Team Ukraine leaves for Winter Olympics in Nagano
by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau
KYIV - Don't look for a repeat of the Summer Olympic effort by Ukraine at the Nagano Winter Olympics. Ukraine simply does not have the natural environment to produce athletes who can compete with northern countries that do consistently well in the winter sports.
That doesn't mean that Ukraine does not have medal potential. The country's sports system, although lacking finances in an economy that continues to sink, still has the ability to produce world-class athletes, even for the Winter Games.
Ukraine's Winter Olympic squad left for Nagano, Japan, on January 29 to make final preparations for the XVIII Winter Olympics that begin on February 7. A team of 56 athletes will represent Ukraine in Nagano, along with 47 trainers. They will compete in 10 of the 14 Olympic winter events.
The head of the delegation, the president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Valeriy Borzov, told The Weekly that the team will be happy with a couple of medals.
"Ukraine's potential and traditions in the Summer and Winter Olympics are different. The winter climate in Ukraine is such that it does not allow athletes to realize their full potential in those types of sports," said Mr. Borzov. "For instance, we don't always have ice or snow. And the potential of the Karpaty [Carpathian Mountains] where we get good winters, is not yet realized."
Mr. Borzov also cited the economic hardships that continue to plague Ukraine as one reason that better facilities have not yet been constructed in the Carpathians Mountains.
Mr. Borzov, a former Summer Olympics multiple gold medalist, said Ukraine nonetheless has medal potential in several events. Look for Ukrainians to make a show in figure skating, free-style acrobatic skiing, the luge and Nordic combination (biathlon).
Mr. Borzov refrained from naming individuals he believes have the best potential to medal. "Every athlete who goes to the Olympics believes he or she can win the gold. It is not for me to somehow discourage that hope. In the end it is the individual's determination that matters," said the NOC-Ukraine president.
Although there are no Oksana Baiuls on the Ukrainian contingent this year, as Mr. Borzov himself admitted, there are several hopefuls and other dark horses.
Ukraine's biggest hope lies in figure skating and ice dancing. At least four individuals and one pair have the ability to grab a medal for Ukraine. Viacheslav Zahorodniuk has consistently placed high in the European and world men's figure skating championships. He was European champion in 1996 and took the bronze medal at the 1997 European Championships in Paris. His teammate Dmytro Dmytrenko also has competed with the best in Europe and the world.
The women figure skaters also have two strong contenders for medal positions. Yuliia Lavrenchuk, like Mr. Zahorodniuk, took a bronze in Paris in 1997, and Olena Liashenko was European bronze medalist in 1995.
In ice dancing, the pair from Ukraine to watch is Iryna Romanova and Ihor Yaroshenko, European bronze medalists in 1996.
Historically Ukraine has been strong in the Nordic combination, or the biathlon. This year that remains true again - especially for the women. In addition to 1994 Olympic bronze medalist Valentyna Tserbe-Nesina, look for Olena Zubrilova, Olena Petrova and Tetiana Vodopianova to make their mark.
In the men's biathlon the hopefuls are Andrii Deryzemlia, Ruslan Lusenko and Viacheslav Derkach.
Freestyle acrobatic skiing was going to be Ukraine's strong suit at the Nagano Games until a lack of snow in the Karpaty severely curtailed the team's training efforts. At least one member, Serhii But, still is considered to be a medal hopeful, but he has much catching up to do in his final training in Nagano. The freestyle skiers left for Japan early, on January 23, to get in a few extra jumps and revive their chances for medals.
Besides the climate, financial constraints most inhibit Ukraine's chances for medals in Nagano.
The NOC-Ukraine has found sponsors to absorb the cost of the big-ticket items: Adidas will again supply Ukraine's official uniforms and warm-up suits. Air Ukraine International and Lufthansa have signed on to transport the athletes, ASCO Insurance has medically insured the athletes, and Coca-Cola Ukraine made a financial contribution to the NOC-Ukraine.
This year, as in the two previous Olympics in which independent Ukraine has participated, diaspora contributions were significant as well - although to a much lesser degree than in Atlanta at the 1996 Summer Games.
At a January 28 send-off gala for the Winter Olympians, Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko thanked the Ukrainian diaspora, particularly Canadians, for their financial support for the 1998 Nagano Olympic effort.
Ukrainian Canadians contributed $53,000 (Canadian) towards the purchase of athletic equipment for the Olympians and booking of hotel rooms outside Nagano for the biathlon athletes, who, otherwise, would have had to make a several-hour-long daily trek to the site of their event for the practices and competitions.
The contributions also covered the purchase of skis and figure skates, as well as walkie-talkies for the biathlon team.
Stan Haba, Canadian representative of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, said Ukraine still needs the financial support of the diaspora. "It had to be done. They still need our help," said Mr. Haba, who headed the fund-raising drive.
He explained that even the Canadian Olympic team looks for financing outside of its government. "In Canada we have an Olympic lottery. The Canadian government only partially supports the team. They need to find other sources of financing, as does Ukraine."
Mr. Haba thanked his fellow countrymen for their support for Ukraine's Olympic team initiative, but said that more fund-raising needs to be done because a portion of the money spent has not yet been raised.
And Mr. Haba explained that whether Ukraine wins medals or not, the fund-raising is well worth it. "If the athletes win, that's great. If they don't, well, Ukraine was still present as an independent country. That is important. The Ukrainian flag will still be raised at the opening ceremony."
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 1, 1998, No. 5, Vol. LXVI
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