INTERVIEW FROM SYDNEY: Ukraine's goals in the Olympic arena (10/01/00)

INTERVIEW FROM SYDNEY: Ukraine's goals in the Olympic arena

by Peter Shmigel
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

SYDNEY - Volodymyr Geraschenko has been the secretary general of Ukraine's National Olympic Committee since 1997. Trained in international diplomacy and law, he has worked in sports administration in Ukraine since 1978, including stints as secretary general of Ukraine's tennis and volleyball federations. The interview below was conducted at the Olympic Village in Sydney.

Q: Is there a goal for Ukraine in the Sydney Games?

A: Our general goal is to best represent Ukraine and its interests. An appropriate number of medals will follow. In that respect, we are using our participation in Atlanta as a benchmark. So if we obtain 20 to 25 medals, as well as a place in the top 10 gold-medal-winning nations, we have done very well.

Q: It's about the halfway point of the Sydney Games. How would you rate Ukraine's participation so far?

A: Very positive. We are on the pace of achieving about 20 to 25 medals and a top-10 ranking. If measured in no other way, we have already been successful in that Ukraine has more athletes participating here than in Atlanta. Having 239 accredited athletes is an accomplishment in its own right because the international qualifying competition and entry quotas are very stringent. Gone are the old days when virtually anyone could get into the Olympics.

Having said that, we would have liked to have been represented in team sports. In Atlanta, we had three teams, and we haven't been successful in that regard here.

Q: What individual moment of the Sydney Games thus far most stands out for you?

A: What most stands out is that our kids have given everything they can in every competition. They have truly fought to the finish. This is particularly encouraging because our team consists of many younger athletes. Even if they are not taking out medals in every competition, they are acquiring a huge amount of experience here that will serve Ukraine's sports programs well into the future. We're here to compete for medals, but the preparation for the future, including Athens in 2004, also is important.

Q: What comments do you have about Ukraine's preparation for the Sydney Games?

A: An issue that we obviously encountered was finances. Ukraine's oblast governments have maintained their budgets for sports over the last few years. However, in real terms, this has amounted to less money due to the overall economic conditions of the country.

In the future we want to take significant action to provide a strong financial base for Ukraine's elite sports programs. Specifically, we believe it is important to reform Ukraine's legislation with regard to corporate sponsorship support of sports. We hope to increase the tax benefits and believe this will make it more attractive for current and future sponsors.

Q: Given that 1996 was still a transitional period for Ukraine's sports program, is it fair to call this the first "truly Ukrainian" delegation to an Olympic Games?

A: Not quite. Certainly, we have young athletes who came up the ranks in the context of Ukraine's independent era, but it's a more complex situation. We still have a historical link to the sports program of the former Soviet Union in the sense that many of the trainers and coaches were products of that system - a system that in purely sports terms was undeniably successful. Indeed, the challenge for us is to retain the experience and expertise of many of these trainers and coaches in Ukraine. This is not simple given our economic constraints. Often we rely almost exclusively on the dedication of the coaches and trainers to cultivating a uniquely Ukrainian sports spirit.

Q: You've described a generally positive link to the Soviet sports system. Would you agree that it also had negative implications for Ukraine? For example, the lack of Ukrainian language use among athletes?

A: This is a broader question that relates to the overall development of Ukraine as a nation.

Certainly, all our work at the National Olympic Committee and the State Committee for Sport, Youth Affairs and Tourism takes place in Ukrainian. However, it is simply a fact that Russian was the common language of the Soviet sports system - a system that has, whether we like it or not, left its mark on all that has followed. The reality is simply the reality, and the transition is not an easy one.

My personal approach is to raise awareness among our young athletes about the benefits of multilingualism in a global society dominated by the Internet and computer technology. Banning Russian is not achievable and probably dangerous to attempt. Athletes should know as many languages as possible and need to be aware of the benefits of speaking Ukrainian as well. It's something they should certainly be proud of and part of what gets them ready for futures beyond sports.

Q: It's not a criticism. Indeed, I've had real surprises in terms of ethnically Russian athletes from eastern Ukraine speaking Ukrainian because they believe that's appropriate for them as national representatives.

A: Exactly. I think we will probably see more of that in the future, as Ukraine's national identity takes hold and athletes, and others in the general population, see the benefits.

Q: Ukraine has had an athlete disqualified for steroid use. Is this a reflection on the overall sporting program?

A: The battle against doping in sports is necessary and important. I think about this in terms of the health and well-being of the athletes themselves. They have lives well beyond their sports careers and these should not be ruined for short-term athletic gain. As I say to the athletes, if you use drugs now, think about the drugs you will need to save your life in the future.

In terms of the incident at these Games, it is certainly very unfortunate. However, we need to look at the full story before we rush to conclusions. For example, on an international basis, there is often confusion about what is permissible or not permissible stemming from different brand names for various substances. Sometimes an athlete can be taking a minute amount of a banned substance without any real intention to cheat or enhance performance.

There are several steps that need to be taken to generally improve the situation. Though it is very costly and difficult, we need an IOC doping lab in Ukraine and that is one of our goals for the next few years. Also, there needs to be more clarity on the international scene about what's allowable, what's not, and the rules and regulations for everyone.

Q: There are now a few Olympiads in which the Ukrainian diaspora and Ukraine's sports officials have cooperated. Is there a model emerging for how such cooperation should be structured?

A: I wasn't in Atlanta so it's a bit difficult to comment. However, it is very clear that Laryssa Barabash Temple and her committee were a big help both in terms of finances and organizing the logistics for pre-competition training. They set a very high benchmark.

The Ukrainian community here in Sydney is very small, but it has clearly done everything it can under the circumstances. Roman Dechnicz, our attaché and the chair of the Australian Friends of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, truly deserves a gold medal for his efforts to raise funds and to get things organized before the Olympics. Also, we owe a huge thank-you to the Karpaty Ukrainian Credit Union here in Sydney as well as all our other sponsors, and the volunteer translators and drivers who have helped to make it all happen.

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