The Man Who Can Do Everything

19.06.1969 (Sports)

Is it not a wonder to often encounter an active weightlifting master at the cinema, at a concert, or in the theatre? (It should be noted that by "active" I mean a master who not only wears a master's badge on his lapel, but also lifts kilograms.)

I talked to acquaintances, shared thoughts. It turned out that those who considered such a "phenomenon" worthy of admiration were mostly sports experts. I also silently joined them. Just don't think that we consider weightlifting masters of sports to be ignorant people, for whom the name of Shakespeare or Rainis is an empty sound! No, not because of that! But the days of Leonardo da Vinci have unfortunately passed. A person can no longer be universal. lemsels? Very simply, there is not enough time. If you want to achieve something, you must definitely give up something. An athlete often has to solve a dilemma: if you want to sit in the theater more often, you will not see a master. If you want to be a man, choose a specialty. Do everything at the same time.

And yet, this time it will be about a man who can master perhaps not everything, but many things at the same time. Yes, at the same time! This thought came to me when I saw the mighty standing of Artūrs Sliede, a final-year student of the Latvian Institute of Physical Education, USSR Master of Sports in weightlifting, Latvian champion and record holder, in the performance of J. Rainis' folk song "Pūt, vējiņi!"

Some might say: "What's so special about it? Studies, sports, cultural recreation? It's been a common thing in our lives for a long time." That's true. A high school diploma and a first or second year student are really nothing unusual. But the Faculty of Automation and Computing at the RPI and the second heavyweight in weightlifting - wow, those who have dealt with these "concepts" know what they mean. But how did it start?

The most common ones were. Which boy from the "Teika" neighborhood doesn't play football? Arturs was no exception. On both the grassy and dusty, legal and illegal (threatening house windows) fields, the torn shoes and scraped knees bore fruit.

When he started school at Riga Secondary School No. 45, physical education teacher V. Pogiņa didn't need to interest the blond boy in sports. At that time, I. Bodnieks, A. Rimbeniece and other well-known athletes were studying at the school, so he had someone to learn from. Soon the upcoming weightlifter began training in ... volleyball. Coach I. Vilciņš seemed to Artur almost an overly strict and demanding teacher. Squats, jumps, runs, runs again, and more. The thought flashed: "Is all this necessary for volleyball?" I guess it is. The ball obeyed better and better.

In 1959, Arturs transferred to secondary school No. 2. Volleyball was not forgotten, but a new passion arose by chance. He happened to watch young shot putters training under the guidance of I. Driba, and the big-shouldered volleyball player wanted to try his hand at it. Nothing, he did well. Only the workload became even greater. Volleyball training, studying in the 9th grade and now also the title of Riga secondary school champion in shot put won under I. Driba gave rise to hopes that he would be able to compete in the All-Union School Spartakiad in Moscow. Nothing, he was lacking ... He was lacking in both volleyball and shot put. He became stubborn: «Well, I'll show you! I'll train even harder, but next year on

I won't go to Spartakiad, even if they invite me. Let the coaches bite their fingers!

The coaches probably didn't bite their fingers, but the next year at the All-Union School Spartakiad in Minsk, Arturs Sliede played both volleyball and shot put as part of the Latvian school team... And then the record-breaking began. In May 1960, the famous I. Jaunzeme set a new Latvian record in javelin throwing, and in the same competition - A. Sliede set a republican youth record in shot put. The five-kilogram implement flew 16.66 meters. A year later, in May, the 6-kg shot landed at 16.26 meters. Friends and, of course, the "culprit" himself rejoiced at the new republican achievement, not realizing that it was also an All-Union youth record. This became clear only later. So Arturs was not honored with the official All-Union record holder honor...

Every athlete has their own lucky days and lucky fields. For Artur, those are the first Sundays of May and the Riga "Dinamo" field. In 1962, at the same time and in the same place, a 7 kg shot made a flight of 15.38 meters, bringing the thrower the first sports class and a place in the Latvian national team.

Volleyball was not forgotten either. Back in 1961, spectators in Kharkov saw volleyball player Sliedis. But then... then the third passion in sports began to be born.

Weightlifting is a second bread for the shot putter. When he started his track and field career, the volleyball player, who weighed over 90 kg, was able to lift 195 kg in the triathlon... At that time, the famous discus thrower B. Tomsone, Arturs' training partner, could lift 200 …

And then... And then he finished high school with a silver medal, and on the agenda was the Faculty of Automatics and Computing at the Latvian Institute of Technology. Yes, Arturs Sliede knows how to win medals not only in sports competitions. But what about weightlifting? Please, by year: 1959. - 195 kg, 1960. - 275 kg, 1961. - 325 kg, 1962. - 352.5 kg! Considerable? Convincing?

Then a year in the ranks of the Soviet Army, and the champion of the Baltic War District in both the shot put and weightlifting. The triathlon result had already risen to 367 kg. Serviceman Kārlis Pumpuriņš helped a lot in improving his technique, tried to convince him that Arturs's rightful place was in the ranks of the "iron men". However, Arturs still could not choose between "light" and "heavy" athletics, both seemed equally close to his heart. At that time, light was probably a little closer.

After the service, Arturs became a member of «Dinamo» and trained … not in weightlifting. P. Vārna could have been satisfied: in 1965 his student became the republic champion in shot put with a good result of 16.54 m. However, the student himself did not have it easy. Although his shoulders were broad, working as a laboratory assistant in the physics department of the Latvian Institute of Physics during the day, listening to lectures in the most complex technical subjects in the evening and being the best shot putter in Latvia was not something that every man weighing even over 100 kg would «get through». Arturs did.

The number of kilograms in the triathlon also grew from time to time. In the same year, it reached 420. However, the achievement was that of a "savage". K. Pumpuriņš advised, and M. Fraifelds told and taught, but it seemed that he had enough wisdom on his own and the main thing was the shot put...

The year 1966 brought Latvia's best indoor achievement in the shot put 16.66 m and a candidate master in the "weights" 437.5 kg. The title of candidate master finally convinced Artur that "irons" was the right calling. Serious training began under the leadership of M. Fraifelds, now every word of the coach was listened to and taken into account. And so, in the 1967 republican championships, the long-time champion O. Bergmanis capitulated, and in his place Arturs stood on the highest step of the podium. In the autumn, the coveted master's kilograms yielded at the Riga championship: at the end of the year, the total in the triathlon was a truly respectable 460.

Last year, Artur was already considered a recognized favorite, and he confirmed it. For the second time, he became the best in Latvia in the second heavyweight category, and also broke the first republican record. In the snatch, Arturs "screwed up" the record of the great master O. Bergmanis of 182.5 to 191.5, and in the All-Union "Dinamo" championship, he turned out to be a "reserved" 3rd place.

This year, one of the toughest battles awaits. "Building graph models for diagnosing diesel engines." That will be the title of the diploma thesis of RPI graduate A. Sliede. I have no doubt that Arturs will win this battle as well. Just like always.

I once asked Artur how he manages to do everything. The giant clapped his hands good-naturedly: "Wanting is half of being able. So that leaves only half..."

And what does the USSR Merited Coach M. Fraifelds say about his student? I wish there were more of them, a real person and a real athlete. Besides, Latvia still does not have its own "five hundred club". It would not be bad at all if Arturs joined this club... This will probably be done too. To a certain extent, Ilona will also stimulate it. Who is Ilona? Let that remain Artur's secret for now.

So the story turned out to be more about meters and kilograms, less about Artur. But the growth of meters and kilograms is inextricably linked to Artur's own growth. Strength is measured by the resistance it can overcome. And Arturs has strength.

H. Lasmanis