Why did Vasyl Lomachenko’s father force him to go to dance...

Standing on his head, catching coins in the air, playing memory on the wall, math tricks or dancing, all these elements are part of the preparation that the Ukrainian champion Vasyl Lomachenko has for each of his fights.

There is no option, his coach and father Anatoly Lomachenko decided to integrate these elements to create the monster that in only 15 professional fights has conquered the championships in three divisions and that this weekend is after an important victory against the American Teofimo López in Las Vegas.

“Anatoly can be seen as very serious, but the relationship he has with his son is very close, like an oxymoron … as a coach he integrates elements into his training from other disciplines that he knows will bring benefits,” explained Olexandr Gvozdyk, who during his Peramanence in professional boxing was part of one of the most outstanding teams of the moment.

Although he never excelled as a dancerVasyl recognizes the positive effect that those couple of years had taking classes in traditional Ukrainian dance, as his footwork completes the rest of his defensive and attacking skills.

Lomachenko often takes to social networks to show a little of his skills with the exercises that his father puts on him as a complement, surprising either for his speed, dexterity or strength.

“Once I asked him why he made me go (to dance classes), he told me that if you want to be a great boxer you will have to dance, so I trained for a couple of years, but I was never a good dancer, but it helped me. It helped me develop my foot movements, ”explained Vasyl himself, who in boxing has stood out as an amateur for his great boxing IQ and creativity in managing distances and times.

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