Before the internet and ESPN, all we had was ABC Wide world of Sports. To this day Vasily is the only name I remember from weightlifting, the man was a true legend
I'm 56 now. I have the same memories. Watching Wide World of Sports with the "Agony of Defeat". That skier walked away they said. When weight lifting or body building was on or Nascar when it was worth watching. Too bad the world turned out the way it has.
That 255kg lift in the 1976 Olympics which was not shown here is still a monster lift today 44 years later. He also had the best sideburns ever. Ha ha. RIP Vasily Alexeev.
I had the pleasure of meeting Vasily many years ago at his home when I was making a film about his life. He was a very funny guy and extremely generous and we were made to feel extremely welcome when filming in his home for several days. He was truly one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time.
@@jxqjxq727 It was a series, something like olympic legends, I am not sure , its been a long time. sorry. There was Olga Korbut, Mark Spitz, and about another 8 or so...so all the real top level superstars of all time, It was made before Sir Steve Redgrave won his 6th Gold medal,
Vasily Alexeev and Leonid Zhabotinsky are my heroes since I was little. 1964 & 1968 Olympics, Leonid died on my mom's birthday 2016. I got both of their autographs, and shook their hands, R.I.P. My friends...
I envy you for not only seeing Vasily, but getting his auto graph.. Vasily and David Rigert were true standouts. Jon Cole and Jack Barnes were great on the power lifting side. I would like to go back in time when these guys roamed the planet in their prime....
Saw him on Wide World of Sports and interview by Jim McKay, right in the middle of the Cold War. Alekseyev, in good English, made the point to mention he liked coming to the US. A great ambassador, as well as athlete for the USSR.
You had an incredible physique Sergio. I think you should have beaten Arnold at the 1970 AAU Mr. World which was held in conjunction with the Weightlifting in Columbus.
The greatest lifter i ever saw, my hero. If he was lifting today with all the latest training techniques, he would be unbeatable, just like my drumming hero buddy rich who was my inspiration to play drums. I have been drumming for over fifty years, I was a lightweight lifter back in the sixties, so two masters of their craft to inspire me.
My childhood hero, loved watching Alekseev. When the Olympics came to my hometown Sydney, weightlifting was the only event I went to, and I thought of this man every time someone did a lift. RIP you legend
I remember Columbus, 1970 and seeing the 501 C&J on ABC's Wide World of Sports. It got one of the highest ratings of all times for that series. I later became an Olympic lifter myself and have I had lived in the USSR probably would have been a Olympic possibility (Cleaned & Jerked 205 lbs at 13 years of age at 132 lbs.) but that never happened. After all these years Alekseyev first 500 + C&J still resonates with me. They say he could have done 600 lbs but ran out time as he made his world records incrementally to get as much cash from the decrepit Soviet system as possible as every WR was big money for him back then. We miss you Vassily--weightlifting showman extraordinaire!
No disrespect to any other weightlifter, but this guy is THE guy. So many world records, he was just incredible. For me he is the lifter all are judged by, and so far they have all come short
In his day, he was the Michael Jordan of weightlifting. The best you could hope for was second when you were in competition with him. I was 9 during the 1972 Olympics and was awestruck watching this Russian do those lifts. I never forgot him.
i too grew up watching Wide World of Sports, and this legend. my favorite memory came at a meet in Ohio State University when the camera went along with his lunch break at the cafeteria for the athletes. literally this legend had 2 complete trays of food, fruits, meats and chicken, with some seafood added. then cheeses and some carb veggies. milk, tea, and orange juice were the beverages. the commentators described it as a light lunch of 12,000 calories. even the emblems on the plates were consumed that day. he was a beat.
Vasily the GREAT! Why is he the only guy I remember when I was a kid!? just kept piling on the weight. As a kid, I was impressed with this Russian no one could touch!
He was a childhood hero of mine. I loved watching him shatter records. He was born for the Olympics. Even his wifes name was Olympiada. Inspiring! Aloha!
His life story shows that he was not only strong phisicly, but he was a Humane been with a big hurt and wide soul. Afrer Soviet union fell , he was forgotten and left alone .That man is a legend !!!
this guy will forever be etched in my memories....as a kid watching Olympics it was truly cool to watch him, but I have to admit, the USSR tainted my enthusiasm for him a bit.......I also thought he was taller as I checked on the internet and it lists him as being 6' 1" tall.....but weighed in a 353 lbs....I suppose in order to press over 500 lbs, you need that body weight to do it though.....anyway, Great champion!
I don't doubt it a bit. He was unbelievable to watch. I remember like it was yesterday when he lifted 501 for the first time. That's all you heard people talk about for a week. The olympic coverage sucks these days. Beach volleyball has taken place of weightlifting...wtf is that?
Aleexeev said his best in training was 270 kilo's and 200 int he snatch. Aslanbek Yenaldiev said he witnessed him c&j 273 and miss the jerk. He was truly one of a kind
Обаятельный был мужик. Царство вам небесное Пусть земля вам будет пухом Пусть могила ваша, зимой будет теплой а летом холодной. Пусть то, что не удалось и не сбылось у вас, сбудется и удастся вашим детям!
Excelente video ... Es un humilde tributo a uno de los mas grandes levantadores de pesas en el mundo ... Buen atleta soviético ... Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev (1942 - 2011) descansa en paz !!!
I was there in Columbus on leave from the service. A few days earlier I was in the field house watching them train (I loaded some for Dube) and as I neared the exit Aleeve waylaid me “You...me...Hotel) I guessed the Holiday Inn and took him there where I watched him drain a couple of pitchers of beer
I would have loved to be a kid, or a teenage back in those days! It was an era when children and teenagers dreamed about and admired TRUE SUPER ATHLETES. The sound of the audience being wowed and amazed at 1:45, as they witness the first man in history to lift more than 500lbs in competition, sends shivers down my spine!! It was a time of such incredible excitement. The overwhelming majority of the greatest athletes back then had an impeccable record both at the competition and outside the tournaments. Compare that era, with what children have been witnessing in sports, especially over the last 20 years until this day.... Just check the NFL, NBA, MLB...we have homicides, drug dealers, junkies, gang looking tattooed ass covered punks, animal fighting sponsors, long hair, earrings, piercings, and all sorts of outright vulgarity and disciplinary problems both in the competition as well as in the street. Superb Athletes like Vasily Alexeev are, in our present-day world , a needle in a haystack. Rest in Peace.
The early 1960's were America's true Golden Age, and they were GREAT! A loaf of bread cost a dime, and gasoline was 35 cents per gallon. Jobs were plentiful across the board, with 'way more jobs than applicants. ( There was no "outsourcing" or "climate change" then.) John F. Kennedy was President, and **America was King of the World!!**
I remember them doing this up close and personal bit on him during the Olympics. He was in his backyard and watering his plants with a regular hose, no nosel. They were chatting away, and he moved the stream across something that couldnt get wet: the stream stopped in the transition because he just clamped off the stream with his grip. They didn't comment on it, but it was hilarious
Это кто, Алексеев-то был чистым? Самый "заряженый" в сборной был, Данабол жрал горстями. Сейчас уже много фактов всплывает благодаря интернету. Оставьте сказки про чистых советстких спортсменов, которые ставили рекорды во имя Родины, и про хитрых и нечестных заграничных профи. Все пахали как лошади. И все принимали стероиды. А дядя Вася крут. Уникум и работяга.
@@PRAVDORUB_064S разве я подвергал сомнению талант и самоотдачу Алексеева? Меня удивляют высказывания, что в Союзе был "чистый" спорт. Все топы были на фарме, банально конвеер по подготовке рекордсменов. Это была гонка между государствами за престиж. А то люди наивно верят, что в СССР ставились рекорды исключительно на любви к Родине, и детском питании.
I'm not sure how to phrase this well in light of modern vernacular, but Vasily had a very explosive jerk. He was somewhat unique in how little he squatted down, and then BOOM! The weight was almost instantaneously on locked arms. I'm not sure if Vasily simply had the inherent genetics to do this, or if years of also doing the clean and press aided his ability. He looked capable of jerking 600+ lbs (272.5+ kg), but unfortunately, it took him a while to build up the overall strength/power and technique to clean 250+ kg.
You always look like you just left Golden Corral it looks like you be a good trucker but all kidding aside he was a he was the one of the greatest weightlifters ever I remember seeing him on the worldwide World of Sports inspired me to get into weight also in powerlifting and now I'm a master USA powerlifter where we just test brute strength in three lifts bench press and deadlift and also squat it's a great strength sport I love it
Yes. I watched a documentary on him once. It didn't really go into it but did say that he ate a 36 egg omelet for breakfast. I'm not exactly small but I couldn't get down a third of that.
❤I'm 66 I remember? I just went back to the gym 7 months ago and I'm looking forward to bench press 400 by a few months from now! I can bench press 300 pounds now😂
Да !!! Мужик невероятно крут и силён!!!! Хотя вот с виду на моего тестя похож ! Тот всё время ест и телек смотрит )) Вот по виду очень похож ! А Алексеев при кажущейся обрюзщейсти и в моем понимании совсем не спортивный с виду,такие веса брал! Просто класс !!
One of the greatest Olympic Weight Lifters of all time. He looked like a fat tub of lard but I think for a lot of heavyset people, he probably inspired them to get into weight lifting, power lifting, and strongman competitions and so forth.
Saw him bomb at 1978 IWf in Gettysburg. Zhabotinsky admired a shirt I had. He wanted it for his son. It was hysterical as he chased me around the auditorium.
Here's the best biography of VA, "The Triumph of Strength", with English subtitles: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jwq1Ms2zki4.html Also, check out the equally great Paul Anderson: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ULiC03flxKo.html
i was born in Truro,CANADA,N.S.1959 and trained under Jeorge Alan from 1971 to 1976 in the era the Press was eliminated from Olympic Style and took Silver in 1973 and 74 .then in 1975 i graduated to Seniors and won the Nova Scotia Junior title who was the Canadian Maritimes Champ ,however don't recall what year. Alan was my drafting instructor in grade 7,8,9 AND ALSO WAS TRAINING WITH Wayne and Rick Smith of Truro .N.S. Can. 2 more years at the Elico Club . Wayne Smith lifted against Alexeev in one on the OLYMPICS germany i believe. Disappointed our Instructor and quite 5 years later wanted to start back he said you will never make it now your past your threshold of makIng the Can.GaMES and he had my schedule of advancing at same rate as a young RUSSIAN LIGHTWEIGHT WHO TOOK 2CD AT 1981 oLYMPICS. GEORGE figured if i kept hard practice i would of beat him at least the 1981 Olympics i believe. He never told me until i tried to return . I bombed out my first Seniores Comp. and give up.We were also poor and i had to work to help my mother cope. George Allen was a great instructor and younger brother Rick was thought better than his bigger older brother but suffered from have short thumbs and kept losing his grip. His body weight and height was PRO. grip the new bar. and i feel bad to this day.
