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| Alexandr Balakirev was born in May 10, 1948 in Almaty Kazkastan. At the age of 8 scool teacher noticed his talents in gymnsatics and started train him specifically in gymnastics. Within a year , Alexandr successfully took part in competition between schools where he met one of the sport school coaches, Alexandr Algibaev, who invited him to the sport school, where he could took up gymnastics seriosly . By the age of 16, Alexander became a member of the national junior team of Kazakstan . A year later he took a silver medal at the USSR State meet between professional colleges . At 19 he reached the level of "Master of Sport" and was accepted to the senior national team of Kazakstan . |  Sanich , 1969 |
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| In 1969 ne entered The State Institute of Physical Culture . In 1970 he became an all around score champion on state meet of Republic of Kazakstan . At that time he was practicing along with such gymnast as Nicolay Andreanov , Michail Voronin, Sergey Diamidov. | ||
Sanich 1972 , |
In the such
State Championship between State Institutes in Leningrad, he was the silver prizewinner on
all-around score For 4 years Alexandr kept the title of Champion of Republic of Kazakstan . In USSR Championship of "Burevestnik" organisation in Almaty he took first place on the bars and rings . In 1973 Alexandr graduated from the State Institute of Physical Culture . For two years he also worked as teacher there. He finished his competitive career as a gymnast in 1976. Then he started coaching with his wife Valentina Balakireva . |
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| The beginning wasn't easy for young coaching couple . The more experienced competitive coaches and the shortage of well equipped gyms made Alexandr and Valentina work harder and harder. For the first few years they manged to lead their team to hight levels. Alexander and Valentina displayed themselves as a hard-working and knowledgeable coaches. Gymnasts of their team started to take first place from the very beginning. Later they become the prizewinners of State meets. For 23 years they prepared many excellent gymnasts. Among them their are titles as Champions of Republic of Kazakstan , all-around champions of "Locomotive" organization, Champions of Middle Asia and Kazakstan, Champions of Labor Unions, multichampion of USSR Championship between sport schools, member of national team of USSR, Priswinner of Thailand International tournement, and World Championship participants . |  Sanich 1970 , photo from newspaper |
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The most interesting part of Alexandrs career , as he noted , was
working with the national team of USSR with one of his most talanted gymnast , Inina
Kojevnikova . I will never forget how much I got from National team practice sessions in
Moscow with Valentina Sergievskaya and National head coach Radionenko "- says
Alexandr During the latest years of his work as a coach , he prepared many "Masters of Sports", among them Natalia Yegorova , national champion of 1996 and runner-up of 1997, a member of the national team of the Rebublic of Kazakstan who took part in the World Championship in Switzerlend in 1997. Here is what Honored coach of USSR , coach of Nelly Kim , Olympic champion Vladimir Bajdin says about Alexander : "... Sevet coaches were highly appreciated all over world because they have such important qualities as to work not for the love of money but for their dedication to their difficult profession , its prestige and for high results . Alexandr Balakirev is this kind of man : he is an enthusiast, a man of great energy and erudition in his field...." At the end of 1997 Alexandr was invited for the position of Head coach at Intrtnational Gymnastics Trennung Center , USA . During the short period of time , he has coached team of this club it has advanced so far. |
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| "... As Balakirev himself is a great athlete , many -time champion of Kazakstan , participant and finalist of major USSR and international compertitions , he has revealed his talents and dedications to gymnastics as a wonderfull coach. His trainees were many time champions of Kazakstan, members of its national team , participants of nearly all Spartaciads of the People of USSR . We confirm his professionalism and I'm sure that he will do his work at the highest level . He has always had advantage over other coaches for he has worked together with his spouse . " We confirm the high professional status of Alexander Balakirev" - Honored coach of the USSR Vladimir Bajdin , snior coach of the national team of Republic of Kazakstan |
 Vladmir Baidin |
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