Alsim Chernoskulov
Six world titles for a man who hated silver
- Born
- May 11, 1983, Kipel, Kurgan Oblast, Russia
- Nationality
Russia- Style
- Tactical game-planner
- Weight
- 90 kg, 100 kg
- Active
- 2003–2023
The medals
6 world titles and 3 world silvers at 90 and 100 kg (2006–2018); 2015 European Games champion
The story
lsim Chernoskulov was named after a character in a Zhukovsky ballad his father loved, and it was his father, a keen sambist, who started training him at five in Kurgan region. In 2000 he followed his coach Valery Stennikov to the UMMC club in Verkhnyaya Pyshma. His world championship record shows how hard finals could be: silver in 2006, 2007 and 2011, gold in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, at 90 and 100 kg. He admitted that big finals made him tense, and his coach would tug his hair to snap him out of it. He also won the first European Games title at 90 kg, in Baku in 2015, and nine Russian titles. After his 2007 loss, M. K. reminded him that he, too, had needed three attempts to win a first world title.
- World champion, 90 kg (2009, 2014, 2015) and 100 kg (2012, 2017, 2018)
- European Games champion, 90 kg (Baku 2015)
- European champion, 90 kg (2008, 2010)
- Russian champion (9 times, 2006–2018)
- Honoured Master of Sports of Russia
- Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class (2015)
- Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 1st class (2023)
Defining matches
- 2007LOSSvs Andrei Kazusenok (World Championships 90 kg final, Prague)
- 2009WINvs Andrei Kazusenok (World Championships 90 kg, opening bout, Thessaloniki; Kazusenok was the reigning champion)
- 2009WINvs Mindia Bodaveli (World Championships 90 kg final, Thessaloniki; first world title)
- 2014WINvs Lkhagvasürengiin Otgonbaatar (World Championships 90 kg final, Narita)
- 2018WINvs Andrei Kazusenok (World Championships 100 kg final, Bucharest; sixth world title)
Scout the side your opponent throws from, then deny it: in 2009 Chernoskulov beat reigning world champion Andrei Kazusenok by never moving to his right, because Kazusenok's throws came when opponents stepped that way. Plan your footwork before you plan your attacks.
