Here is a gem while we are waitign for the 105kg.
A 20 minute video featuring Dmitry Klokov and Khadzhimurat Akkaev in camp Chekhov taken on or just before July 20th, when the whole team was there and getting ready to leave for London.
Has lots of interviews and seems to look ahead of their battle on Monday August 6th.
As always if you speak Russian I (and I think every ATG reader) would appreciate a translation of the key parts.
Update: Translation Complete! Huge Thanks to Stef , S8uats_Fix_9verything and Soiren. You make the site awesome!
Host: The one on one battle, or the duel, is the most interesting thing sports offers. Yadi Yadi Yada, we need heroes with character … more platituteds and hyperbole.
(Begining of weightlifting footage)
Host: There is not other sport besides weightlifting where such a duel is between two of hours as is the case in 105kg between Klokov and Akkaev.
8 months ago at the world championships they clashed for the first time. It was an epic battle. Akkaev has three sucessfull lifts lifting 198 to Klokov’s 196. Everyone else, as though anyone remembers them, are far behind.The strauggle is one on one.Klokov: That was probably my best performance in my career.
Interviewer: But you lost.
Klokov: You understand.It was after I had the injury and it was still wrapped up (inaudible). Dont touch.
Akkaev: We know each other very well. We know what the other is capable of. For example in the last championship he suprised me a bit so now I know that I should be aware of some magic tricks. Magic tricks I mean in the sense of the results, how much he lifts.
Klokov: I have said before I’ll say again that in Russia there is a lot of tallent.
Interviewer: More talanted than you? I mean talk about genetics your father was champion of the world.
Klokov: (laughs) Thats not talent im talking about talent.
Host: And thus in the second lift Klokov lifts 232 kg and surpasses his opponent on total weight. Everyting is decided on this next lift by Akkaev. In the end gold, and a world championship.
Interviewer: Talk to me about having you biggest oppoenent not be American or other but a teammate.
Akkaev: The Olympics is the kind of tournament where the important thing is the success of the country. If Dmitry lifts more than me then it is what it is. That is how sport is and how life is. But our country would be at the top. It is a little different in other tournaments. But in the Olympics if Dima wins gold, sure I will be dissapointed inside. That’s not a secret.
Interviewer: Then you would have to stay 4 more years.
Akkaev: It’s possible.
Klokov: I only have trouble when I compete against another Russian. Both times I’ve lost it has been to a russian. It’s because there is an added element of what people are saying behind your back.
Interviewer: They are saying something to you?
Klokov: Even if they don’t say it in words you can see it in their eyes and behavior.
Interviewer to David Rigert: How is their relationship with each other?
Rigert: They treat each other as opponenets. But not enemies.
Interviewer: But not friendly either?
Rigert: No not friendly.
Update: Here are the next 10 minutes:
Interviewer: So you are not friends?
Klokov: Do we need to be?
Interviewer: Why not?
Klokov: It helps us. Even in the last olympics I didnt really interact with my oppenents and I dont now. I think it helps. At least for me personally it helps.
Interviewer (to Rigert): There is respect there.
Rigert: Yes there is respect. You saw that in the world championships they shook hands and thanked each other for the competition, for the battle each said that without you I couldnt have reached this level.
(Start of training footage)
Host: Before tournaments such as the olympics Akkaev and Klokov train under the same roof. The entire time we were there they did not say one word to each other.
In glamourous dinners that may be unacceptable but this is a diefferent world, here there are the iron games and this is normal.Klokov: There is no doubt we are very different people. For me, whatever I do it is important that there is a beuty to it. For him it is a little different you understand. Whatever we do we do with different mindsets. In my opinion.
Akkaev: I’ll reapeat it that we are completely different people.
Interviewer: Says some stupid stuff about Klokovs streching and how a few more of those creaks and they need to buy a new one. (He then talks about how to approach the the barbell, mostly BS. ‘The barbell is a living thing’…. that sort of stuff.)
(more training footage under music)
Interviewer: Talks to Akkaev about his hands and how they have such tough blisters. Then asks Klokov about all the wraps and their purpose. Klokov responds that basically to keep things warm which is also why he wears the jacket.
Interviewer jokes about the tear in his jacket and the ‘state of our champions’
Interviewer: They don’t even look alike here, Akkaev doesn’t need to lose weight.
Akkaev: I weigh 107kg, max 108kg. I don’t eat twice, and it drops to 106kg. In this regard, I have an advantage.
Klokov: I’ve learned not to eat to much. Earlier, I would get to 117+kg now, at MAX 112kg, 108kg
Interviewer: What are you eating?
Klokov: I eat very little, I drink a lot, a bucket… a minimum of 10 liters, I’m sure.
(Start footage of klokov in sauna)
Interviewer: The temperature right now is 70 celcius (over 150 degrees?). This is a serious temperature. We have a picture of Naim Suleyman a Legendary lifter. (Checks inside) Very Hot!!
I dont have to lose weight I look good.Interviewer introduces himself to Klokov’s wife. Asks her some basic questions about weather or not she is scared to watch him lift. She says she is used to it. Says even their daughter is used to it.
Interviewer: If your daughter gets into lifting?
Wife: No, she wont.
Interviewer (about the poster on the wall): This is the greatest poster in the world. A poster of 2 time world champion Oksana Slivenko with a world record lift. It reads: “Not for Girls? Her name is in the history book and you continue to smoke, drink paint your nails and go to clubs”.
Interviewer (to Klokov): There was discussion about your daughter. What if she wanted to get into weightlifting? Would you stop her. To think, with such familty tradition.
Klokov: No, I probably souldn’t stop her but I would be afraid. My dad didn’t want me to be a lifter either. He wanted me to be smart (laughs) wanted me to study.
Interviewer: What about soccer?
Klokov: I played soccer.
Interviewer: Did you watch the Euro 2012.
Klokov: Yeah I did. I gotta say though I don’t understand the fans. (Refering to their reaction to the Russian team underachieving). I don’t understand people who just stand there in the stands and claim the things they say. I dont think any man, any athlete loses because they didn’t want it or played hard enough. i think they just couldn’t. That’s all.
up to (14:19)
Key Points From The rest of the video. :
(There is a lot of Joking about beards and shaving for the finals, learning how to unload the weights stuff like that)
Klokov says that he is not interested in the world championships and what happened in Paris. He doesnt care if we wins it again. The only thing missing is an Olympic gold for him.
Akkaev echos him saying that that is the only thing he cares about. It doesn’t matter to him to win more then once either. He just wants to be able to say he is Olympic Champion.
Interviewer: Talks about that clearly this is the only thing that matters to these men and there is no way for both of them to have it.
Akkaev talks about how there are two types of lifter those that can lift amazing numbers in the gym but can’t do shit in competition and those who may not lift monster numbers in training but do it in competition.
He says that he is one who can lift a lot in the gym and at least match it in a competition.
Says that he snatched 210kg recently and 245kg Clean and Jerk. Which is 18 kilos above the WR.The host runs through the history of Akkaev in the 2008 Olympics. How he won bronze from group B.
Interviewer talks about how calm Akkaev is before he lifts and how none of his muscles move just before he starts.
Update: Video with English subtitles. Thanks Vladimir.
Or, since it is so long, we could translate it in 5 min segments in the comments…
Anyway, tell your Russian friends to chime in.
Thanks to Kevin for submitting this.