In St. Petersburg, in a family of athletes, on May 2, 1991, the future champion, boy Ilya, was born. Zakharov did not live there for long. Rather, he was just born there, and spent all his childhood in Saratov, where his parents moved.
His father was engaged in officer all-around, and the boy's mother was a candidate for master of sports in volleyball. At the time of the birth of her son, she worked as a physical education teacher in one of the St. Petersburg schools.
Biography of Ilya Zakharov: active child
From childhood, the future champion was distinguished from his peers by excessive activity. There was so much energy in him that the boy kept getting into some kind of story. Search for adventure - the main feature of Ilya in childhood.
By the age of six, the boy was diagnosed with flat feet. The doctor who observed the little patient advised his parents to send Ilya to the pool. At that time, a family friend worked there. It was he who invited parents to attach the boy to diving.
Engaging in this sport allowed to direct all the energy of Ilya in the right direction. The set is long over. But the boy was still accepted into the group led by coach Tatyana Korobko.
Ilya did not share the desire of parents to go swimming. By all means, he ignored the requirements of the coach and did not want to swim in the pool. Tatyana Korobko sometimes even had to push Zakharov from a pedestal into the water.
But a year later, everything changed radically. Ilya could not imagine himself without sports. Diving was not just an activity or a hobby. They became part of the boy’s life.
Ilya wanted to devote himself to football, but doctors forbade him to engage in this sport. But they advised me to try myself in diving. And, as it turned out, the advice turned out to be efficient.
Start diving
A year later, Zakharov took part in peer competitions and won the first medal. By the age of nine, Ilya has established himself as a future medalist, athlete and pride of Russia.
In 2004, he was successfully selected for the master of sports. After which Zakharov began to take his first prize places. And two years later he became the winner of the competition among school students.
Tatyana Korobko, coach of the children's diving team, saw a great future for the boy. Ilya Zakharov participated in the junior championship of Russia. And although he did not win a prize, he had a goal - to become a winner and win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
The dream has come true. Ilya Zakharov, the Olympic champion, became not just an athlete, but also an Honored Master of Sports of Russia in diving. He takes part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and wins gold in diving from a three-meter springboard.
Awards and titles
In 2007, takes part in the competition of the Cup of Russia. He jumped from a ten-meter springboard, won the victory, earning the highest points. In Aachen, in Germany, Ilya, together with Kuznetsov, took second place in jumping from a three-meter tower.
But that is not all. In Saratov, he became the winner in the individual program, winning a bronze medal for diving from a three-meter springboard.
A year later, became the owner of two medals received at the Championship of Russia for the skill in diving in tandem with Evgeny Kuznetsov.
He received another gold in tandem with Viktor Minibaev for diving from a tower of ten meters. A year later, Ilya Zakharov, whose photo was placed on the front pages of newspapers, won three golds in the diving competition from three meters and a ten-meter height paired with Minibaev.
Army and study
In 2007, he became a student at the State University of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism in Moscow. At first, he planned to get an education in the specialty of "sports manager."
However, a sports career became the reason that he could not give due attention to training. Therefore, he abandoned the idea of becoming a sports manager, replacing the faculty with a coaching one.
In 2011, he decided to pay his debt to his homeland, becoming a soldier of military service. He believes that every man is obliged to fulfill military duty. Ilya Zakharov went to the guard of the federal service of Russia. Having returned, the guy continued to prepare for participation in the Olympics.
The athlete is single. But there is a beloved girl - Nadezhda Grechushkina. He had already made her an offer to become his wife. Hope agreed. The lovers plan to play the wedding next year.