Coming to America

By Jonathan Meyers     2/12/09 6:00pm

Someone should really consider following Alexander Zinchenko to men's track meets with a boom box. That way they could blare the spooky electronic music that announced Ivan Drago's triumphant entrance into the arena before his bout with Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV. A fog machine wouldn't hurt either. The Brown College freshman, who matriculated at the beginning of the spring semester and had spent all of four weeks in the United States, is quickly establishing himself as a member of the Fantastic Four who comprise Rice men's shot corps. Rounding out the Four are freshman Will Meyers, junior Philip Adam and sophomore Clay Baker, who took first place at the Feb. 16 Leonard Hilton Invitational. However, Zinchenko, a 6-5, 250-lb. behemoth, is the only one who originated from across the pond.

While Zinchenko may share his massive build and his Russian heritage with Drago, that's where the similarities end. You'll find no sinister hypodermic needles or massive futuristic workout machines in this Russian's dorm room. Zinchenko got his imposing frame naturally, as both his mother and father were Olympians in the shot put: His father represented the U.S.S.R. in the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, and threw for Ukraine in the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, as well as the 1996 games in Atlanta. He also placed fifth at the World Championships in 1987, as well as in 1993.

Born in Russia, Alex moved to Lisbon, Portugal, at the age of seven, after his parents signed a contract with a local club. Despite his parents' collective success in the throwing ring, Alex didn't try the sport until recently.

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"I started track and field just two years ago," Zinchenko said. "I mostly played handball and soccer, both indoors and in the street. In Europe, we don't have the conditions for a stadium, so we didn't have indoor events like they do here. The training remains the same, however: If you don't have confidence in yourself, you aren't going to perform well."

That self-conviction doesn't come without support. Despite his lack of experience in the sport, Alex began a meteoric rise in the shot-putting world starting in 2007. In August 2008, while most Rice students were getting ready to head back to the confines of the hedges, Alex was representing Austria at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. (His passport actually states his nationality as Austrian, even though he has never lived there, thanks to the fact that his mother was a part of the Austrian Olympic team). Alex finished 13th at the event with a throw of 17.21 meters, and his personal best heading into the indoor season was 18.06 meters.

"Theoretically, I feel like I am at the same level as Baker, so it's [legitimate] to want to win. But I am persistent, and used to setbacks," Zinchenko said. "But in Portugal, I had a huge advantage in my size. The competition in Portugal was existent, but in the U.S. it's a little different. In Portugal and Europe, I was one of the better guys, but here there are hundreds of guys across the country that are on the same level as me, or better. I think the difference in competition and facilities might be bigger between Russia and Portugal than between Portugal and the U.S."

Head coach Jon Warren (Jones '88) said he is intrigued by Zinchenko's abilities but realizes that his learning curve is steep compared to that of the other throwers who have never lived outside of the U.S., and who have been exposed to American training methods all their lives.

"In Europe, a lot of times you don't prepare for indoor [meets], but he does have great potential," Warren said.

Zinchenko participated at the Leonard Hilton Invitational two weekends ago and finished eighth overall, contributing to the Owls' first-place team finish. Last Saturday at the Houston Invitational Zinchenko finished 17th, good for third place among Rice throwers. However, Alex was not satisfied with these results.

"I didn't even know how I finished when I left the meet, but I know I didn't do well," Zinchenko said.

The question you may be wondering now is how this Russo-Portuguese man, who represented the Austrian junior national team at the junior world championships, ended up at Rice. It turns out that he came for the same reason that many others in Rice Athletics came.

"Rice was the only school that offered me a scholarship, and it had a good reputation academically, so I decided to come here," Zinchenko said. "Houston is a nice city, and it seems like there is a lot of stuff to do."

It seems that Zinchenko has adjusted relatively well to life at Rice, academically and socially.

"There's a possibility of doing everything here," he said. "When I want to go out and party, I can find people to do that with, and a place to go. When I want to study, I can do that, too. My roommate is great at supporting me and helping me with life in the U.S."

As far as whether his knowledge of multiple languages, along with a foreign accent, has helped him with the ladies, Alex is a little more candid.

"Most of the girls here are friendly and approachable," Zinchenko said. "Maybe my accent is good, I don't know. Sometimes I tell them I'm Russian, and sometimes I tell them I'm Portuguese. Either way it works, since I can speak both languages. I don't exactly look Portuguese though, so they figure out pretty quickly I'm joking."

It appears that the Rice men's track team has found in Zinchenko an athlete with a story unlike any other. Despite his calm and friendly demeanor, it is still possible for Owl fans to one day hear Alex issue a simple warning to opponents: I must break you.

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