A young but already titled Ukrainian boxer Maxim Galinichev died in battles with Russian invaders in the Luhansk region. European youth champion and winner of the Youth Olympic Games voluntarily went to defend his land in May 2022, but in March 2023 his fighting path ended in the Krasnopopovka area.
Before boxing, Galinichev was engaged in field hockey, but he broke the “roller” and did not go there anymore. I also ran skiing for about six months, even competed, but also abandoned it. And then at the age of 10, his father brought him to the boxing section – in the footsteps of his older brother Maxim.
True, on the first attempt, fisticuffs did not go to the boy, as they say. Galichichev attended training for a few days and left. “In the beginning, the most difficult thing was to accustom yourself to discipline, a strict routine. But later I realized that without this it is impossible – this is your bread,” said the fighter.
The turning point in the athlete’s career occurred in 2010, when the Ukrainian boxing championship was held for the first time in his native Shostka. Maxim watched the fights of experienced fighters, collections of the national team, and after that he really caught fire in boxing, he wanted to enter the ring himself.
Galinichev was distinguished by incredible perseverance and diligence. They said that he just plowed in training, tirelessly.
“I noticed: whoever does not work, it is difficult for him to show high results. I try to give all my best in training. The main thing is to work and not give up,” Maxim admitted.
The first coach of the boxer, Nikandr Russkikh, saw great potential in the guy and advised him to enter the capital’s sports boarding school. Maxim studied there for four years, after which he returned to Sumy, where he trained with an experienced specialist Vladimir Vinnikov, who trained, in particular, the world champion and medalist of the 2012 Olympics Taras Shelestyuk.
The first serious success came to the native of Shostka when he became the bronze medalist of the Ukrainian championship. “Then I said to myself: I need to win at the next competitions,” Maxim recalled.
Galinich continued to progress and in 2017, at the age of 17, he won the “gold” of the European Youth Championship, defeating all his rivals “dry” – 5:0. And then he confirmed the title in 2018 in the category up to 56 kg and won a ticket to the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
At the Games in Argentina, the Ukrainian became a silver medalist and, as he later admitted, met in the finals of the youth Olympic Games with the strongest opponent in his career – technical boxer from Uzbekistan Abdumalik Khalakov became vice-world champion among adults in 2021. But Maxim planned to measure himself with him.
Galinichev also planned to pay tribute to the Russian, whom he met in 2021 in the final of the European Championship under 22: “There was an equal duel with the Russian – the judges, unfortunately, gave the victory to my opponent. I’m going to pay my debt in 2022.” However, fate decreed that in 2022 Maxim fought with other representatives of the Russian Federation.
Less than a month before the full-scale invasion of Russia, on January 30, 2022, Maxim Galinichev became the boxing champion of Ukraine among athletes under 22 in the 54 kg weight category. And already in May, he deliberately refused to participate in the European Championship and volunteered for the air assault troops.
The boxer served in the 25th separate airborne Sicheslav brigade. There have been many hot spots in Ukraine. Over the past year, the fighters of the brigade participated in the battles near Bakhmut and Slavyansk, stormed Izyum and participated in the Liman ring.
Galinich was wounded twice, but after recovering he still returned to the front. However, on March 10, 2023, Maxim died in the Lugansk region in battles with Russian invaders for the village of Chervonopopovka near Kremennaya.
Despite his young age, the 22-year-old boxer already had his own family and little daughter, Vasilisa, who turned three in February.
“Of course, I will teach her the basic boxing techniques so that she can stand up for herself. My task as a father is to show my child different ways, and he will choose the one he wants,” Maxim said in a conversation with xsport.ua.
Those who followed Galinichev’s career remembered him as an ardent fighter, always showing interesting boxing. He dreamed of winning the Olympic Games, but he gave his life for Ukraine.
Earlier, GLOBAL HAPPENINGS reported that the young commander saved 80 brothers near Bakhmut and died in the battles for the fortress.
Source: Obozrevatel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
