The Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 brought two great sensations to Belarusian sports at once. Yulia Nesterenko, like a real white lightning, shone in the 100-meter final. And judoka Igor Makarov turned out to be stronger than his rivals in the weight category up to 100 kilograms. He became the first and so far the only Olympic judo champion in the history of Belarusian sports. After 20 years, the heroes of the Athens Olympics do not bathe in the rays of glory and do not strive for it too much. Julia Nesterenko calmly trains young runners in her native Brest. And Igor Makarov lives in Gomel, where he considers himself a patriot.
He instills in children a love for a healthy lifestyle at the Igor Makarov Judo School, trains athletes at the Olympic Reserve School, teaches at the Faculty of Physical Culture of Gomel State University named after F. Skaryna. At the same time, he is studying at a graduate school and is engaged in self-development. And he is most proud of the fact that the "flower garden" at home is his wife and two daughters. Ihar Makarov doesn't brag about his sports achievements, he doesn't brag about his medals. He even gave only a kimono to the Museum of Sports Fame of his native faculty. And the medals are at home in a box. That is why it is wrong to know and accept Igor Makarov exclusively as the first Olympic judo champion. He is also a teacher, coach, somewhat of a philosopher (judo is philosophy), a great specialist who has his own special opinion on many issues. The strong man shared his strong thoughts with "Zvyazda".
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