| Popov did not start swimming until he was 8, and after overcoming a fear of the water. Unknown to many, Popov was a backstroker first and only converted to freestyle after joining the squad of much respected coach, Gennadi Touretski in 1990. He spends over 6 hours a day in the pool at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, where he has trained since his coach moved there in 1993, and swims 80-90km a week, much more than most sprinters.
He was holidaying in Moscow (after the Olympic Games of Atlanta) when he got into major trouble. On the 24th of August 1996, Popov was returning home from a birthday party with his friends when he ran into some watermelon sellers. His friends started arguing with the sellers about the purchase of a watermelon and that is when the brawl started. He was stabbed in the stomach, damaging his kidneys and grazing his lungs. He was rushed to the Moscow City Hospital No. 31 where he underwent a three hour emergency operation. Alexander's first meet after that incident was on February 22, 1997.
He has got several nicknames: Big Dog - the nickname the US swim team give him. It is supposed to be a compliment and comes from the saying "You've got to let the big dog eat"; The Ice Man - referring to Popov's calmness before a big race; "Sasha" - what his coach calls him. It is Russian nickname for the name Aleksandr.
He is married to Russian swimmer, Daria ("Dasha") Shmeleyva, who had been his girlfriend for 2 years. The couple's first child, Vladimir, was born on October 1st, 1997.
His sports hero is Ukrainian polevaulter Sergei Bubka, "because he's been at the top for so long", and because he markets himself well. |
Russian Federation