Heroes 17/02/20 Ivan Udodov: from the camp to the Olympic pedestal
There are certain physiologically impossible things. You cannot, for example, to become a great composer, initially without having a hearing, or a great Stayer, with cardiovascular, respiratory and other such diseases. But, on the other hand, has not been canceled wisdom: “patience and a little effort”. Stubbornness and perseverance often expand the boundaries of what is possible and what is permitted. An example of a Soviet weightlifter Ivan Udodov – a clear confirmation.
the Beginning of the path
the Future Olympic champion was born on 20 may 1924 in the village Deep in the Rostov region, in the family of Vasily Petrovich and Feodosiya Yakovlevna Vdodovich. Vanya had three brothers, addicted to struggle, but any phenomenal or even just notable successes, none of them have achieved. About the child, as a future champion at the rod reached us even more, but still not very much information. He did not like to talk about myself hurl.
it is Known that walking Vanya learned in six months, grew up smart, strong and enduring. In the winter he loved to skate. Once you fall through the ice, managed to get out of the hole in the ice on their own: first a personal feat of the boys, to preserve it for future exploits – like in the enemy camp, and sports platform.
on 22 June 1941, the life of the “Soviet Hercules” is divided into “before” and “after”. Rostov Nazi leadership regarded as “gates to the Caucasus”, and nearby regions, as a necessary springboard to “walk” through these gates. So not to touch the family Vdodovich war could not. At the very beginning Vasily Petrovich went to the front as a sapper and never returned. And when the Germans took Deep, is located in the house Vdodovich. Feodosiya Yakovlevna unable to endure the hardships and humiliation and died shortly thereafter.
Wehrmacht Troops, leaving the village after the wrecking and robbery, was stolen hundreds of “slaves”. In their there was also 17-year-old shrew Ivan, who even tried at first to escape, but to no avail. It eventually sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp, into the Inferno.
the Survivors on the “devil’s kitchen”
But this is a little later. First was the work on the farm the stable at some burgher-tyrant. Work, however, it was difficult to call it: the Burger was not just striving to get any result from “untermensch”, but to show off and to demonstrate their own supremacy.
the German mercilessly starved Ivana hunger, kept in a black body, giving impossible orders, was severely beaten for the slightest infraction, including flimsy. Once a proud temper “Hercules” did not survive. When the “boss” hit Ivan with a pitchfork in the groin, that, waking from the pain, immediately in response turned sadistic scraper for cleaning horses. It is for this “offense” and was followed by Buchenwald.
the Next year and a half of obstinate spent in the eighth children, the largest of the concentration camps. The memories were very unpleasant. Probably why the deserved master of sports of the USSR Ivan Udodov, when he was in the Zenith of his fame and success, did not like to dwell on the past.
Over the young man tortured so that his entire head was covered with scars. And the torture of famine was far more severe than those arranged at Burger.
the Guy could simply die from exhaustion, if not to the rescue came a captive Soviet officer Petrus, which the inmates fondly called “uncle Sasha”. He sought for the proud youngster at least the minimum necessary food, and on 11 April 1945 he gave to die of volvulus. The fact that in this day in Buchenwald came the revolt and thousands of prisoners had been greedily to the food. Many people overeat to such an extent that their stomachs, parched by years of starvation, did not survive. Ivan could also die if Petrus did not upoil it with warm water.
Next – entered Buchenwald by American troops, followed by a rescue from Nazi captivity. Ivan thenGda couldn’t even be happy he lay in bed motionless, and from exhaustion could not move independently.
the Perpetrator of the impossible
At the time of release of body weight Udodova were 28-29 pounds: extreme degree of degeneration. There can be no champion’s stage: just to survive, preferably without severe consequences. Some impact does occur: health in the course of the atrocities of the Germans was considerably undermined. However, Ivan and this time did not give up.
In 1947, he was advised to play sports in order to bring the body’s condition back to normal. Hoopoes made a choice in favor of weightlifting – and indulged with such fervor that burst into the cohort, the strongest lightweights in the Rostov region, and in 1948 at the games of the South of Russia in Makhachkala became the second – with a score of 252,5 kg for the triathlon (jerk, push press standing).
In 1949, Ivan took fifth place in the USSR championship with the amount of 277,5 kg, and in 1951 he overcame the bar at 300 pounds, the sum of, becoming both a champion and the champion of the USSR. Further – more, followed by international competitions and a resounding victory for them.
a total of Ivan Udodov was able to become a four-time USSR champion, twice European champion, world champion, and in 1952 in the Flyweight (56 kg) he was subjected to the “gold” of the Helsinki Olympics.
Died Ivan 16 Oct 1981 and was buried in the North cemetery in Rostov-on-don. The son of the famous champion, Anatoly, following in the footsteps of his father, though with more modest achievements: earned the title of master of sports of the USSR – and also in weightlifting.
an Outstanding Soviet weightlifter, past the horrors of Buchenwald, gave up and lowered his hands, though, it would seem, nothing foretold the world’s largest triumphs. Ivan Udodov can rightly be put on a par with Alexei Maresyev, Vasily Petrov and Anatoly Lebedev.
Ilya Ampidev
Source:
© Russian Seven
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