In Irkutsk on September 30, a mass workout will take place in the square in front of the Trud Sports Palace with Olympic champions Alexander Popov, Alexey Nemov and Yuri Prilukov. The event, aimed mainly at children, will be held as part of the all Russia swimming tournament the Popov Cup and will bring together fans of a healthy lifestyle. In addition, Irkutsk Region will host swimming competitions of such a high level for the first time, with 120 athletes from 11 Russian regions taking part.

This was announced today at a press conference by the First Deputy Minister of Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy of the Irkutsk Region, Ilya Reznik.
The press conference was also attended by the head of the Department of Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy of the Irkutsk City Administration, silver medalist in taekwondo at the Sydney Olympics Natalya Ivanova, and the president of the Irkutsk Regional Swimming Federation Sergey Bryansky.
- The warm-up exercise session will take place in the square in front of the Trud Sports Palace on September 30 at 11:00. The event is being held primarily for children, but anyone who wishes may take part. The event will be held as part of the All-Russian swimming tournament “Popov Cup” for the prizes of 4-time Olympic champion Alexander Popov. He will fly to Irkutsk to lead the warm-up session. Along with him, the warm-up will be led by 3-time Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Alexei Nemov, 6-time world swimming champion Yury Prilukov, as well as Irkutsk residents — Olympic silver medalists Natalya Ivanova, Alexander Zubkov, Konstantin Volkov, and Olympic bronze medalist Albert Pakeev, - Ilya Reznik noted.
Ilya Reznik also said that the idea for the project belongs to Olympic champion Alexander Popov. Similar warm-up sessions will be held in Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod, and Yekaterinburg. In Khimki, this event has already taken place. During this time, the warm-up is expected to bring together about 10,000 children and active supporters of a healthy lifestyle. In different regions, this event is supported by regional leaders and they take part in it. It is planned that Governor of the Irkutsk Region Sergey Eroshchenko will take part in the warm-up in Irkutsk.
- Mass sports events are primarily aimed at a broad audience. Even those who are not athletes can take part in them. The exercises included in the warm-up program will be quite simple, general-development exercises. Similar events are also practiced in other regions, and most often they are held before major sports events to interest people. Such events need to be held because they are intended to foster interest in sports and motivate people to take up sports, - Natalya Ivanova noted.
Sergey Bryansky spoke about the “Popov Cup” swimming tournament, within the framework of which the warm-up session will be held. In the Irkutsk Region, competitions of such a high level in this sport will be held for the first time, with 120 participants from 11 regions of Russia taking part.
The winners of the qualifying stage will take part in the final of the tournament. It will be held from December 6 to 9 in Yekaterinburg.
Based on materials from the press service of the Ministry of Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy