Swimming Kids at Westview Pool Have
a Fourth-Level Coach

Since December, 2004, a group of parents have provided coached swimming lessons for their children at the Westview pool. One of the kids, Milos Gak, interviewed his coach and provided the results to The WIRE.

by Milos Gak

Igor Shoukhardin is my swimming coach. I must say he is a great coach! He is also an interesting person, so I decided to make my first interview with him. I sent him e-mail with questions and here are answers:

OK, dear Milos! I’ve got all your questions and try to tell you everything you need to know about typical way of life of swimmers who have dedicated whole their lives for this World – World of Competitive Swimming.

Where were you born?

I was born in city of Chelyabinsk (Russia) where my mom was evacuated from Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in February 1942 - it was a war...

When did you start to swim and, what inspired you to start swimming?

The first time I showed up in swimming pool in 1952 after I almost drowned in summer pioneer camp. Some soldier occasionally saved my life pulling me out from under river’s water.

After this incident I firmly decided to learn how to swim. And in September I joined swim classes in "Dynamo" Sports School in Leningrad.

When did you start competing?

When I was twelve I had my first-ever swim meets where I turned out to be the worst swimmer in breast stroke because I was not able to breathe properly and coordination was helpless.

I even wanted to quit swimming but it’s not so easy if you devoted two years to it. So, I just become more attentive, more persistent on practice... But at 15, I understood that I’m very weak physically and my mom bought me the weight lifting bar and I began having my additional exercises at home. In a year I was able to do 20 pull-ups, which helped me to swim in City Championship 100 M Fly with time 1:04 and to be Third.

Did competing take up any of your daily life?

Before my 17 when I was accepted into the State Physical Institute N.A. P.F. Lesgaft – the oldest in the World, I was just once Leningrad Champion in 1500 Free (18:12,54), 400 IM(5:15,20) and 200 Fly (2:35,1).

Being a Lesgaft’s student where a lot of other kinds of sports people were famous world athletes, I started swimming nine times a week and made average 85-90 km per week so, that in the USSR, I was steadily 1-3 on 1500 and 400 IM by my 20 year.

What was your best timing and on how many meters?

And only when I was 22, my best times became to be a World level high. 1500m - 17:07.44; 400 IM - 4:54.87; 200 Free - 2:01.27; 100 Free - 55.21 sec, and so on. Of course, my best event was 1500. And I had good chances to be in a National Team 4X200 Free relay.  It gave me opportunity to participate in many European, world and Olympic contests. But it is already other long story.

When did you start coaching?

As a coach I started working along with studying in post-graduate school in my native Sports School – "Dynamo".

Were any of the swimmers that you coached very successful? Which ones?

I must say that I don’t know any more or less good swimmer who is not successful in their life. It’s impossible for swimmer to be a loser! 

At the very first five years I grew up Olympic prize-winners in Montreal, 1976 – Andrey Smirnov (third on 400 IM and Second Place in Relay 4X200), Andrey Avtoushenko (third on 200 Fly), and Andrey Krylov (200 Free second place, 4x200 Free Relay Second Place). Now they are: Krylov is Professor, Head of Athletic Department in Transport Academy in St. Petersburg, has two daughters and very happy of them.  Avtoushenko is a Swim Coach in Amsterdam (Holland), has boy and girl which already grew up and visited New York last year. Smirnov is a City Duma’s Deputy now and very successful politician in Russia.

The very last my student – Vladimir Predkin – Olympic Champion in Barselona - 1992, is now one of the best cardiologists in St. Petersburg in his 38! It is the answer on your last question!

Can swimming teach something other than just pure swimming?

Because, never yet regular swimmer made a mistake in his daily routine; never lost a minute from his day schedule; by his 18 swimmer already knows what he wants, how to reach it, when to do every step and how much efforts it takes. They are educated by swimming!

If you start your life over would you swim again?

Yes, positively! As I already said, it’s the World! The world of challenges, the world of victories and defeats, the world of endless perfection, the world of wisdom and common sense, finally, the world of experience of life!

Thank you Milos, for touching the most sensitive aspects of sports life and particularly, swimming life. Yours, Igor.