Ukrainians in the world of sports: an overview of top stars

by George Tracz, Ph.D.

Through the years, Ukrainian athletes have registered significant accomplishments in a variety of sports.

The following is a brief overview of some of the brightest Ukrainian stars from the United States, Canada and Ukraine, as well as Australia.

FOOTBALL

Bronko Nagurski:

Raw strength and brute power characterized this 6-foot, 230-pound fullback. Bronislav ("Bronko") was born in 1908, the son of Michael and Eamelia Nagurski, pioneers who settled in Rainy River. Bronko's football exploits at the University of Minnesota earned him All-American selections to two different positions - tackle and fullback. Probably one of the greatest football players in the National Football League, he starred for the Chicago Bears. A salary dispute led Nagurski to take up professional wrestling, where he won the World Heavyweight Wrestling title in 1937. He continued to wrestle through the 1950s. His son, Bronko Jr., played tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 1960s and was twice selected to the All-Star Canadian Football League's team.

Mike Ditka:

At 6-foot, 3-inches tall and 225 pounds, Iron Mike, Da Coach, The Hammer, Ditka, won the Super Bowl as player, assistant coach and head coach. One of the greatest tight ends in college football, the son of a rail worker from Carnegie, Pa., he was an intimidating force as a tight end, winning the NFL's rookie of the year award with the Chicago Bears. Ditka (born Dyzcko) was an NFL All-Pro from 1961 to 1964.

Terry Evanshen:

In the off-season of 1965, the Montreal Alouettes foolishly underestimated the power of "The Flea," and traded their star receiver, Terry Evanshen, to the Calgary Stampeders. 1966 turned out to be a good year for Calgary. Terry matched the league record for a 109-yard reception and led the CFL with 67 catches for 1,200 yards. The following year he again led the CFL, scored 17 touchdowns, and captured his first Schenley Award. In 1970, after being traded back to Montreal, Evanshen helped the Alouettes win the Grey Cup.

There have been nearly 100 players of Ukrainian descent in the CFL. Local readers will find the following names familiar: Lance Chomyc, Danny Nykoluk, John Sopinka, Zenon Andrusyshyn and Steve Onyschuk.

FIGURE SKATING

Oksana Baiul:

If Hollywood were to make a movie about Baiul's dramatic and determined drive to defeat Nancy Kerrigan for the 1994 figure skating Olympic gold medal, it would be named "The Odyssey of the Ukrainian Orphan." Born in 1977 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Oksana showed promise by the age of 5. "I liked the feeling of gliding," she recalled, and local coaches also liked what they saw. Orphaned at 13, she was taken under the wing of famed coach Halyna Zmiyevska and just three years later, the tiny, perky teenager qualified for the Olympics. Overcoming an aching back and a stitched right shin, Oksana stole the show with her brilliant performance and skated away with the gold medal.

Viktor Petrenko:

Petrenko brought great artistry and superlative technical skills to men's figure skating. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, in 1969, Viktor quickly gained international acclaim by winning the World Junior Championship and four years later, in 1988, won a bronze in the Worlds. Then, in 1992, he captured the Olympic gold medal, justifying his reputation as "Baryshnikov on ice." He also played big brother to Oksana Baiul by arranging for his mother-in-law, Halyna Zmiyevska, to coach her.

SOCCER

Zenon Snylyk:

The first wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada produced excellent athletes in hockey and football. But it was soccer that provided sporting success for post-World War II immigrants, symbolized best by Zenon Snylyk. Red-haired Zenon played in both Canada and the United States, and was on three U.S. Olympic teams (1956, '60, '64), and became the only player in U.S. history to do so. He later became editor of The Ukrainian Weekly, and then editor-in-chief of Svoboda.

In the 1950s, readers will remember USC Trident (Tryzub) and SA Ukraina, as well as the Skocen brothers (Oleksander and Osyp), the Dyczkowsky brothers (Levko and Volodymyr), Ostap Steckiw, Myron Bereza, Walter Zakaluzny, Tony Shapka, Stan Haba, Andriy Horsky and Jaroslaw Kowal.

Oleh Blokhin:

Soccer also put Ukraine on the landscape of European sports. Th legendary Dynamo Kyiv, coached by Valeriy Lobanovsky, thrilled thousands in the 1970s and '80s. Oleh Blokhin was chosen European Footballer of the Year for 1975; teammate Igor Belanov duplicated the feat in 1986. Blokhin, blessed with blinding speed, electrified the crowds and led Dynamo Kyiv to victory in the European Cup - Winners" Cup in 1975 and 1986, scoring in both finals. A national hero, Oleh Blokhin was honoured in 2004 as Ukraine's Outstanding Player of the past 50 years.

Andriy Shevchenko:

After Ukraine gained independence, Dynamo Kyiv began exporting skilled players to attain financial viability (Oleh Luzhny to Arsenal; Serhiy Rebrov to Tottenham; and Shevchenko to AC Milan). After leading Dynamo Kyiv to five straight Ukraine titles, Shevchenko, who made his debut at 17 in 1994, joined AC Milan for $25 million on a five-year contract. The gifted striker quickly led the league in scoring and took his team to victory in the Champions League (2003) and later helped capture the Italian League title (2004). In 2004, Shevchenko was named European Footballer of the Year and dedicated the "Golden Ball" to "my people in Ukraine - who are facing such difficult times."

HOCKEY

Terry Sawchuk:

Call him "Uke," "Ukey," or "Shutout King," and you'd be right on all counts. His 103 shutouts in regular season National Hockey League play are still unmatched, long after his tragic and untimely death in 1970. Sawchuk, born in 1929 in Winnipeg, remains one of the greatest goaltenders, and can be credited with the "crouch" style of play. "Crouching," he said, "gave me a far better chance of seeing the puck on screen shots." That innovative approach rewarded Terry with four Vezina trophies, each recognizing him as the NHL's top goaltender. Sawchuk paid dearly for 21 seasons of play for NHL teams through a variety of physical injuries and emotional turmoil.

Eddie Shack:

"Clear the track, here comes Shack" sidelined even Elvis's "Hound Dog" in the hockey world of the '60s. In November 1960, the 200-pound, 23-year-old right winger from Sudbury, Ontario, exploded onto the Maple Leaf ice with passionate determination. During his flamboyant seven-year tenure, "The Entertainer" powered the Leafs to four Stanley Cup victories, including the winning goal in the 1963 series. Canada lost their "guided missile" in 1967 to the U.S. but he returned in 1973 for the final two years of his fiery career in Toronto.

"The Uke line":

The Uke line was a high-scoring forward trio for the NHL's Boston Bruins made up of Johnny Bucyk, Vic Stasiuk, and Hungarian Bronco Horvath (the "adopted Ukrainian") that terrorized opposing goalies during the late 1950s.

Mike Bossy:

A scoring machine, "Boss" scored 50 or more goals through nine consecutive seasons in the NHL, including his rookie year. One of 10 children, he was born in Montreal in 1957, and explained that the family name was originally Bosse, pronounced "Baw-See" by his ancestors, and hence Bossy. Between 1977 and '87, Mike led the N.Y. Islanders to four Stanley Cups, and was playoff Most Valuable Player in 1982 before his early retirement at the age of 31. In the 1980-1981 season his quick wrist shot and fast skating enabled him to score 50 goals in the first 50 games.

Readers will recall the great play of Turk Broda, Johnny Bower, Bill Mosienko, Bill Barilko, Dave Andreychuk, Eric Nesterenko, Dave Semenko and Danny Lewicki. There were nearly 200 players of Ukrainian descent in the NHL.

Dmitri Khristich, Ruslan Fedotenko and Alexei Ponikarovsky, among others, are currently in the NHL.

GOLF

Bob Panasiuk:

Bob, the protègè of avid golfing parents, Nick and Virginia, brought sunny days to the fairways of the family's Hydeaway Golf Club near Windsor, Ontario. Just shy of 16 at the 1957 Canadian Open, he became the youngest ever to play in a Professional Golf Association Tour event. Shortly thereafter, he won the Ontario and Canadian Junior Championships and then, in 1959, the Ontario Amateur Championship. Panasiuk spent the next 15 years on the Canadian PGA tour, winning several championships with outstanding shot-making.

Glen Hnatiuk, out of Manitoba, is currently playing in the PGA tour.

SKIING

Steve Podborski:

In 1982, Podborski was honored as Officer of the Order of Canada, in recognition of the young man's excellence. At 17, as a member of Canada's national alpine team, Steve pushed his boundaries in his first World Cup race, earning, with his teammates, the title "Crazy Canucks." Three years later, he captured his first victory on the World Cup circuit before a series of injuries slowed him down a little. In 1981 he returned with a vengeance and became the first non-European to be crowned with the World Cup Downhill Championship.

BOXING

Volodymyr and Vitalii Klitschko:

Two boxing brothers with Ph.D.s in sport science? Who are you kidding? But that's exactly what the Klitschkos, a pair of brainy, brawny Ukrainians, are. "The Bruise Brothers" have brought valid credentials into the boxing ring (Volodymyr won the super heavyweight gold medal for Ukraine in the 1996 Olympics, at the age of 20). Vitalii, five years older, recently defeated Danny Williams in his first defense of the WBC heavyweight title. These goodwill ambassadors, having demonstrated strong support for Viktor Yushchenko and for democracy in Ukraine, have also revitalized the heavyweight boxing world.

TRACK AND FIELD

Volodymyr Kuts:

Born in 1927 in Oleksyne, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, Kuts moved to Leningrad at an early age. He established himself as a distance running champion when he upset the great Emil Zatopek in 1954, and is one of a handful of athletes to establish new records in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. Volodymyr captured the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in both events, and, although representing the Soviet Union, Kuts always emphasized his Ukrainian nationality.

Volodymyr Holubnychy:

Holubnychy, on the other hand, specialized in the 20-kilometer walk. His dominance was long-lived as he took the following Olympic medals: gold (Rome, '60), bronze (Tokyo, '64), gold (Mexico City, '68), and finally settled for silver (Munich, 1972). At the age of 38, in 1974, Holubnychy was still the European champion in this event.

Valeriy Borzov:

Borzov had but one desire: run fast, even faster than the breeze. In 1966, the 17-year-old entered the Kyiv Institute of Physical Education. Coached by Valentin Petrovsky, the athletically gifted Borzov developed into a supreme sprinting machine using scientific training methods developed at the Institute. In 1972, at the Munich Olympics, Valeriy achieved the rare sprint double, winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter races. After he retired from competition, he was elected to important sports positions in Ukraine's government and is currently a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Serhiy Bubka:

If Borzov loved to run, Bubka loved to fly. One of the most outstanding athletes of the 20th century, Bubka won six consecutive (six for six!) World Championships in pole vaulting, from 1983 to 1997. Serhiy was selected as 1997 "Champion of Champions" by l'Equipe, easily beating out Michael Jordan. In 1985, he was the first to clear 6 meters and, in 1991, the first- and only- vaulter to clear 20 feet. He was also the first to espouse the independent participation of Ukraine in the Olympic Games. Currently, the 41-year-old, from Luhansk, Ukraine, is a member of the International Olympic Committee. In 2003 he was appointed UNESCO Champion of Sport, joining Michael Schumacher and Pelè as sport ambassadors.

Locally, Andy Boychuk and Jerome Drayton (given name, Peter Buniak) were Canada's top distance runners in the 1960s and '70s. Both won important marathon races, and Drayton, in 1977, was named Canada's Male Athlete of the Year.

GYMNASTICS

Larysa Latynina:

In a league of her own? Perhaps one of the greatest female gymnasts of all time? Certainly, with a total of 18 Olympic medals (nine gold) around her neck, Latynina has won more medals than any other athlete has. But Larysa also brought charm, skill and beauty to her favourite event - the floor exercise - for which she gathered three Olympic golds (Melbourne, 1956; Rome, '60; and Tokyo, '64). Born in 1934 in Kherson, Ukraine, Latynina graduated from the Kyiv Institute of Physical Culture, and coached the USSR women's gymnastics team from 1966 to 1977. She remains the only gymnast (male or female) to have won medals in every event (all-around, team, bars, beam, floor and vault) at two Olympics.

Lilia Podkopayeva:

Forty years after Latynina's dramatic debut in the Melbourne Olympics (1956), Podkopayeva provided her own winning performances in the individual all-around gymnastics event at Atlanta. Born in Donetsk, Ukraine, the 18-year-old took women's gymnastics to a new level by executing exceptionally difficult routines with unequalled perfection. The shy, petite, "Lilly Pod" morphed into a bold and artistic performer once she entered the competitive arena. Lilia is also 1996 European Champion and the first defending World Champion (1995) to win an Olympic gold medal since 1972. That's three titles simultaneously!

SWIMMING

Yana Klochkova:

"The swimmer." That's how Klochkova is known in Ukraine. Not surprising when Yana, at a mere 22 years of age, is the dominant woman's all-around swimmer (backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle) in the world right now. At the Sidney Olympics in 2000, she won both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley races, establishing new records. Then, "The swimmer" repeated the feat four years later in Athens. Born in Simferopol she has been with the same coach, Nina Kozhukh, since she was 8. Besides the four gold Olympic medals, she has been a 10-time World Champion. Her greatest joy? Seeing the Ukrainian flag being raised and hearing the Ukrainian anthem being played at the Olympics.

TENNIS

Andrei Medvedev:

Born in Kyiv in 1974 into a tennis playing family, Andrei quickly endeared himself to fans and the media alike by displaying exceptionally entertaining (and winning) tennis. Yet, at the 1999 French Open finals, although leading Agassi by two sets to nil, he self-destructed and gave Agassi the only Grand Slam event that had eluded the American. Medvedev saw his promising career curtailed by a rash of injuries.

BASKETBALL

Vitaly Potapenko:

The arrival of the "Ukrainian Train," Vitaly Potapenko, at 285 pounds, to the National Baksetball Association proves that even basketball is not immune to the Global Village. After stints in Kyiv and at Ohio's Wright State University, Potapenko made his reputation as a strong and fearless rebounder first for the Cleveland Cavaliers (1996), then with the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot, 10-inch tall center is currently playing for the Seattle Supersonics.

Stanislav Medvedenko:

Groomed by Alexander Volkov, the first Ukrainian to be drafted by the NBA, Mr. Medvedenko also played for Kyiv, where he averaged just over 21 points-per-game. In 2000, "Slava" signed with one of the most dominating NBA teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, and found Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as his teammates. Medvedenko is still on the Lakers' roster, although nagging injuries have reduced his playing time.

SNOOKER

Bill Werbeniuk:

The inherited nervous disorder that could only be managed by the daily consumption of many pints of beer didn't inhibit the soaring fortunes of Big Bill. After moving to England in 1973, to compete on the United Kingdom professional snooker circuit, the 26-year-old climbed to eighth in the world rankings. He then represented Canada in the World Cup of snooker, reaching the quarterfinals four times and winning in 1982.

(Snooker is played on a pocket billiards table; 15 red, six colored, and one white cue ball are used.)

RUGBY

Alex Jesaulenko:

Born in Austria in 1945, Jesaulenko soon immigrated to Australia with his Ukrainian parents. Initially "Jezza" played soccer, but by 21 he had become a rising rugby star. His magical play and outstanding leadership led to his induction into the Australian Football League's Team of the Century. His adoring fans called "Alex the Great" a football genius as his team captured four championships (1968, '70, '72, '79).

CURLING

Ed Werenich:

In the 1970s and '80s, Ed dominated Canada's curling scene. In 1968 the 21-year-old left Manitoba to study in Ontario and found success on the ice. In 1973, '74 and '77 his team won the Ontario Championship. Ed then took over as skipper and twice more won the provincials before experiencing his most thrilling moment in sport. In 1983 his "Dream Team" captured the Brier and became Canadian champions. Werenich then led his team to victory in the 1983 World Curling Championships, and repeated in 1990.

WEIGHTLIFTING

Leonid Zhabotynsky:

At 6-foot, 5-inches tall and 350 pounds, Leonid reveled in the 1960s as the "World's Strongest Man." And "Big Zhabo" knew he had earned it: Olympic gold medals (Tokyo, 1964; Mexico City, '68), twice world champion, as well as holder of 17 world records. Zhabotynsky also has a long-standing friendship with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is slated to visit Leonid's hometown, Zaporizhia, Ukraine, in early 2005. Arnold says Big Zhabo is his only idol as their meeting in the 1960s changed his entire life.

References:

"Their Sporting Legacy: The Participation of Canadians of Ukrainian Descent in Sport, 1891-1991," K. W. Sokolyk. (2002) Toronto, Ontario. The Basilian Press.

Dr. George Tracz, a former education professor at the University of Toronto, has just published "The Dominators: The Remarkable Athletes Who Changed Their Sport Forever" (with co-author, Frank Orr). The book is available at most North American bookstores.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 29, 2005, No. 22, Vol. LXXIII

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