Ukrainian Olympic swimmer prepares for Athens, trains in U.S. (02/29/04)

Ukrainian Olympic swimmer prepares for Athens, trains in U.S.

by John Fedynsky
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Like a submarine silently churning underwater and only occasionally coming up for air, Ukrainian Olympian Serhii (known also as Sergey) Fesenko has quietly trained in preparation for what could be a golden moment at the 2004 Summer Olympics this August in Athens, Greece. That moment did not happen for him when he competed in Sydney in 2000, but things are different now. He is older - 21 - and ranked at or near the top of his events, the 200-meter, 400-meter and 1,200-meter freestyle.

From the beginning of January until the middle of February, he trained with the Wolverine Club, a group of Olympic-caliber, non-collegiate swimmers from all over the globe. The club trains in Ann Arbor on the campus of the University of Michigan at Canham Natatorium, a world-class facility.

"Sergey could definitely be a finalist at Athens," said Jon Urbanchek, the club's coach and outgoing coach of varsity swimming at the University of Michigan. Urbanchek, whose family background is Hungarian, has a distinguished 22-year record as coach at the University of Michigan and an international reputation for helping to train future medalists. He has also consistently been an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic team and will likely be selected again this year.

"He is a good kid," said Urbanchek. "I really enjoy coaching him." Fesenko, for his part, credited Urbanchek for being "nice, professional and educated" and "for approaching everything with intelligence."

Fesenko, who is modest but by no means shy, sent Coach Urbanchek an e-mail message at the end of 2003. That bit of initiative led to the opportunity to train with the Wolverine Club, a chance that many other top swimmers do not get. Urbanchek knew of Fesenko's father, who is also named Serhii and also a swimmer. The father was a gold medalist at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

"My father has a big influence on me," said Fesenko, noting that from before he could remember he was in a swimming pool learning techniques and discipline from his father. He listened to his father's stories and became "infected" with a desire to swim competitively.

"Sergey is a very disciplined swimmer and a good role model for other kids," said Urbanchek. Indeed, at a pizza dinner with members of the University of Michigan Ukrainian Students Club, Fesenko allowed himself only a 10ml shot of cognac and insisted on being home by 10 p.m. He is usually at the pool before 8 a.m. and swims a total of over 14 kilometers in morning and afternoon sessions every day except Sundays, not to mention weight training and other exercises.

Other individuals and institutions of the Ukrainian American community of southeastern Michigan welcomed Fesenko to the area, arranging visits to Detroit and to local Ukrainian churches, a radio interview, a visit to Saturday school to meet with Ukrainian American students and other such social events.

"The Ukrainian community here left me with very nice impressions," said Fesenko. "They are hospitable, helpful and genuinely care about Ukraine despite their geographical distance from it." He said that he would like to thank in particular the Hewko, Hryciw and Kizyma families for their support and hospitality.

His impressions of America are similarly positive. "I very much like America," he said. "It is much better than I expected."

The Ukrainian swimmer's English is good. Urbanchek claimed that there was no language or cultural barrier for Fesenko. "He's blended right in," Urbanchek said. "He jokes with the kids all the time - he takes it and dishes it out too."

While in America, Fesenko competed at the World Cup in New York City and at the National Championships in Orlando, placing in the top three in three events and posting a personal best in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

In the middle of February, Fesenko returned to Kyiv for about three weeks to train and compete in the Ukrainian National Championships. He then plans to go to Mission Viejo, Calif., to work with a club similar to the Wolverine Club. In May he will compete at the European Championships in Madrid. Then he will join his Ukrainian Olympic teammates on Crete to train and get accustomed to the climate of Athens before the Olympics begin in August.

Be sure not to blink when this human submarine surfaces in Athens for a moment in the international spotlight. You might just miss him.

| Home Page |