The Flying Elephant Memoirs Of An Olympic Champion Alexander Savin 

Few volleyball careers capture the drama of Olympic sport like Alexander Savin’s. The Soviet middle blocker won silver at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and returned four years later to win gold in Moscow. His wider record includes six European Championship titles, two World Championship victories, two World Cup wins, and 13 Soviet championships.

the flying elephant memoirs of an olympic champion alexander savin  brings that career into a personal, historical narrative. The reported English Kindle edition runs about 514 pages and includes more than 240 photographs.

This guide explores Savin’s rise, Olympic journey, playing style, Soviet volleyball background, training principles, and the memoir’s value for modern readers.

Alexander Savin The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion

The Flying Elephant: Memoirs of an Olympic Champion centers on Alexander Savin, one of the defining middle blockers of Soviet-era volleyball. The International Volleyball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2010, while the CEV describes him as one of volleyball history’s best middle blockers.

The memoir is more than a medal recap. Current descriptions of the English edition emphasize Savin’s career, teammates, coaches, Olympic experiences, Soviet volleyball culture, and the transition from elite competition toward coaching. The reported edition also contains an extensive photographic archive.

Who Is Alexander Savin and What Is The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion?

Alexander Borisovich Savin was born July 1, 1957, in Taganrog, Soviet Russia. He later moved with his parents to Obninsk, where he began playing volleyball in 1967 under coach Vladimir Pitanov. He eventually became a central blocker for CSKA Moscow and the Soviet national team.

The memoir presents that journey from the perspective of the athlete himself. Current edition information identifies it as an English-language Kindle book, reportedly published in October 2025. Because retailer details can change, readers should verify the current listing for price, availability, and edition specifications.

Why Does the Nickname “The Flying Elephant” Still Amaze Fans Today?

Savin’s nickname makes sense once you understand his physical profile. Olympedia lists him at 200 centimeters and 97 kilograms. Yet contemporary descriptions also emphasized his extraordinary ability to get into the air and play aggressively above the net.

In a 2021 interview, Savin explained that a CSKA teammate called him a “little elephant” because he was powerful, jumped well, and hit hard. After years of training, the nickname evolved into “Elephant.” The memoir’s English title, The Flying Elephant, turns that image into a memorable symbol of unusual athletic ability.

From Small Town to Soviet Star: How Did Alexander Savin Start?

Savin’s path began in Obninsk rather than on an Olympic stage. After moving there as a child, he attended School No. 6 and entered the city’s youth sports school in 1967. His first coach, Vladimir Pitanov, helped develop the foundation that eventually carried him into elite volleyball.

By his teenage years, Savin had developed into an exceptional physical prospect. He joined CSKA’s system as a young player and spent much of his career there. The CSKA biography records his club career from the 1970s through 1988, alongside an extraordinary collection of Soviet and European honors.

From Heartbreak in 1976 to Olympic Gold in 1980

The 1976 Montreal Olympics gave Savin his first Olympic medal, but it was silver. The Soviet Union reached the men’s final before Poland won a five-set match. Savin played in all five matches for the Soviet team during the tournament.

Four years later, the outcome changed. At the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Savin again played throughout the tournament as the Soviet Union defeated Bulgaria 3–1 in the gold-medal match. The progression from Olympic disappointment to home-soil gold became one of the defining arcs of his career.

Career Dominance: Why Was Savin the Greatest of His Era?

Calling any athlete the “greatest” requires judgment, but Savin’s résumé makes a strong case for historical greatness. He won six European Championships, two World Championships, two World Cups, and an Olympic gold medal. He also won 13 Soviet championships with CSKA.

His consistency matters as much as the headline victories. Savin remained part of the Soviet national team during a period when the USSR dominated international men’s volleyball. The CEV identifies him as a six-time European champion and five-time winner of the former European Champions Cup.

Major Titles and Medals at a Glance

Competition	Savin’s result
1976 Olympics	Silver
1980 Olympics	Gold
World Championship	Gold, 1978 and 1982
World Cup	Gold, 1977 and 1981
European Championship	Gold, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985
Soviet Championship	13 titles
European Champions Cup	Five titles, according to CEV

These figures come from Olympic, CEV, CSKA, and International Volleyball Hall of Fame records. Olympedia independently records one Olympic gold and one Olympic silver for Savin.

The European record is particularly striking. Savin won six straight European Championship titles across 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1985. That six-gold record places him among the competition’s most successful players.

What Was Life Like Inside the Strict Soviet Volleyball System?

Savin developed during a Soviet sports system built around organized training, national teams, military-linked clubs, and intense international competition. CSKA Moscow was central to his playing career, and he represented the USSR from the mid-1970s through 1986.

That environment also reflected Cold War politics. Soviet sporting success carried national prestige, while athletes faced demanding expectations. Savin’s career therefore provides a useful window into a period when volleyball was not simply recreation or professional entertainment. It was also part of a much larger state-supported sporting structure.

Alexander Savin’s Playing Style: What Are His Training Secrets?

Savin played as a middle blocker, a position demanding rapid movement, timing, blocking skill, and explosive jumping. His size alone did not explain his success. Contemporary technical analysis identifies Savin as an athletic middle hitter used effectively within Soviet offensive systems.

The available record supports a broader lesson: elite volleyball depends on repeatable movement rather than spectacular jumping alone. Savin combined physical strength with timing and court positioning. His later transition into coaching also suggests that his understanding of the sport extended beyond his own physical gifts.

Soviet Drills vs. Modern Volleyball Technology

Savin’s generation trained without today’s wearable sensors, video-analysis platforms, force plates, or automated performance dashboards. Coaches depended heavily on observation, repetition, match experience, and disciplined practice. That limitation did not prevent the Soviet system from producing highly successful athletes.

Modern volleyball adds powerful measurement tools. Coaches can track jump loads, movement patterns, attack efficiency, and recovery indicators. Still, technology doesn’t replace fundamentals. Savin’s era demonstrates the enduring value of repetition, technical timing, physical preparation, and team coordination.

5 Actionable Techniques Savin Used

First, build explosive movement through consistent lower-body training. Second, practice blocking footwork until movement becomes automatic. Third, read the setter and hitter rather than reacting only after the attack develops. These principles fit the demands of Savin’s middle-blocker role.

Fourth, treat timing as a technical skill. Fifth, connect individual ability to the team’s offensive and defensive system. Modern players can use video to review each movement, but the core lesson remains simple: powerful volleyball comes from repeatable decisions made at high speed.

Inside The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion

Current descriptions present the memoir as both a personal sports story and a record of Soviet volleyball. It covers competition, training, teammates, coaches, Olympic experiences, and the culture surrounding elite sport. That combination gives the book value beyond a conventional medal biography.

The reported English edition also has a strong visual component. More than 240 photographs are associated with the edition, giving readers historical material alongside Savin’s narrative. The translation project was also personally meaningful for Andrei Savine, who publicly described it as a family effort to preserve his half-brother’s history.

5 Modern Comparisons

Savin’s career offers useful comparisons with today’s elite volleyball. Modern middle blockers benefit from specialized strength programs, analytics, video review, and sports-science support. Savin achieved his results within a far less technology-heavy environment.

The comparison is not about proving one era superior. Instead, it shows which principles survive technological change: explosive movement, anticipation, repetition, discipline, teamwork, and composure. Today’s players can measure more, but they still have to make the right decision in fractions of a second.

Real Life Lessons That Still Help Readers Today

The first lesson is resilience. Savin lost an Olympic final in 1976 and returned to win gold four years later. His career shows how a major defeat can become part of a longer development rather than the final chapter.

The second lesson is consistency. Savin’s six European titles and 13 Soviet championships were not the product of one exceptional tournament. They reflect sustained performance over many seasons. For modern readers, that translates into a simple principle: build habits that still work when motivation disappears.

Rare Stories and Photos That Bring the History to Life

The memoir’s reported 240-plus photographs are one of its most distinctive features. Current descriptions say the collection draws on archival and family material and covers decades of volleyball history. That makes the book useful for readers who want visual context rather than text alone.

Photographs can also change how sports history feels. A medal table tells you who won. A photograph can show teammates, uniforms, arenas, training environments, and the human scale of competition. For younger readers, those images may provide a clearer connection to Soviet volleyball than statistics alone.

Mental Toughness Checklist

Before competition: know your role, control your preparation, and focus on the next task rather than the medal. During competition: communicate, reset quickly after mistakes, and stay engaged between rallies.

After setbacks: review what happened without turning one result into a judgment about your ability. Savin’s Olympic record offers a useful example. Silver in Montreal did not prevent gold in Moscow.

Blocking Technique Steps

Start with a balanced defensive stance and stay ready to move laterally. Watch the setter and identify the likely attack before committing. Then use efficient footwork to close the blocking space rather than chasing the hitter blindly.

At takeoff, coordinate the arm swing and jump so your hands reach over the net with control. The exact technique depends on the play and coaching system. Savin’s career illustrates why timing and anticipation mattered alongside his physical size.

Daily Discipline Habits

Elite performance is built through repeated behaviors. A modern athlete inspired by Savin’s career might schedule technical repetitions, strength work, mobility, recovery, film review, and deliberate rest. The point isn’t to copy a Soviet training schedule without context.

Instead, make improvement measurable. Choose one technical skill, one physical quality, and one decision-making habit to track each week. That approach preserves the spirit of disciplined development without pretending that today’s athletes should train exactly as Savin did decades ago.

Who Should Read This Memoir and Why?

Volleyball players will find the career history especially relevant, while coaches can study Savin’s place in Soviet volleyball. Olympic historians and Cold War readers also gain a perspective on an era when international sport and geopolitics were closely connected.

General sports readers don’t need advanced volleyball knowledge. The broader themes—defeat, discipline, teamwork, pressure, leadership, and legacy—reach well beyond the court. The memoir is particularly appealing to readers who prefer firsthand sports history to a simple list of career statistics.

Reader Journey Map

Start: learn about Savin’s childhood, Obninsk development, and entry into elite volleyball. Next: follow his rise with CSKA Moscow and the Soviet national team. These sections establish the athlete before the Olympic spotlight arrives.

Middle: focus on Montreal 1976, the disappointment of silver, and the eventual Moscow 1980 breakthrough. Finish: explore the wider career, coaching period, photographs, teammates, and historical context. That structure turns the book into more than a championship story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy Savin’s memoir?

The English Kindle edition is currently reported as available through Amazon. A public announcement from translator Andrei Savine identifies Amazon Kindle as the distribution format. Check your local Amazon marketplace for current price and availability.

What do the 240+ photos show?

Current descriptions report more than 240 archival and family photographs. They are described as covering training, competitions, teammates, Olympic history, and personal material across decades of Savin’s life and career.

What was Savin’s vertical jump like?

A reliable official figure for Savin’s exact vertical jump is not readily documented. Contemporary accounts did, however, emphasize his remarkable jumping ability, while Olympedia lists him at 200 cm and 97 kg.

Why did the United States boycott the 1980 Olympics?

The United States boycotted the Moscow Games in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. President Jimmy Carter announced the U.S. position in January 1980 and pushed for other countries to join the boycott.

How many European golds did Savin win?

Savin won six European Championship gold medals, in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1985. CEV identifies him as a six-time European champion.

Is the book suitable for young players?

Yes, with appropriate context. Young volleyball players can learn about discipline, teamwork, competition, and perseverance. Coaches or parents can also explain the historical and political differences between Soviet-era sport and modern youth athletics.

Does the memoir talk about mental health?

Current public descriptions emphasize pressure, sacrifice, emotional experiences, athlete identity, and life inside elite competition. However, there is not enough reliable public evidence to claim that the memoir provides a modern clinical discussion of mental health.

How long does it take to read the full book?

The English Kindle edition is reported at about 514 pages. Reading time varies considerably with pace, note-taking, and time spent viewing the photographs, so there is no reliable single reading-time figure.

Conclusion

The Flying Elephant Memoirs of an Olympic Champion offers a valuable route into Alexander Savin’s remarkable volleyball career and the wider history surrounding Soviet international sport. Savin’s record speaks for itself: Olympic silver in 1976, Olympic gold in 1980, six European titles, two World Championships, two World Cups, and 13 Soviet championships.

What makes the memoir especially interesting is the human story behind those numbers. Savin’s rise from Obninsk youth volleyball to Olympic champion shows how talent becomes achievement through training, teamwork, resilience, and sustained competitive discipline. Combined with its reported 240-plus photographs, the book also preserves a vivid piece of volleyball history for a new generation of American readers.