive.
3 Focus on feeling the hips engage and load as you dip in the jerk.
Focus on pushing the knees out, while remaining a full foot contact, during the dip. A
4
toe out position will help improve this.
VIDEO THIRTEEN
THE JERK
I T EM FOCUS
A lack of flexibility will necessitate a wider stance, but this is not ideal because it will
1
not allow you to lift the bar as high.
2 Many lifters suffer from a lack of full extension through the legs in the jerk drive.
5 The front shin needs to be at 90 degrees to the floor in the split position.
6 The back leg should remain slightly bent/relaxed throughout the split.
7 The front and back toes should both be slightly internally rotated during the split.
Feet should slide into position in the jerk, not jump. From a fully extended position,
8
slide (moving the feet just over the ground) into the split position.
VIDEO FOURTEEN
SPECIAL EXERCISES FOR THE
JERK
I T EM FOCUS
1 Light weight must often be used in new exercises until proficiency is achieved.
2 Focus on full extension through the hips, knees and ankles during jump squats.
3 Speed of movement is the primary concern with these exercises, not weight used.
VIDEO FIFTEEN
SQUAT TIPS
I T EM FOCUS
Training a slow descent will build more yielding strength to improve the catch portion
1
of all lifts and not let the bar crash on you as much.
The back squat is for training the power of your legs, the front squat is for training
2
your back and proper positions.
VIDEO SIXTEEN
ASSISTANCE EXERCISES
I T EM FOCUS
1 GHDs are the best developer of the lower back, hamstrings and glutes.
When performing GHDs, it is better to hold the weight on the back, as this will force
2 you into a flat back position, as opposed to rounding forward if holding weights in
front.
Arm strength plays a valuable role in catching and stabilizing the snatch, don’t neglect
3
training your upper body.
Improved pressing strength will allow you to recover from mistakes made earlier in
4
your lifts.