The legend of the Soviet Greco-Roman style wrestlers, the Olympic champion Nikolai Balboshin in childhood, did not differ in health. For his heart murmurs, the doctors constantly gave him exemption from physical education lessons, but Nikolai hid his problems and never missed school sports lessons.
Childhood, youth
Nikolai Balboshin was born in June 1949, 1949. Place of birth - city of Potsdam, East Germany. Father serviceman - Fedor Semenovich Balboshin, mother - Ekaterina Nikolaevna.
Growing up, Nikolai reached for his older brother Vladimir, with whom they played football, measured their strength. Vladimir was seriously involved in sports, he was attracted to the classic struggle. When Nikolai was 13 years old, he followed in the footsteps of his elder brother and tried to enroll in the wrestling section, but the first time he did not succeed, since he could not perform the simplest exercise - to climb the rope without the help of his legs. The guy showed obstinacy, after a while he met the necessary standards, and together with Vladimir began to engage in wrestling. Thus began the outstanding sports biography of Nikolai Balboshin.
The brotherly sports confrontation led to the fact that, having asked their father for money, they bought a batch of weights and began to practice at home, turning work with weights into competitions, into training the will, developing endurance and strength. Subsequently, Nicholas said that it was during that period that his character began to take shape. Their "games of iron" were stubborn, fanatical, frantic. Nikolai Balboshin was afraid to oversleep a training session with weights, like his brother.
Gradually, Nicholas began to surpass his older brother in sports success. He began to be sent to various competitions in Moscow, where by that time the family was already living. At one of the competitions Nikolai Balboshin received his first serious injury - he broke his arm, but this did not stop him from striving for new victories in wrestling.
In 1966, the first serious success came to Nikolai Balboshin. At the youth championship of the city of Moscow, he became a winner, beating wrestlers who were three years older than him.
In the spring of 1967 he won the USSR Championship among juniors in the heavy weight category. In the same year he became the first at the Olympics of schoolchildren, receiving the title of master of sports of the Soviet Union.
Trainer Anatoly Parfyonov
Nicholas in 1968 was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army. He was left to serve in Moscow, so he continued his training at the Dynamo stadium. Within the walls of this legendary sports society, he met with a front-line soldier, Olympic champion, multiple USSR champion - Anatoly Parfyonov. This meeting turned out to be fateful for Nikolai - Anatoly Ivanovich trained him for many years and led to the heights of the classical struggle.
Balboshin under the leadership of Parfenov went into light heavyweight, up to 100 kg. Mentoring the new coach led to the fact that Nikolai immediately seriously added to sportsmanship and in the next, 1969, he won the USSR Championship among youth. For two consecutive seasons he won the Olympic Hopes international competitions. He won the championship of the Dynamo Society among adults.
The first time, Nikolai Balboshin became the winner of the adult USSR championship in 1971. The following year, he won the prestigious international tournament dedicated to the legendary Russian wrestler Ivan Poddubny. For the achieved sports results he was awarded the title of master of sports of international class.
Trainer Yuri Kolupov
In the same period, Yury Ivanovich Kolupov, a classic-style fighter who recently stopped going out on the wrestling carpet, joined Parfyonov as a coach. He was a perfectly technically trained athlete, an excellent educator, who did a lot for the Moscow wrestling school.
Under the leadership of Kolobov, Balboshin for the year very seriously prepared in technical terms. To do this, he had to work hard, removing the "limp" in the receptions. But the results exceeded all expectations. Nicholas could make his signature technique - a deflection throw - from any rack with any grip. At the same time, he was indifferent on which side to take the capture and approach the enemy.
The beginning of big victories
After winning in a number of competitions in 1972, Balboshin was included in the USSR national team, which began to prepare for the European Championship and the Olympic Games. However, a new injury slowed the path of Nicholas to the intended goals.
The year 1973 became a landmark for Balboshin - he won the USSR Championship and won an international victory, becoming the European champion in Helsinki. After some time, he won the world championship in Iran.
In 1975, Nikolai failed to win the European Championship gold, which was held in Madrid, due to another injury, but his victorious gait was continued: he became the world champion in classical wrestling in Poland (1974) and Germany (1975).
Olympic champion
The most significant sports success of Nikolai Balboshin was in 1976. Then he became the winner of the European Championship, which was held in Leningrad, and as part of a team of wrestlers went to the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada.
At the opening of the holiday, Balboshin, at the head of the Soviet delegation, carried the flag of the USSR. He proudly walked through the stadium, holding a pole in his outstretched arm, which impressed the whole world. Above is a photo of Nikolai Fedorovich Balboshin with the flag of the Soviet Union at a place of honor in the hall of Olympic glory of our country.
During this period, his authority was enormous, the judges were ready to give the victory to Nikolai in advance.
Balboshin lived up to expectations - he became the Olympic champion. Walking along the tournament grid, he defeated all his rivals ahead of schedule, laying them on his shoulder blades. The total time spent in competitive mode on a wrestling mat took 15 minutes, which is considered a record.
Continuing a career, injury
After a triumphant victory, Nikolai won three more European championships and three world championships.
At the Olympic Games in Moscow, Nikolai again went out on the wrestling carpet, trying to get another Olympic award. But fate decreed otherwise. Already in the second meeting, he received a serious injury, which took him for two whole years from the wrestling mat.
Nikolai Fedorovich Balboshin, in parallel with sports, was seriously engaged in improving his knowledge. So, in 1972 he graduated from the school of trainers, and in 1980 the Institute of Physical Education. He began his coaching activities in 1981, and together with Parfenov he trained Dynamo wrestlers.
Boycott of the Olympic Games and retirement
Nicholas did not have thoughts about ending his career as a fighter. In 1983, he again went out on the wrestling carpet and won the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR as part of the team of the city of Moscow. In 1984, Nikolai Balboshin again became the champion of the USSR. He was returned to the national team, which began to prepare for the new Olympic Games.
However, it was not necessary to participate in competitions in American Los Angeles: the Olympics from the USSR was boycotted. In the same year, Nikolai ended his sports career.
Nikolai Balboshin (Greco-Roman wrestling), Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, he received this title in 1973. For sports achievements he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1976 and the Badge of Honor in 1981.
Personal life of Nikolai Balboshin
In the champion's family there were two more brothers, all of them practically grew up on a wrestling mat. So, the younger brother Viktor Balboshin was a prize-winner of the youth championship of the USSR, took third place. However, he did not develop his wrestling skills further and left the sport early. He worked in the police, rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Tragically died.
The elder brother Vladimir Balboshin was the champion of Moscow among adults and the champion of the Dynamo society. Having achieved these results, he did not continue his sports career and at the age of 24 left the sport. Now retired, served in the police, quit the rank of colonel.
The wife of Nicholas is Nina Stepanovna. Children - Nikolai and Elena, grandchildren - Nikolai and Maria.
If there is free time, then Balboshin devotes it to reading, working on a summer cottage, a car. He lives in Moscow.
Modernity
Currently, Nikolai Fedorovich Balboshin - lieutenant colonel of the reserve of the border troops of the FSB of the Russian Federation, still has not parted with sports. Actively participates in the work of the Moscow Wrestling Federation.
Tournaments for the prize of Nikolai Fedorovich Balboshin in Greco-Roman wrestling are regularly held in the city of Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Territory.
In the city of Noginsk (Moscow region), in FGC "Banner", annually held international level tournaments in Greco-Roman wrestling. Prizes are awarded in honor of the honored master of sports, Olympic champion, six-time European champion, five-time world champion, Nikolai Fedorovich Balboshin.