Alexandr Dudoglo: I meet Alexandr Dudoglo, 20 years old weightlifter, one of the best Moldovan sportsmen, in a weightlifting hall in a specialized sport school situated in quiet place near a park. But in the hall, as well as in director's office, there was a strong smell. No, not of autumn flowers, grass and yellow leafs, but of fresh paint. In the hall the reparation continues. - How Alexandr and other lifters can train among such conditions? Do you feel discomfort? - We are already used to that. The main problem is that in this school there is only one grip Eleiko the other parts of the weight are rather different from the modern weights used at the international championships. All the weights in our school are older that I am and were manufactured in the former USSR . - As I know in Chisinau (capital of Moldova ) there is another weightlifting hall, the only hall in Moldova equipped with 3 Eleiko barbels. Why are you not preparing for the upcoming world championship in Korea there?
- The name Dudoglo became well-known in Moldova and in the weightlifting world during the recent years. How did you start weightlifting? -In our family there are 3 brothers and 2 sisters. I and two of my brothers Ghenadie and Iurie are weightlifters and members of Moldovan National teams for different age groups. Ghenadie, my elder brother started with weightlifting first. Our coach Sergiu Cretu found him in the school when he was 15. Ghenadie is now being prepared for his first international championship on the top level. In mid of October he will participate in the European U 23 Championship in Poland . I came to the weightlifting hall with my mother. Looking at Ghenadie she realized that due to this sport he became much stronger and it will be useful for the other brothers. It was a little more than 6 years ago. It was a right decision. Step by step we grew up. In 2004 I was 3rd in the European youth championship, next year 2nd, and in 2006 became youth champion of Europe . Last year I was 4th in Europe, but among adults and 9th in Beijing .. Iurie won silver medal of the World Youth championhip in the category 56 kg obtain 247 kg (115+132) this summer in Bucharest . Our elder brother Ghenadie is behind us for the moment. -But Bucharest was unsuccessful for you personally, you returned home without medals. -Without medals, but with an injury. Before the first exercise, during the warm-up I injured my left knee. Due to the pain I couldn't start and as a result - "0" mark and withdrawal of later competitions. (It is hard to believe, but at home Alexandr did not undergo the proper medical examination of the meniscus and ligaments and had no good treatment and rehabilitation. Bandages, ungventum, auto massage.) - Why didn't you undergo medical examination ? -There is no physician in our National team, as well as no doctor in our sportschool. In the local polyclinic in the district where I live there is also no specialist for the knee injuries. These days I feel pain sometimes. Hope our sports authorities will assist me with examination after the end of the world championship. Today the main problem for me and other members of our small team is that there are no financial sources in the Federation and State sports Agency or Ministry to organize a special training session with proper preparation for the main competition of the year. I think that it is impossible to reach high results preparing at home among such conditions.. - You got a good (relatively good) State stipendium after the Olympics. -Yes, 6000 lei monthly (approx. USD 500), but only until the end of this year. Not sure that the amount will remain next year as well. (Sergiu Cretu, coach of Alexandr added that his pupil gives all the money to the family. They live all together - 8 people ( father, mother, 3 brothers, 2 sisters and a nephew) in a small house with 4 rooms. Father is a driver in a hospital, mother is retired, and she used to be a part of technical staff of a shoe factory. So the family income is not enough even for good nutrition, especially taking in account that the prices for the main products in Moldova sometimes are higher than in Europe .) - What result can you manage to reach in Goyang during the World Championship? -I think the same as a year before in Beijng 317 kg in total, maybe little more. I hope that in near future the financial situation in Moldovan sport will change in better way and we will have normal possibilities for training and preparing for the competitions on top level. In any case I dream of wining an Olympic medal in London in 2012. Also hope that in Moldovan National team will be my brothers and our coach. Photo and Text by Serghei Donets
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- I have 2 trainings every day. I get here to my native sport school from my home within 30-40 minutes by walk, it takes one hour or more by public transport to get to the other hall and it also depends on traffic. This year I became a student of the National University of Physical culture and Sports, so I have absolutely no time for 2 more additional hours for the trip to the trainings. But the main reason is that my personal coach Sergiu Cretu can't accompany me in the other place, because he has a lot of sportsmen here. It is very important for me to wxcercise under conduct of my coach. My coach thinks, and I completely agree with him that in Beijing I could have got a higher rank respectively, in case he would have been in Olympic team together with me ( in Beijing 2008 Alexandr Dudoglo was 9th placed in 69 kg category with 317 kg (145+172)