Maxim to the max

One of the most decorated volleyball players of the decade, Maxim Mikhaylov, achieved fantastic results on the court over the past 10 years. But if he says he is not completely satisfied, it may be because he aims so high.

“This decade has passed unusually quickly for me. It was productive and interesting. I was able to play with many great athletes... I keep only positive emotions, though everything was not always 100 per cent successful,” Mikhaylov told Volleyball World.

Well, you can judge for yourself – gold at the 2012 Olympic Games, gold at the 2011 FIVB Volleyball World Cup, gold at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, gold at the 2011 and 2013 FIVB Volleyball World Leagues, gold at the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Club World Championship, gold at the 2013 and 2017 CEV Volleyball European Championships and as many as five gold medals from the CEV Champions League, without even mentioning all the silver and bronze medals Maxim Mikhaylov has won at major international tournaments with the Russian national team and his club Zenit Kazan over the past 10 years.

Countless individual awards for Mikhaylov include MVP of the World Cup, the VNL, the World League, EuroVolley and the Champions League. He was also voted Best Scorer and Best Spiker of the London Olympics. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, he topped the best spikers’ statistical ranking. And in 2017, the European Volleyball Confederation named him European Male Player of the Year.

“What is important is that during this decade volleyball progressed and developed. We can say that it is now one of the most popular sports. A large number of people are playing it, many fans and amateurs are interested in it... The FIVB and the Russian federation are doing a lot to develop and promote our sport. A large number of television broadcasts, marketing of competitions, media exposure - everything has grown. There are many interesting and spectacular tournaments, with added show elements that are very interesting to the audience,” the 32-year-old Russian star said.

Maxim’s successful path in international volleyball started well before the turn of the decade. In 2005, the 2.02m athlete was part of the Russian youth national team that triumphed at the FIVB U19 Volleyball World Championship, the first of a number of medals claimed before 2011, including Beijing 2008 Olympic bronze.

It was earlier in 2008, in a World League match against Korea, at the age of 20, that Mikhaylov made his official debut with the men’s national team of Russia and marked the start of a glorious career with the Sbornaya jersey, which was to be highlighted by Olympic gold at London 2012.

“I put the London Olympics at the top of my list. It was a dream come true not only for me, but also for my teammates. It was significant not only because we won it, but also in terms of organisation, greatness and importance of the city and the country. The Olympic Games will remain in my memory forever.”

In 2010, Maxim Mikhaylov joined Zenit Kazan and has been with the club since. With his help, the Tatari powerhouse have claimed a remarkable series of successes, including five Club World Championship medals and eight Champions League podiums, not to mention numerous domestic trophies in Russia.

The club achievement Mikhaylov cherishes the most is the Champions League title won in 2018, because he and his Zenit teammates were victorious at home in Kazan.

“Winning the Champions League on the home stage was the most memorable moment in my club career. The victory was won with incredible work,” he said. “There was a great atmosphere at the final tournament. We felt the great support, love and attention we received from the fans. People from all over the country came to Kazan and it was an incredible success for our sport.”

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