Nikolay Kozlov

In January 2021, he celebrated the 40th anniversary of his coaching activity. He started learning the basics of sambo under the guidance of his elder brother – Alexander Kozlov – the patriarch of the Ural and all Russian sambo. Nikolay Kozlov was already over 30, when he turned the tables and changed the workshop of the plant “Uralmash” to the training hall of the sports club having the same name. Since then, he completely devoted himself to education of young sambo wrestlers.

As Nikolay says, he teaches boys to be brave, courageous and strong-willed. He follows the unique methodology where healthy body and mind prevail, and the art of wrestling is learned through physical, psychological and moral education.

More than twenty years ago Nikolay Kozlov laid a remarkable New Year's tradition for his trainees – to meet New Year doing celebratory jogging in only T-shirts and shorts from “Uralmash” stadium to the New Year's tree on the Square of the First Five-Year Industrial Plan” and back to the stadium.

Currently, he continues working as a sambo coach in the Sambo and Judo Olympic Reserve School (Ekaterinburg) that is the successor of the “Uralmash” Sports Club.

Nikolay Kozlov graduated from the Sverdlovsk Institute of National Economy (now the Ural State University of Economics).

He was awarded the badge of merit as the “Honors Student of Physical Culture and Sports”.

Among his famous trainees we can find the prize-winner of the World Cup Ivan Shtyrkov, the winner of the European Junior Championship Andrey Slobodchikov, the prize-winner of the European Junior Championship Dmitry Lipin, and the winner of the USSR Junior Championship Evgeny Utev.

Landmark achievements

• Merited Coach of Russia