JUDO
FEDERATION

Kazakhstani judo star – about Düsseldorf, about Mikhail Rakov, about his life after London and the most important starts of the year…

Our dossier. Maxim Rakov (100 kg). Kazakhstan team of judo

Date of Birth: February 7, 1986

Place of birth: Karaganda city

Coach: Sergey Rakov

Achievements: multiple champion of Kazakhstan, bronze medalist of the World Junior Championship (South Korea, 2002), silver medalist of the Asian Games (Qatar, 2006), two-time Super Cup winner of the World (Germany, 2006, The Netherlands, 2008), bronze medalist of Asian Championship (Kuwait, 2007), the champion of Asia (China, 2009), world champion (The Netherlands, 2009), bronze medalist of the Asian Games (China, 2010), bronze medalist of the international tournament «World masters» (South Korea, 2010; Azerbaijan, 2011), silver medalist of the World Championship (France, 2011), participant of the London Olympics (2012) and the World Championship in Brazil (2013), winner of the international tournament «World masters» (Almaty, 2012), winner of the Grand Prix (Germany, 2012), bronze medalist of the international tournament «Grand Slam» (Japan, 2012), winner of the Grand Prix (Almaty, 2013), club winner of the first international judo tournament in Kazakhstan (Astana, 2013 ) in the squad of «TAK Astana Club», silver medalist of the Grand Prix (Germany, 2014). Honored Master of sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan. International Master of sports.

Place in rating: 13 (world ranking)

- The march is going to end and therefore three months of the new year are left behind. How were they for Maxim Rakov?

- I can say that I am sixty percent ready for the season (smiles). Slowly gaining optimal performance, recovering. To be fair it slowed down a bit but we are all going to one start. If in Düsseldorf at the Grand Prix I did not get injury, everything would be even better.

- If to judge your performance in Germany on 5 ball scale, what mark comes to your mind?

- Probably 4. With coaches we put certain tasks, I was able to show something but not everything. On the other hand in all the tournaments I've won before, winning a gold was not a specific goal. Now you are in such a period when you are going through your fighting style again, getting used to the new rules. A «Grand Slam» in Paris ... Definitely, the performance was not really successful. Once again, the tournament passed not well. Somehow, I never have a luck in France. I went there many times and I just brought home a silver medal of the world championship. Yes it is the same as in Düsseldorf, but there I looked much better and enjoyed my fights. After starting with victory over the rival from Georgia (Alexander Mskhaladze - author’s note), I faced russian (Sergey Samoilovich - author’s note), who once was the first in the ranking. Won it and made it to the semifinals, where I waited for the host of tatami (Karl-Richard Frey - author’s note). I didn't have any problems with him but, unfortunately, I was injured there and after consulting with the coaching staff, I decided to skip the final against brazilian (Luciano Correa - author’s note), so that I do not make the injury even worth. It's a shame? Not at all. In Germany I have taken gold twice before. Even though as I said earlier, this time I set myself quite different task and I still won a medal. First in this year. For sure it is a big pleasure.

- National team in 2014 is waiting for a lot of interesting and serious things. Which start for you is the most important?

- Definitely, the World Championship. If you reach good conditions there, you can hope for success in Asian Games either. It is clear that we do not have the gold there yet. But generally prevails another start. Which takes place in 2016 (laughs).

- Brazil is still far and Chelyabinsk and Incheon are in our present time. Do you plan to participate in both of them?

- Time will show. Now I can not say anything certain yet. Anything can happen. For example, I had to fly with the national team to the Grand Prix in Turkey, however, as you can see, I stayed home instead. Now I still don't know which tournament I will participate in. The same «Grand Slam» in Baku is scheduled for May 9-11. Coaches put me in there, but that is not the fact that I eventually will go to Azerbaijan. Firstly there is no official decision yet and secondly, after the Dusseldorf I have not yet trained on the carpet.

- Nevertheless, the head coach Ermek Imambekov announced that it is in plans to put you in both the «world» and Asian Games, as he believes in you very much, has a big hopes for you...

- That's true, we really talked to Ermek Abuovich. What can I add? God forbid that everything was fine. That I got into conditions and skipped injuries...

- Let's imagine that you participate in both major starts. And for sure there you will only fight for the gold. Another interesting thing: what another result will make you glad?

- I honestly do not know what to say. At the moment, there are no specific tasks. Why? Because I've already burned out before. I expected too much from myself and in the end it leaded to the failure.

- Burned out?

- Not really. The word «burn out» remains in childhood (laughs). Just a sport - it is a world of unpredictability, victories and defeats. Anything may happen here. Sometimes it is not really right to build grand plans towards yourself. You can fall down lately. One thing I know for sure: the fittest will be determined by fights on the mat. The Olympic motto says «The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part» - it's not my motto.

- Our next question is probably the most boring one for Maxim Rakov...

- (Laughs) About the London Olympics?

- Exactly. That defeat no longer hurts you?

- After London it was really hard. I started to lose more. But I took myself in my hands and finally started to win medals. Olympics has become a story in the archive. I managed to leaf over this page and already started to describe a new chapter of my life. Hopefully it will have more victories. The highest level ones...

- You went by your father's footsteps, your younger brother follows your own. Is Michael's career developing, what do you think?

- He is only in the process of making career. He has not showed himself yet. Misha has excellent data , but much will depend on the same coaches with whom he will train. Good specialists are now working in the youth team. Let's see what he will gain there. After all, it seems to me a bit later he will start to fight well. And now he is only growing. However, too fast (smiles). The past year has turned out for him not really productive. Many injuries. Misha got almost nowhere. The injury after the injury. And so the whole year passed. It is clear that judo is our familiar thing but it everything depends on him. It is a wrestling.

- If he starts to do well and will be known to the wider public, then he has really bad luck because everybody will start to compare Mikhail Rakov with Maxim Rakov. Frankly, are you afraid of it?

- I always tell him about it. That he has his own path. And he is not obliged to repeat what I did. He has to have his own story. Not the history of younger brother of Maxim Rakov, but the history of judoist Mikhail Rakov. Yes, seriously, when a senior achieved something and continues to achieve, and the youngest is just starting and has no big wins behind him yet. However at his age I already was number one in the national team. Moreover, for several years. However me and father will hope that everything will be good with him...