EDITORIAL: Ukraine's third Summer Olympics (09/05/04)

EDITORIAL

Ukraine's third Summer Olympics

The just concluded Olympics in Athens were independent Ukraine's third Summer Games.

It was in Atlanta in 1996 that Ukraine made its Summer Olympics debut as a full-fledged independent squad. There, Ukraine fielded a team of 235 that earned a remarkable nine gold, two silver and 12 bronze medals, placing the neophyte Olympic country in 10th place in the medals count.

Four years later, in Sydney, Ukraine had 239 athletes competing. The 2000 team won only three gold medals, but 10 silver and 10 bronze, which by virtue of the relatively low number of gold medals placed Ukraine 21st on the list of medal winners.

This year, in the birthplace of the Olympics, Ukraine competed with a team of 243 athletes. The team earned medals in 16 of the 34 sports that made up the XXVIII Olympiad, earning medals in everything from swimming, judo and shooting to sailing, trampoline and handball. The 23 medals earned by Ukraine - nine gold, five silver and nine bronze - landed it in 12th place in the medals count.

Ukraine's goal for Athens was to finish in the top 15 in the Games and to win five gold medals. Thus, Ukraine well exceeded that goal and the expectations of its sports community and fans. The reaction in Ukraine to the team's performance in Athens was very positive. After the results of the first week of competition - five gold medals, a silver and a bronze - landed Team Ukraine in fifth place in the medals count, the public's attention was heightened.

So, the fans continued to watch as history was made when Iryna Melnyk Merleni of Lviv became an Olympic champion in women's freestyle wrestling, a sport that made its Olympic debut in Athens. They rooted for weightlifter Ihor Razorionov, who, after competing in two previous Summer Games, finally earned an Olympic medal - a bronze that later turned to silver (when the silver medalist was disqualified for steriod use). They cheered for a surprise silver medalist, Olena Krasovska, in the 100-meter hurdles. And, they rejoiced along with wrestler Elbrus Tedeyev when he struck Olympic gold after earning a bronze in Atlanta and leaving Sydney medal-less.

What also was notable about the 2004 results was that Ukraine's athletes - members of the first team that truly came of age in an independent Ukraine - also have well over 20 top-10 finishes in various sports, including six fourth-place results. The women gymnasts, for example, took fourth in the team scoring. Other near-medalists were divers Roman Volodkov and Anton Zakharov (synchronized 10 m platform), shooter Oleh Tkachov (25 m rapid-fire pistol), weightlifter Hennadii Krasilnikov (105 kg), Greco-Roman wrestler Oleksii Vakulenko (55 kg) and freestyle wrestler Vasyl Fedoryshyn (60 kg), all of whom finished just out of the medals. And there were so many others who competed honorably for their nation. (The one dark spot on Team Ukraine's record was the women's sculls quad, whose bronze medal was revoked when one of the foursome tested positive for a banned substance after taking a medication prescribed by the team doctor.)

For three straight Olympics now, 23 seems to be the magic number for Ukraine. It's a number of which Ukraine and its people, as well as fans beyond the country's borders - like those of us in the United States who hoped to catch a glimpse of an athlete from Ukraine - can be proud. Slava! And for the next Games: Citius, altius, fortius!

| Home Page |