Yesterday's Ovechkin email from Moscow
This is about the article in USA Today called "Some top male athletes had a woman as their sports idol" written by Christine Brennan.
Ann Meyers Drysdale, the Phoenix Mercury president and general manager who played on the U.S. team that won the silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, had no trouble remembering the captain of the undefeated Soviet team that easily beat the Americans and won the gold all those years ago.
"She was their starting point guard, and we matched up sometimes," Meyers Drysdale said the other day. "She was a good player, a veteran player, crafty and physical."
Her name was Tatyana Ovechkina, and she wore No. 8. Nine years after the Montreal Olympics, and five years after winning a second gold medal at the boycotted Moscow Games, she gave birth to a son named Alex.
And now here is Great Eight's email to Christine Brennan that he sent from Moscow on Wednesday:
"My mom won two Olympic gold medals by working hard and always pushing herself to be better all the time. She always told me to set big goals and do everything you can to achieve them all the time. I still do that today because I always want to be a better hockey player and person."
Last year Ovi was carousing with Moscow Dynamo footballers so much that
I am pretty sure Ovi and his family talked about the last season and Ovi is back on track. I don't see him partying that much anymore, he got out of his last summer circle of friends, doesn't attend the birthdays, even at his best friend Andrei birthday party he was for only half an hour, he is training, Captain Ovechkin is on the mission.
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5 comments:
I'm proud of Alex and I'll say again he really took things to heart this year. He looks good and it sounds like he's doing very well.
My aunt talks about Tatiana from time to time, when we bring up Ovechkin. She used to go to games all the time.
Every time I see that picture with him and him mom, it grabs my heart. I love it!
I love the photos of Ovie with his Mom. It's obvious they are very close and she inspires him to work hard and be better. I think it's very likely she and Ovie's Dad encouraged him to take his offseason activities much more seriously if he wants to achieve his goals. Ovie looks and sounds like he is on a mission this year to win the Stanley Cup.
This is definitely a good sign! I can't wait for the season to start!
Interesting that Ann Meyers recalls Tatyana Ovechkina. There are actually many parallels in their lives. Both were born in March, with Ovechkina born in 1950 and Meyers born in 1954. Both were in the 1976 Olympics. Both became sports executives after their playing careers, with Ovechkina an executive for Moscow Dynamo and Meyers an executive with the Phoenix Mercury. Both combined raising children with their careers, with Meyers a broadcaster before becoming an executive.
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