“Mom is a strong athlete and a strong person,” Washington Capitals’ captain, Alex Ovechkin, didn’t take too long to answer who his favorite female athlete was. They say children learn what they see in front of their eyes. Well, for the Russian hockey icon, he didn’t have to venture far and wide to seek out his role models. But who was this strong female character who shaped Ovechkin’s life?

More often than not, successful athletes have an incredibly supportive family backing their dreams. For the Capitals’ #8, things weren’t much different either. Saying that having Tatyana Ovechkina as his mom throttled Alex Ovechkin on the path of success wouldn’t be an overstatement. So, who is the woman behind the Washington winger’s scintillating triumphs?

Alex Ovechkin had all the athletic role models at home

Alex’s mother, Tatyna, was a former basketball player who represented and won gold medals for the USSR in two Olympic Games. In 1976, Montreal was the first grand stage where Ovechkina proved her mettle, and she did it again four years later on her home soil in Moscow. Tatyana also won gold at the 1975 World Championships and six European Championships.

While her professional playing days are behind Ovechkina, the former president of Dynamo Moscow Women’s Basketball Team is still knee-deep into basketball despite her old age. The 75-year-old national icon now sits at the helm of Russia’s women’s national basketball program. While Alex’s father was also an accomplished soccer athlete, Tatyana’s towering Olympic success arguably remains the shiniest thing that the hockey star looked up to growing up at home.

Maybe that’s why he continues to place his mom on a high mantle despite living in an era when female sports have become bigger than ever before. On the other hand, Tatyana has also made sure her son’s success story never lost its momentum.

Going beyond the traditional mom duties

Along with being an Olympic champion, Ovechkina is also a prolific negotiator. Her skills came to light when Alex Ovechkin signed his jaw-dropping $124 million deal with the Washington Capitals in 2008. After firing the hockey star’s previous agent, Don Meehan, Alex’s mom and the rest of his family members sat down with the NHL team’s top brass to not only negotiate the deal but also assert a no-trade clause into his contract.

With so much influence on his life, it’s understandable why Alex can seldom think of anyone else more important to him than the person who brought him into this world. So, when Ovechkin was asked to name the female athlete who inspired him the most, he didn’t skip a heartbeat to answer, “Put my mom.” Talk about nodding your hat to the rock of your life!

In a talk show in 2022, Tatyana also revealed how she guided young Alex from an early age. “My dad and I told him how to eat right, how to prepare for the tournament, how to behave on a team. He took it all in and did the right thing,” she said, while getting candid about how the fact that he chose to pursue hockey instead of basketball isn’t something she holds against her son.

Maybe that’s why it’s like a pang of guilt for Alex Ovechkin that he actually still prefers the sport his father played rather than what used to be his mom’s bread and butter. “I am a football [soccer] fan. I apologize to my mother that I prefer [watching soccer to ] basketball,” the NHL star admitted in the talk show.

However, right now, the time for candid conversation and jokes is behind us. Alex Ovechkin stands on the brink of history. As the Washington Capitals wait to take on the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena tomorrow, the 39-year-old has the chance to score his 895th career goal and break the 27-year-old record of the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky. Only yesterday, Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record as the Capitals beat the Chicago Blackhawks, and he was justifiably over the moon after the feat.

“To do it at home, in front of family and friends and obviously, Wayne’s here as well… it’s a historical moment and it’s great…My family, my mom. My wife. They do everything I need obviously. I love you guys,” Alex said after his seminal career milestone. Now, with the final piece of the puzzle waiting to be added, will Tatyana Ovechkina maintain her calm when Alex Ovechkin rewrites NHL history on Sunday? Tell us your thoughts below!