Penza, 22 March 2015. PenzaNews. A renowned Russian sportsman Alexander Karelin, member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, has visited the town of Kuznetsk in the Penza region on Saturday, March 21.

During the visit, the retired athlete inspected the training facilities of the local Greek-Roman wrestling school and talked to its students.

The school visit also involved the mayor of Kuznetsk Sergei Zlatogorsky, acting regional sports committee chairman Artur Panteleev, and coaches and veteran athletes of Greek-Roman wrestling.

The Kuznetsk school has great potential, Alexander Karelin noted.

“This is where the kids gain the perseverance necessary for the path to victory. Here, they gain not only the right values, but also find the things to pursue in their lives,” he said.

In his talk with the young athletes, the Olympic champion shared his secrets of success.

“You, just like myself, are the followers of Ivan Poddubny’s legacy of victories. You were given the entry ticket to the humongous family of sports wrestling athletes. To be among the first, you must relentlessly shape yourselves, study well, respect the seniors: it’s all simple,” Alexander Karelin stressed.

At the end of the meeting, he gave out signatures for the young sportsmen, and held a photo session with the visitors.

Later on, Alexander Karelin said the visit of the Kuznetsk school left a good impression on him.

“The air in the team is right. I was happy to see the attention towards the task from the parents and the kids themselves. Their respect towards the seniors and the word of the coach is easily seen,” the press service of the Kuznetsk administration quotes the sportsman.