Downs and ups: 5 dramatic comebacks in sport

In the movie “Legend #17” there is an episode when after the accident the main character, the prototype of the greatest hockey player in the history of the USSR Valery Kharlamov, asks the doctor: “Will I play?”. To which the doctor replies: “Let’s hope, Valery Borisovich… that you will at least walk.” Such stories, when career and sometimes life hangs in the balance, are unfortunately not rare in the world of big sports. It sounds trite, but in such situations, when it seems that no one believes in recovery, there is only one way – to find strength and not to give up.

Victor Ahn

Discipline: short track speed skating

In 2008 in South Korea, Victor Ahn, then Ahn Hyun-soo, was training as usual. But at some point the athlete lost his balance and at full speed flew into the curb. The result was a fractured knee joint. Doctors underestimated the severity of the injury and said that in a couple of months the athlete could be back in the line. Only recovery took eight months, during which Anu had to undergo three complicated surgeries. The short tracker did not have time to get in shape for the qualifying tournament, which allowed the best of the best to compete at the Olympics in Vancouver. He was beaten by as many as eight compatriots at the competition, while only three could qualify for the Games. He had to say goodbye to his dream, but not goodbye.

In 2010 Victor Ahn served in the army, after which he planned to prepare for the qualifying stage. But everything seemed to be against him: the competition was suddenly postponed, and there was no time left for preparation. An was out of luck again. They do not take him to the team, but there is plenty of strength and desire. Then the athlete decided to try his luck in another country, his choice fell on Russia. The result – at the Olympics in Sochi Viktor Ahn won three gold medals at once. But South Korea found itself at a broken trough, left without any awards in short track speed skating. Everything worked out. But how long we had to wait for this moment! The inscription on the athlete’s skates, which became his motto, is symbolic: “No pain, no gain” (no pain, no gain , or no gain ).

Yana Kudryavtseva

Discipline: rhythmic gymnastics

A year before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, young gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva won four gold medals at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. The girl performed with a broken leg: the navicular bone in the athlete’s foot simply crumbled. The gymnast had no doubts about performing, even through severe pain. Only no one knew about the fracture at that time, because due to inflammation in the leg, doctors did not immediately find it. Of course, if something was known about the fracture, the coaches would have forbidden Yana to perform.

After surgery on her leg Kudryavtseva spent about six months in rehabilitation, the gymnast did not have time to fully recover for the Olympics: she did not train at full strength, did not make jumps during the runs, could not even stand on a toe. After such breaks in rhythmic gymnastics in general it is hard to return to the former form – even stretching becomes much worse. But at the Olympics herself, the athlete gave her all, gave it her all and won silver. If not for an unfortunate mistake (Yana dropped the club at the very end of the program), maybe she would have won the gold medal.

Samir Ait Said

Discipline: artistic gymnastics

It can be said that the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for gymnast Samir Ait Said ended before they began. The first competition day of the Games, an unfortunate landing during a jump from the apparatus, a sigh of shocked public – the athlete’s shin was simply twisted. Doctors diagnosed a double fracture of the tibia, and surgery was required.

Later Samir recalled that he really wanted to get to the hospital faster. But not because of fear and not even so much because of the pain. He wanted to get qualified help to start preparing for the next Olympics! The athlete’s first thoughts were that these Games were over, but in four years the next one would be waiting for him. And he thought about it not to reassure himself in any way, but because he was one hundred percent sure of his future triumph. A rematch awaits Samir at the Olympics in Tokyo. Now he is already in the mode of constant training for exhaustion, because the end justifies the means.

Petr Cech

Discipline: soccer

In 2005, soccer goalkeeper Petr Cech was recognized as the best in the world by the IFFIIS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics). A year later he was balancing between life and death: in the first minute of the match a player of the opposite team fell on the goalkeeper’s head with his knee. As a result – a depressed skull fracture, surgery and two metal plates in his head. There was everything: and problems with memory, and difficulties with speech, and severe headaches. The first prognosis was that a return was impossible. A little later, the doctors took a year to recover.

Three months later Cech was already standing in the goal. And the return was spontaneous. The coach simply asked: “Are you going to watch the game or play?”. The goalkeeper chose the second option, although he had not even had time to train with the team. Zhenya said nothing and went out on the lawn. However, since then the player has to go on the field in a specially designed helmet resembling a rugby helmet. And the matter here is not in the psychological barrier, but in the prohibition of doctors: a repeated injury can be a serious threat to life. Cech never became the best goalkeeper again, but after the injury he regained excellent form and won many awards with his team, including the coveted victory in the Champions League, which is every footballer’s dream.

Aliya Mustafina

Discipline: artistic gymnastics

In 2011, a year before the London Olympics, gymnast Aliya Mustafina suffered a severe knee injury – a ruptured cruciate ligament. During a vault, which the athlete always performed confidently, something went wrong: a bad landing – a second – and you can forget about the upcoming Olympics. Specialists note that after such an injury it is almost impossible to return to the previous level in artistic gymnastics. Many athletes ended their careers after such injuries. Perhaps everyone had doubts about Aliya’s ability to return to the Olympics. Everyone but her.

Five days after the surgery, Aliya was already in the gym. At first she was on crutches, she started with little, but she was moving towards her goal with seven giant steps. Six months later she was allowed to perform vaults, and two months later the gymnast made a triumphant return. At the Olympics in London, she won a full set of awards.

After London without health problems did not do without. The meniscus was damaged, and at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Aliya performed with back pain. And again she took away with her medals of all samples. Then the athlete decided to take a break from gymnastics and in the summer of 2017 became a mom. And two months later… announced her return – Aliya is very eager to see if another grand return will work out.

Sport is a school of life. What does it teach? Yes, perhaps, the most important thing: to be self-confident, to be psychologically prepared for the vicissitudes of fate, to appreciate what you have and to remember that there is always a way out.