EDITORIAL: Citius, altius, fortius! (09/17/00)

EDITORIAL

Citius, altius, fortius!

As these lines are being written, Ukrainians around the world are looking forward to the official opening of the XXVII Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where Ukraine will be represented by 239 athletes competing in 26 sports.

It was just four years ago that Ukraine competed in its first Summer Olympics as an independent state with its own team. It was in Atlanta that Ukraine's blue-and-yellow flag flew for the first time among the colors of 197 countries - the largest number ever. Earlier, at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Ukraine's athletes were part of the so-called the Unified Team of athletes from former republics of the USSR.

It was in March of 1992 that the IOC had granted Ukraine provisional membership, enabling its athletes in non-team events to compete independently in Barcelona. However, in team sports Ukraine participated under the aegis of the "Unified Team." For the record, the first Ukrainian athlete to see the Ukrainian flag raised and hear "Shche Ne Vmerla Ukraina" played was Oleh Kucherenko, a wrestler from Luhansk.

Four years later, reporting from Atlanta, Editor Roman Woronowycz noted the precise time of "Ukrainians' entry into the family of nations": 11:30 p.m. on July 19 when the first Summer Olympic squad of independent Ukraine entered Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies of the Centennial Games. Pole vaulter Serhii Bubka carried the Ukrainian national flag, an honor that was bestowed on him as a highly respected athlete with extraordinary achievements - the top athlete in all of Ukraine, as one Ukrainian sports official underlined. As he strode about 10 yards ahead of the contingent, holding the banner aloft, Mr. Bubka seemed very aware of his responsibility: he was the first in Olympic history to carry the colors of his country into an Olympic stadium during the Summer Games.

The Atlanta team's triumphs and setbacks were shared by Ukrainians around the world who witnessed precious and unprecedented Olympic moments. One of the most significant of these was Viacheslav Oliinyk's gold medal in wrestling, as it was Ukraine's first gold in those Games and independent Ukraine's first gold in Summer Olympic history. When asked at that time about his future plans, Ukraine's first champion said: " ... I will not turn my back on this sport. No way. If I do not become a trainer, then at least I will support young talent financially - those kids who have a difficult life, just as mine was difficult."

And now he is back, in Sydney, along with fellow gold medalists Mr. Bubka, triple jumper Inessa Kravets, and the yachting duos of Olena Pakholchyk/Ruslana Taran and Yevhen Braslavets/Ihor Matvienko. These veterans are joined by a new generation of athletes representing independent Ukraine, athletes of the caliber of gymnast Viktoria Karpenko and swimmer Yana Klochkova.

For Ukraine, it's been a long road to representation at the Olympics: from competing under the Soviet hammer and sickle, to being part of the Unified Team, and, finally, to its own independent team. Ukraine's debut in Atlanta was a major success story as its team turned in a performance that placed Ukraine in 10th place with 23 medals - nine gold, two silver, 12 bronze. Ukraine's citizens keenly watched their athletes compete in Atlanta. And diaspora Ukrainians also were immensely proud.

Now, four years later, we all wish Ukraine's Olympians continued success in Sydney at the 2000 Summer Games, as we echo the words of the Olympic motto: "Citius, altius, fortius."

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