Belov Alexander Alexandrovich - biography. Olympic champion Soviet basketball player Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Belov Alexander: biography, photos, achievements and family

The life of Alexander Belov was short, but very bright. Breaking into the world of domestic basketball at a young age, he managed to become a legend in 10 years of his career. Unfortunately, not only the start was fast, but also the finish of the great basketball player, but first things first.

Introduction to the game

The Soviet basketball player was born on November 9, 1951 in the city of Leningrad. He was introduced to the basketball ranks by Vladimir Kondrashin, who, while still a novice coach, went to various schools in search of talented guys. Noticing the 10-year-old Sasha, the coach with difficulty, but still managed to persuade him to try his hand at basketball. It was Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin who was able to instill in young Belov a love for this game and became his mentor.

Carier start

At the age of 16, Alexander made his debut as part of the Spartak team (Leningrad). Despite the fact that the guy was far from the tallest in the team (exactly two meters), he went to the center positions and could compete with taller opponents thanks to his ability to choose a position, mobility and a good jump. In attack, Belov could successfully pass to the ring or throw from long distances, but his main function the team was still protective.

Invitation to the national team

According to Belov, having a very high and powerful jump, he always appeared on time in right place. His jump was truly amazing. Sometimes it seemed that Belov was just hanging in the air. And when he got into a defensive stance, slightly bending his legs and raising his elbows, there was simply no room under the shield for his opponents. He didn't let anyone near the shield. In addition, Alexander Alexandrovich Belov felt the game well from a young age and excelled in tactics. All this allowed him to compete with opponents whose height was 10-15 cm more.

It was Gomelsky who invited the young basketball player to the USSR national team. At that time, Alexander was only 17 years old. A year later, in 1969, the men's team played at the European Championships in Naples. The 18-year-old boy was the main discovery of this season. At that time, he managed to play in the major leagues for three seasons, so he had enough experience not only to resist seasoned players, but also to take on key role in the team, if necessary for the game.

Benefit in the final

The teams of Yugoslavia and the USSR reached the decisive battle of the above championship. In the final game, they went shoulder to shoulder. In the second half, our team managed to break away, gaining 12 points in 8 minutes. Opponents for this half scored only 2 points. Belov scored three points, but his main merit is a quality defense. It was thanks to Belov that the team was able to successfully play the half, which determined the outcome of the entire competition.

Feedback from a colleague

Teammate and Alexander's namesake Sergei Belov in his book "Moving Forward" did not miss the opportunity to pay tribute to the hero of our today's conversation. According to Sergei, with his height, Alexander was not a center, but a heavy forward, nevertheless he shone in the position of the fifth number. Defense, as Sergei notes, is the basis of basketball, and Alexander frankly succeeded in it. He was well prepared and took on the most important tasks of the team. According to a colleague, it was Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin who managed to instill in Belov a love for playing defense, which requires a special philosophy.

The fact is that the lion's share of the players try to score more in the ring in order to be noticed, while the defense and the ability to give the right pass to the "front line" is an equally important task that not everyone can fully feel. Alexander Belov is a basketball player with a capital letter, if only because he is one of the few who knew how to enjoy playing defense.

USSR Championship 1970

At this championship, Spartak showed a new tactic of the game, which was built from defense. This decision allowed the team to win silver and excite the CSKA team, which has been unmatched for the past five years. But in Spartak then there was only one star - the youngest player on the team.

Team coach change

At the 1970 World Cup, the USSR national team was able to win only third place, annoyingly losing to Brazil (64:66) and America (72:75). After the failed championship, the same Kondrashin became the coach of the national team. During his seven years of coaching, he brought the team several brilliant triumphs. The main one was the legendary event for Soviet basketball - the victory of the national team on Olympic Games ah in Munich.

Universiade 1970

With the advent of Kondrashin to the national team, the successes of his beloved student only began to multiply. In 1970, Belov won the World Universiade. And even despite the fact that the Union did not consider this tournament prestigious, victory in it is worth a lot, because the fight for the championship was fought with the Americans.

Second European Championship

By his second European Championship, Alexander Alexandrovich Belov felt much more confident in the national team, including because of the high confidence of the coach. The national team played well in the tournament and in the finals surpassed the Yugoslavs, who at that time were world champions, by 5 points. Belov averaged 8.5 points per game, despite the fact that he was a defender.

Olympics

Preparation for was very serious for the USSR national basketball team. After all, there the team had to meet with the strongest rival - the US team, which had not known defeat at the Olympic Games since 1936. Despite the abundance of good players in our team, only two-meter Belov could powerfully defend his shield against American professionals.

As predicted, the teams of the USA and the USSR went to the finals of the Olympics. This legendary match, when the American team lost their gold to the Union, will be remembered for a long time. The pass of Ivan Edeshko and the throw on the ring of Alexander Belov, which marked the fiasco of the Americans and the incredible success of Soviet basketball players, went down especially brightly in history.

The moment that determined victory at the Olympics

The denouement of the great match was extremely tense and interesting, so it is worth remembering it in detail.

Throughout the bout, Soviet basketball players led by a small margin. However, at the end of the second half, the Americans approached them. 10 seconds before the end of the match the score was 48:49. M. Paulauskas gave a pass to Belov, who was under the shield of the enemy. Alexander missed, but picked up the ball. For the team to win, he only needed to hold the ball until the siren. But Belov did not have the opportunity to control the ball, so he gave a pass to Z. Sakandelidze. The latter was tightly held by opponents, and he had to go for a foul. As a result, the US team was entitled to 2 free throws, both of which were well realized.

A few seconds before the end of the game, the Soviet team had practically no hope of winning. But when Belov looked at the coach and saw his calm look, the basketball player realized that not everything was lost. After that, the Soviet team threw the ball into the game twice, and both times the siren sounded ahead of time. For the third time the ball hit which gave an excellent pass to Alexander Belov, who was at that moment in the center of the field. Having outwitted the Americans and breaking through to the ring, Belov made a very accurate and accurate throw. The ball was in the ring, and the final siren sounded. So the USSR became the champion of the Olympic Games in basketball. Sergei Belov in his book calls this moment "the highest justice" for the efforts of the team on the way to triumph.

In general, Alexander Belov, a basketball player who knew a lot about proper defense, performed very productively at the Olympics - an average of 14.4 points and 5 rebounds per match.

Further development

After the Olympics, Belov became famous all over the world and received an invitation to the NBA, but the man preferred to bring titles to his club and national team home country. Thanks to Belov and Kondrashin's coaching, they won more than one victory. Alexander Alexandrovich Belov was the core of the team, and not just a leader. He was the main creator of all the victories of the aforementioned teams.

The Olympic Games in Montreal brought the USSR team only bronze. But Belov's personal indicators have increased. He became the highest scoring player on the team, averaging 15.7 points per game. Players of such a level as Alexander, the world knew not so much. He did not care with whom and against whom to play. Thanks to game intelligence and technical talent, a basketball player could find mutual language with anyone. And the man was very artistic on the site. He bathed in the love of the fans and drew strength from it for new achievements.

"Look at the scoreboard!"

At times, Belov allowed himself imposing walks around the court during the game. In one of the games, in which Spartak was opposed by a frankly weak team, Alexander literally walked around the “battlefield”. Fans wanted from a basketball player beautiful game, and one of them shouted: "Let's play!" After several such calls, Belov looked towards the screaming fan and replied: “Look at the scoreboard!”

Health problems

After the Olympics in Montreal, the life of a great athlete began dark streak. He began to complain more and more about his health, or rather, chest pains. In this regard, the coach in each match gave Alexander a few minutes of rest.

Love

A bright moment in Belov's life was his acquaintance with a successful basketball player. Between them, bright feelings arose, which were not interfered with by constant training at different bases. According to Alexandra, Kondrashin was very happy with such an alliance and even pushed Belov to consolidate his feelings with marriage as soon as possible. The girl was very modest and positive, so she perfectly compensated for the explosive temper of our hero. In April 1977, the couple legalized their union.

Premature withdrawal from sports

In early 1977, Spartak went to play in Italy. During the customs inspection, a bag with prohibited goods was found, which was attributed to Belov. A huge scandal erupted in the world of the press about this. Alexander was stripped of all titles and suspended from basketball.

Soon Alexander Belov - a basketball player for whom the word "honor" was not an empty set of sounds - refused the offer to play for CSKA. But it was in the power of A. Ya. Gomelsky to return all the titles of a famous athlete. But he did not agree, because he felt his duty to the team that made him a star.

At the end of 1977, the man was again allowed to play for Spartak, and in August of the following year for the national team. But the basketball player could no longer go to the World Championships, as his the physical state By this time, it had deteriorated drastically. Before the training camp, he felt very unwell and went to the hospital.

Treatment

The great athlete was treated in several hospitals in Leningrad, but the doctors never came to an accurate diagnosis. Kondrashin brought him foreign medicines, but they also did not help. As a result, on October 3, 1978, the greatest Soviet basketball player Alexander Belov died. The cause of death, as it turned out later, lay in heart disease. Many thought it was because active classes sports, the man’s condition worsened, but the doctors unequivocally stated that thanks to basketball, Alexander Belov, without realizing it, extended his life. And when he took a break, the sarcoma of the heart still overcame him.

This was the end of the biography of Alexander Belov, who passed away just a month before his 27th birthday, but his memory remained for a long time.

Moscow journalist A. Pinchuk, whom Vladimir Kondrashin considered the best basketball observer, once remarked that human life measured not only in years, but also in achievements. It turns out that Alexander lived not so short life, because he managed for 26 as much as many do not have time for 80.

Achievements of A. Belov

• Honored Master of Sports.
• Gold at the 1972 Olympics
• Bronze at the 1976 Olympics
• Gold at the 1974 World Championships
• Bronze at the 1970 World Championships
• Gold at the 1969 World Championships and also 1971
• 1975 European Championship Silver
• Two-time winner of the "Cup Winners' Cup" in 1973 and 1975.
• Gold of the USSR championship in 1970 and 1971.
• Silver of the USSR championship 1972-1974, 1976, 1978
• Bronze of the USSR Championship 1969
• Silver 1975
• Gold of the World Universiade 1970
• Nations Cup 1974
• 1975 Intercontinental Cup
• Gold of the European Championship among juniors in 1968 and 1970.
• Inducted into the FIBA ​​Hall of Fame in 2007
• Order of the Badge of Honor.

Alexander Belov is a basketball player from God. He was a favorite of the fans and caused them true delight. But for every athlete, it is the love of the spectator that is most precious. Medals, participation in international tournaments, compliments from experts - this is very nice, but still secondary. And in the first place is always the recognition of those for whom you play. And Alexander Alexandrovich Belov played his game with a bang!

Belov Alexander - Soviet basketball player, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, world and USSR champion, twice European champion, Olympic champion, a member of the FIBA ​​Hall of Fame, twice winner of the Cup Winners' Cup and, finally, the winner of the Universiade.

Alexander lived a short but incredibly bright and useful life. Having entered the ranks of basketball players at a very young age, he managed to become a legend in 10 years of his playing career. Belov Alexander passed away very early, but many centenarians can envy his achievements. Today we will get acquainted with some facts from the biography of this great athlete.

Path to basketball

Alexander was born on November 9, 1951 in the city of Leningrad. He got into basketball very miraculously. A young coach at that time - Vladimir Petrovich Kondrashin - went to schools and looked for talented guys there. Once he met ten-year-old Alexander Belov. The coach immediately saw great potential in him. To convince Alexander to try his hand at basketball, Vladimir Petrovich had to work hard. Surprisingly, Kondrashin was actually Alexander's only coach in his entire career.

First successes

At the age of 16, Alexander Belov played his first serious game for Spartak Leningrad. His height was exactly 2 meters, which, by the standards of basketball, is not much at all. Nevertheless, thanks to his special mobility, excellent jump and strategic thinking, the guy outperformed his taller opponents. In the attack, he successfully bypassed opponents and threw into the ring from different distances. However, Alexander's main task was to defend his ring.

According to Alexander Gomelsky, thanks to an excellent jump, Belov always found himself in the right place. The basketball player jumped so well that it seemed as if he was hanging in the air. Becoming in a defensive stance, he occupied the main space under the shield, depriving the enemy of the chances of a successful attack. In addition, Alexander had the finest flair and always built the right strategy, Gomelsky noted.

Team career

When Belov was 17 years old, Gomelsky invited him to the USSR national team. A year later, at the European Championship, the young player became a real sensation. By this time, he had successfully spent three seasons in the major leagues and could, if necessary, take on a leadership role in the national team. During the final match of the championship, in which the USSR team played with the Yugoslav team, Alexander Belov practically decided the outcome of the match, scoring 3 goals in 8 minutes. The USSR national team for the first time became the world champion.

In 1970 at the championship Soviet Union Spartak showed a new, in terms of tactics, game, which was built from defense. Then the CSKA team for the first time felt serious resistance. Spartak became bronze medalist championship, but for him it was a victory.

Arrival of Kondrashin to the national team

At the 1970 World Championships in Yugoslavia (the first championship in history to be held in Europe), the USSR team won bronze. After such a failure, Vladimir Kondrashin became a coach. During the seven years of his coaching, the team won several brilliant victories, the main of which was the championship at the XX Olympiad in Munich.

When Kondrashin came to the national team, the finest hour struck for Belov. In 1970 he became the champion of the Universiade. Despite the fact that the basketball community did not consider this tournament particularly prestigious, victory in it was expensive, because the US team became the opponent of the USSR in the final.

By the 1971 European Championship, Belov Alexander, whose photo has been preserved in a small number to this day, was much more confident, because he enlisted the special support of the coach. The tournament went well for the national team and gave them victory. Belov earned an average of 8.5 points per game.

Olympics

Almost immediately after the European Championship, the Soviet team began to prepare for the Olympics. Here they were to meet the strongest opponent on the planet - the American team, which has never lost at the Olympic Games.

As expected, the teams of the USSR and America met in the final game. The match was very tense. The Soviet players were in the lead from the very start, but by the end of the game the Americans approached them, and the score became 48:49. The ball was in the hands of the Soviet team, and only 38 seconds remained until the end of the game. Our players had to carry out an attack or just keep the ball until the final siren. When 12 seconds remained until the end of the meeting, the ball ended up in Belov's hands, he tried to attack the ring, but missed.

Having picked up the ball, Alexander gave a pass to Zerab Sakandelidze, but the Americans intercepted him. Zurab had to foul to interrupt the opponent's attack. The Americans converted two free throws, and it seemed that the USSR national team no longer had a chance to win, because they were one point behind, and three seconds remained before the end of the match. Our players put the ball into play twice, but both times the siren sounded prematurely. From the third time, Ivan Edeshko made a pass to Belov across the entire court. The throw was great, as was the feint that allowed Alexander to break through to the opponent's basket. Having got the ball, Belov carefully made a throw and brought the team victory. As part of the Olympic team, Belov was the most productive player. In eight games, he scored 115 points, grabbed 40 rebounds. And this despite the fact that he has always been a defender.

Fame

After the Olympics, Alexander Belov gained fame not only in the Soviet Union, but also abroad. In America, fan clubs were devoted to him. But most importantly, the basketball player was invited to play in the NBA. By political reasons it was impossible. Belov continued to bring titles and fame to his club and the USSR national team. In 1973, there was gold at the World Basketball Festival and a victory in the Cup Winners' Cup. The next year was the world championship.

The 1974 World Cup was very tense for the Soviet Union team. In the final match, the team had to defeat America by at least 4 points. The starting lineup of the Soviet team was quite unexpected. Kondrashin brought substitute players to the court, as well as Alexander and Sergey Belov (namesake). The logic of this decision was not only surprise, but also the fact that three of the five players were defenders. As a result, the USSR team won with a score of 105:94. Alexander Belov in this championship brought the team an average of 14.6 points per game. The conversion rate for free kicks was 74.9%. He was excellent in defense and attack, for which he was awarded the title of the best center of the championship.

USSR Championship 75th

In 1975, Spartak again won the Cup Winners' Cup. But the main basketball event of the year was the team's championship in the championship of the Soviet Union. Leningraders have been waiting for this victory for a very long time. For 5 years, Spartak has consistently received silver. Belov Alexander was especially happy about this victory.

He was the backbone of a glorious team led by a wonderful coach - Vladimir Kondrashin. He became the creator of the main number of victories for Leningraders. Alexander Gomelsky - CSKA coach and Kondrashin's most implacable opponent - once remembered how during the game with Spartak, when there were a few seconds left before the final, and all the strong players of the Leningrad team left the field for violations, he asked his wards if they could they play against one Belov. The answer was yes, but the result was the opposite.

XXI Olympic Games

At this Olympics, the USSR national team repeated the unpleasant history of the games in Mexico City: it lost one match, which put an end to the prospect of reaching the final. The notorious Yugoslavs became the offenders of the Soviet team. As a result, our team was awarded the second place on the podium. Despite this, Belov's performance was, as never before, high. In 6 games and 128 minutes on the court, he brought the team 94 points and became the best player in the national team. He averaged 15.7 points per game, made 5.2 rebounds and made 88.9% of free throws.

"Look at the scoreboard!"

Belov Alexander, whose achievements give a more than eloquent description of this athlete, was a player, of which there are not so many in world basketball. He did not care with whom and against whom to play. High gaming intelligence and technical talent allowed the guy to find a common language with anyone. Complementing the image of the greatest player was the extraordinary artistry of Alexander. He bathed in the love of the fans and drew vitality from their applause.

Alexander Belov is a basketball player who sometimes allowed himself imposing behavior. He could play in public against the interests of the team. Of course, the player allowed himself this only when his team was clearly in the lead. Once, when Spartak fought with a weak opponent and won two dozen points from him, Belov began to literally walk around the site, not burdening himself with the struggle for victory. The audience always expected a beautiful game from him, so they didn’t like that the idol was philonite. Shouts like “Let's play!” began to be heard from the podium. After another call from the fans, Belov turned in bewilderment towards the screaming one and said: “Look at the scoreboard!” This phrase was remembered by Soviet basketball players and fans for a long time.

Health issues and marriage

After the Olympic Games in Montreal, a dark streak began in Alexander's life. The basketball player’s health began to fail, and literally at every game he asked the coach for a few minutes of respite due to severe chest pain.

At that time, Belov met the famous basketball player Alexandra Ovchinnikova. In her arsenal was the world and European championship. Wonderful feelings flared up between them, which at least somehow distracted Belov from health problems. The training bases of the men's and women's teams were located in different places, so the couple could not meet often. As Alexander Belov's wife later recalled, coach Kondrashin allegedly specifically facilitated their meetings. The girl was very restrained and modest, so she had a beneficial effect on the explosive nature of Belov. But this is only Alexandra's guess. Perhaps the caring coach thought first of all that Belov would not hurt to get distracted from problems. In April 1977, the couple formalized their union.

case at customs

In early 1977, an incident occurred that, most likely, led to a complication of the basketball player's illness. Spartak went to play in Italy. At customs, a bag with prohibited substances was found, which was attributed to Alexander Belov. The press kindled a huge scandal out of this. As a result, the athlete was deprived of the title of master of sports, expelled from the USSR national team and banned from playing for Spartak.

Soon A. Gomelsky invited Belov to CSKA. He was able to return the titles and a place in the national team to the player. Belov refused, because he could not betray his native club and the coach, who gave him a ticket to big sport. For almost a year, Alexander was completely excommunicated from basketball. For a player of this level early care from a beloved sport has become a real challenge.

Return to sports

Only in December 1977, Alexander Alexandrovich Belov was able to return to Spartak. And in August 1978, he was again called to the national team to prepare for the World Cup. The basketball player could not go to the tournament. By this time his health had deteriorated greatly. Just a few days before the start of the training camp, Belov was admitted to the hospital.

The athlete was treated in several clinics in Leningrad, but none of them could make an unambiguous diagnosis. Kondrashin made every effort to bring Belov from abroad all the necessary medicines, but even they did not help. On October 3, 1978, the great Soviet athlete, Alexander Belov, passed away. The basketball player's family was simply shocked, as was the public. He was only 26 years old at that time. Only after the death of the athlete, the doctors found out that he had a congenital heart disease. But sport, as authoritative doctors unanimously asserted, did not worsen Belov's condition, but, on the contrary, extended his life.

Athlete's property

Later, A. Pinchuk, a writer and journalist who was highly respected by V. Kondrashin as a basketball observer, would note that human life is measured not by years, but by what a person managed to do, and Belov is the most bright to that the confirmation. Considering how much Alexander managed, it can be argued that his life was not at all short. Not every centenarian will be able to boast of such successful and eventful years.

The main thing that Belov succeeded in, as Pinchuk notes, is the love of the fans, who met the athlete with unprecedented enthusiasm. "Medals, titles, trips abroad - all this is secondary, and the recognition of those for whom you play is priceless," Pinchuk summed up.

For his short but incredibly intense sports career Belov managed to become:

1. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
2. Olympic champion.
3. Prize-winner and world champion.
4. Winner and European Champion.
5. Two-time winner of the "Cup Winners" Cup.
6. Eight-time winner and champion of the USSR.
7. Universiade winner.
8. Winner of the Intercontinental Cup and the Cup of Nations.
9. European Junior League Winner.
10. Member of the FIBA ​​Hall of Fame (posthumously).
11. Holder of the Order of the Badge of Honor.

Conclusion

This basketball player has such an inspiring and at the same time sad biography. Alexander Belov is a terrific athlete who knew how to panic the most titled opponents with his unique charm. His dashing game and inimitable artistry will be remembered by world basketball for many years.

Basketball player Sasha Belov, well-known throughout the USSR, has reached unimaginable heights in his career, deservedly taking a place among the outstanding athletes of the country, whose biography still delights human minds. He adorned not only Soviet, but also world sports, showing incredible skill at the Olympic Games in 1972. For his talents, he received the Honored Master of Sports of the USSR award in the same year.

Alexander Belov is a famous world-class basketball player whose short biography is as bright and fascinating as his game. The future winner of the Universiade was born on November 9, 1951 in the glorious city of Leningrad. Already in school years got to the famous coach of the USSR - Kondrashin. Wanting to find talented athletes, Vladimir Petrovich regularly made rounds of Leningrad schools and recruited students for himself. This approach periodically brought unexpected results.

When Sasha was 10 years old, Vladimir Petrovich appeared at his school. Seeing Alexander, Kondrashin wanted to become his personal coach and enter his basketball sports league. But the boy did not see prospects in such a career and forced the future teacher to persuade himself.

But subsequently, the young man showed incredible endurance and stubbornness during training aimed at achieving the tasks assigned to him.

Already at the age of 16, Belov achieves his first career successes, turning from an ordinary boy into a member of the Spartak central Leningrad team, in which he played from 1967 to 1978. At a young age, Sasha, who regularly went in for sports, stretched out to two meters, as befits a real basketball player.

Height, tactical talents on the field and the ability to throw the ball from different distances, hitting the target, allowed Belov to reach incredible peaks in his career.

But the main task of Alexander was not dribbling and throwing the ball, but the defense of the ring from the encroachments of the other team. Over the years of training, he learned not only to run well, but also to make amazing jumps that created the illusion that Sasha was hanging in the air and floating.

A new round in a career

At the age of 17, Alexander Belov attracted the attention of the honored coach of the RSFSR - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Gomelsky. On the recommendation of the world-famous sports, Sasha was accepted into the USSR national team, where he showed incredible skill. During the final match against the Yugoslav team, Alexander scored 3 goals in 8 minutes, setting a new record in the world of basketball.

Thanks to his talent, the USSR national team for the first time won the fight for the World Cup.

With the arrival of the national team, basketball player Alexander Belov, whose biography and personal life is still interesting to fans, appeared in the photo in all well-known publications covering sports events. Thanks to intensive work with coach Vladimir Kondrashin, the talented Sasha continued to bring new victories to the national team.

Thus, the USSR team for the first time in its history won the XX Olympiad in Munich. For two years of playing against foreign teams, Alexander Belov managed not only to study their techniques, but also to develop his own.

In 1972, a finest hour came for Alexander Belov, which radically changed his fate. The USSR national team not only defeated the invincible US team, taking the usual trophies from the Americans. For seven years, the Americans occupied a stable position on the sports podium, collecting gold medals, but that was before Sasha Belov joined the USSR team.

Throughout the match, the audience was in incredible tension. The situation on the field changed every minute and the score between the teams was constantly going one to one. As soon as the Americans scored the ball, the Soviet team responded in kind.

Suddenly, the match was interrupted by the sound of a siren at the score of 49:50. Fans who came to congratulate the Americans on another victory raised an incredible rumble, starting to celebrate the victory of the United States. But everything turned out to be not so simple. It turned out that the timekeeper made a mistake by pressing the wrong button on the device. Therefore, the referee announced the continuation of the match, which was supposed to last another 3 seconds.

Ignoring the altercations from the Americans who had already started the celebration, the players had to re-enter the field. The ball, which turned out to be a member of the USSR team - Ivan Edeshko, flew across the entire field to the ring without a chance to hit it. Sasha Belov, who managed to understand the situation in a split second, made an unimaginable jump, intercepting the ball and throwing it into the ring with unsurpassed softness and grace.

The ball falling through the net and the sound of the siren, which marked the end of the victorious match for the USSR national team, angered the Americans. Members of the US team not only did not want to recognize the legitimate victory of a hostile country, but also did not honor the fans with an exit to the awards. In their opinion, the results were fabricated.

Glory

The next day, a photo of basketball player Alexander Belov with lighting short biography appeared in newspapers around the world under the headline "Three Seconds That Shook the World". The Americans, who had retreated from the Munich defeat, realized the essence of what happened at the match and offered Sasha a contract in the US team.

For the transfer of a basketball player to another team, they offered a huge amount, in those days - $ 2 million. Sasha was also promised a salary of one million, but the Russians decided to leave the nugget in their country.

The victory of the USSR national team in 1972

In 1974, Belov became the best player in the World Cup, and in 1975, as part of Spartak, he won the fight for the title of USSR champion. Sasha, who soared up the career ladder with lightning speed, had a lot of aces up his sleeve. His jewelry passes and spectacular dribbling maneuvers boggled the imagination, delighting spectators and athletes.

And the ability to make out of the ordinary jumps and block shots, and slide the ball on the shield could not be repeated by any champion.

ruined career

Alexander Belov continued to improve, continuing training with the only coach in his life. But since 1976, the basketball player began to complain of chest pains that prevented him from practicing according to the established schedule. The young athlete ignored the warning signs until it was too late.

In 1977, an event occurred that dramatically worsened the health of Alexander Belov. During the customs inspection, icons were found in the athlete’s bag, which they considered to be contraband. Sasha tried to explain that he was seeing these relics for the first time in his life and had nothing to do with them. Unfortunately, no one began to violate the charter even for the sake of an outstanding basketball player.

The thrown things were seized, and the basketball player Alexander Belov was suspended from the competition, and later his biography was replenished with incredible disappointment, which aggravated the disease.

Sasha, who failed to prove his innocence in the incident, was deprived of the title of master of sports and a place in the USSR national team. Also, the basketball player accused of smuggling was banned from training. Alexander Belov, having lost everything that was dear to him in the blink of an eye, decided to get married. Thus, he did not allow himself to become depressed or go on a drinking binge.

Alexander Belov and Alexandra Ovchinnikova

And when a year later he was reinstated in the rank and returned to the national team, he could not fully get into shape. During training, he often began to be disturbed by already familiar chest pains.

Doctors who were late in diagnosing the disease later discovered that Sasha had heart sarcoma. And after two months of playing on the field, on October 3, 1978, the athlete's heart stopped forever.

Everyone has suffered a tragic loss. global community basketball world. With the departure of Alexander Belov, a whole era of possible victories has gone. A brilliant and talented basketball player, who died at the age of 26, devoted his entire adult life to sports.

He was rapidly moving towards achieving his goals and has always been and will be a role model for the younger generation. In memory of his outstanding talents, Alexander Belov was inducted into the FIBA ​​Hall of Fame in March 2007.

Personal life

Basketball player Alexander Belov, who stood out among the sports elite with his amazing skill, once and for all arranged his personal life, boldly putting in the column marital status tick "married". Basketball player Alexandra Ovchinnikova became his wife. The young spouses did not have time to have children due to the rapid death of Belov.

In January 2018, the widow of Alexander Belov filed a lawsuit against director A. Megerdichev, who filmed documentary“Move Up”, where it was told about how a famous basketball player, whose biography and children are of interest to athletes, won the Munich victory.

According to Alexandra Ovchinnikova, the director misrepresented a huge number of facts about the life and illness of her late husband.

Film "Move Up"

She did not like many scenes from the film, which tells that Sasha began to get sick even before the famous Olympics, and also went into a binge after an accident at customs. Therefore, such a picture is a desecration of the personality of a deceased person.

Ovchinnikova says that their relationship with Sasha Belov lasted for many years. And they decided to sign when he was going through a difficult life span. The basketball player regrets that she did not have time to give birth to a child from Belov.

They decided to wait with the children until they decide to leave basketball for good. And a year and a half after the wedding, Sasha Belov died.

Even having married for the second time, the widow of Alexander Belov does not forget about her first wife. She regularly comes to his grave, bringing fresh flowers and putting it in order. Her daughter Polina knows the biography of a famous basketball player and grows up on the principles of love and respect for people who have devoted themselves to sports.

Alexander Belov is a Soviet basketball player who entered the history of world sports and the hearts of fans thanks to his brilliant performance at the 1972 Olympics. The only throw that gave victory to the USSR team is still being discussed by basketball fans. This man, without exaggeration, was called the decoration of Soviet sports. Unfortunately, the biography of Alexander Belov, despite fame and universal love, was tragic.

The future sports star was born on November 9, 1951 in Leningrad. Since childhood, Alexander became interested in basketball. Already a schoolboy, the boy trained in the nursery. sports school"Spartacus". The first coach of Belova will remain with the athlete for life. Later, journalists will argue which of these two people was more brilliant in basketball - a mentor or a student.

Basketball

The sports career of Alexander Belov developed rapidly: already in the late 60s, a talented basketball player joined the ranks of Spartak Leningrad. 1969 and 1971 were marked for Alexander Alexandrovich by victories in the USSR national team at the European Championships. In addition, in 1970, the athlete, together with the team, brought the country the gold of the Universiade and the bronze of the World Championship.

However, Alexander threw the main ball in his life into the ring in 1972. This was Olympic year, the long-awaited sporting event took place in Munich, Germany. The final meeting on the basketball court took place between the national teams of the USSR and the United States of America.

This match, which is still discussed by basketball experts, kept the audience in suspense from the very beginning. Soviet athletes were in the lead, but the difference in points was always insignificant: American basketball players did not want to give up victory without a fight. When only half a minute remained until the end of the fight, the numbers 49:48 were on the scoreboard in favor of the Soviet team.

There was very little time left to carry out the last attack on the opponent's ring. The team captain did just that. The athlete brought the ball to the zone of the Americans and handed it to Alexander Belov. He was already waiting for a pass right in front of the opponents' ring. Spectators literally held their breath, waiting for the decisive throw. But a terrible thing happened: Belov did not get into the basket. The ball, hitting the edge of the ring, flew back into the hands of the athlete.

Alexander had seconds to try again, but the athlete, apparently, was confused. Instead of trying again to get into the ring, Belov threw the ball to a teammate. He, also not expecting a pass, could not catch the ball. The initiative was intercepted by the American Doug Collins, who instantly rushed to the opposite ring.

Trying to stop the opponent, Zurab Sakandelidze committed a violation, and the match referee awarded a penalty kick. This allowed Collins to put the American team ahead on points. It seemed that the United States team could already celebrate the victory. However, the surprises of that fight did not end there.

It turned out that there were still exactly three seconds left until the end of the match. This did not reassure the Soviet fans, it never occurred to anyone that for such a short time you can change anything. But Alexander Belov succeeded in the impossible: the athlete, having intercepted the ball, sent it into the ring of rivals with an accurate movement. At the same moment, the final siren sounded. The match ended with a score of 51:50 in favor of the Soviet athletes. This victory brought the coveted Olympic gold to the country.

It is worth noting that the result of the match was repeatedly discussed, disputes do not subside to this day. That year, the American basketball team refused to attend the awards ceremony in protest. And the results of this duel are still called incorrect by the representatives of the United States.

Such a serious tension and feelings were not in vain for the protagonist of that match: Alexander Belov began to complain of pain in his heart. New games were given to the basketball player with great difficulty. And in 1977, something happened that, according to many sports fans, crippled the health of the idol completely.

The fact is that in those years in the Soviet Union, many things and products simply were not sold. The total deficit forced people to go to the trick. Athletes were no exception: often, when traveling abroad, players took alcohol, red caviar out of the country, so that later they could be exchanged for clothes or equipment that could not be obtained in their native country.

As a rule, the transportation of such "contraband" was entrusted to mid-level players, so that in the event of exposure, the team would not suffer too much. But at that time, for some reason, Alexander Belov was entrusted to hide the transported things. And it was not about vodka or caviar, but about ancient icons. They were found in the things of the basketball player at customs.

What happened next was like for Alexander Belov horrible dream. Photos of the basketball player appeared in the press, but this time the reason was not sporting achievements, but a customs scandal. Later it turned out that the player who asked Alexander to put the “ban” in his bag dreamed of playing in the main five and saw in Belov the main rival on the way to this goal. The same person allegedly warned the customs service that Alexander's luggage needed to be checked.

There is another version of what happened: according to some assumptions, the provocation was set up by representatives of the Sports Committee, who dreamed of luring Alexander Belov to CSKA Moscow. Immediately after the scandal, Belov was indeed offered to change the team, promising to be reinstated in ranks and lift the ban on training. But the athlete rejected this offer.

The consequences were not long in coming: Alexander Belov was banned from training, stripped of his titles and expelled from the national team and his native Spartak. After this incident, Alexander Alexandrovich began to drink, and the athlete's heart began to remind himself even more often. The health of the national idol was rapidly deteriorating.

In 1978, there was a gap in the fate of Alexander Alexandrovich: the basketball player was invited to play for the national team at the World Championships in the Philippines. It seemed that the time had come for new sports victories, however, as it turned out, it was already too late.

Personal life

The personal life of Alexander Belov, despite his popularity, did not develop at first. It is known that the first beloved of the athlete, whom the man dreamed of marrying, had an abortion, not wanting to have children from Alexander. The girl did not even inform Belov about this. However, the secret becomes clear, and the basketball player, having found out the truth, broke off relations with his beloved.

Alexander Belov met his future wife in the early 70s. The athlete knew that the basketball player Alexandra Ovchinnikova treated him with sympathy, but at that time he was not free. But after the betrayal of his beloved, the man nevertheless drew attention to a pretty athlete.

In 1977, Belov and Ovchinnikova got married. The couple had no children.

Death

The illness of Alexander Belov progressed rapidly. One of the examinations revealed poisoning. The athlete was admitted to the infectious diseases hospital. However, the man was getting worse and worse, his heart ached no longer ceasing. They decided to transfer the basketball player to the Leningrad Institute for the Improvement of Doctors.

Soon eminent professors issued a verdict: sarcoma of the heart. The same diagnosis would later be called the cause of Alexander Belov's death. The efforts of doctors brought only temporary relief. On October 3, 1978, the basketball player passed away. Alexander was 26 years old. Belov was buried at the Leningrad Northern Cemetery.

However, the athlete’s talent was not forgotten: in 2017, the picture “”, filmed, was released. This film tells about the events of the legendary 1972 Olympics and future fate Alexander Belova, has already fallen in love with both sports fans and moviegoers. Alexander himself played talented actor.

Awards and achievements

• 1969, 1971 - European Championship gold medal
• 1970 - World Championship bronze medal
• 1972 - Olympic gold medal
• 1974 - World Championship gold medal
• 1975 - gold medal of the USSR Championship
• 1976 - Olympic bronze medal