SPORTSLINE (09/11/05)

SPORTSLINE

Soccer

Ukraine became the first European country to advance to the 2006 World Cup, to be played in Germany, when it completed its September 3 game against Georgia with a 1-1 tie, while Turkey tied 2-2 with Denmark in a game later that day.

According to the Ukrinform news service, President Viktor Yushchenko conveyed his congratulations to the Ukrainian National Soccer Team via Youth and Sports Minister Yurii Pavlenko, who attended the Ukraine-Georgia match in Tbilisi.

Jack Bell of The New York Times reported the victory thus: "In Ukraine, first there was last year's Orange Revolution, and now this year's World Cup revelation. Ukraine, the former Soviet republic, seems like the perfect blend of politics and sports, freedom to demonstrate and freedom to celebrate."

The Ukrainian team is lead by striker Andriy Shevchenko of A.C. Milan.

Speaking with The Times from Denver, where his team, D.C. United of Major League Soccer, had lost to the Colorado Rapids, Dema Kovalenko, said, "It's exciting for me and for my country, for everybody." The Times noted that Kovalenko "could barely contain himself."

"Qualifying for the first time, especially when Russia might not - this is huge. It almost doesn't matter what happens in the tournament because it's just such a big thing to make it," he added.

The Ukrainian soccer player's comments appeared in the September 6 issue of The New York Times under the rubric "Soccer Report." The story was headlined "Reason to Rejoice Again in Ukraine."

Kovalenko, 28, moved from Kyiv to Rochester when he was 14, The Times reported. He helped Indiana to an NCAA Division I title in 1998 and began his Major League Soccer career in Chicago. He played part of the 2002 season with St. Pauli in the German league.

His dream, he said, is "to play in the World Cup." Kovalenko said he spoke with Ukrainian soccer officials two years ago about the possibility of playing for team Ukraine. "They didn't say I wasn't good enough, just that I play so far away it's hard for them to follow what I'm doing."

Boxing

Vitalii Klitschko will defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against the former champion Hasim Rahman in Las Vegas, most likely on November 12, The New York Times reported recently.

Rahman, an American, won the right to meet Klitschko by beating American Monte Barrett by decision in Chicago on August 13. The WBC has Rahman ranked No. 2, while Barrett is now ranked No. 3.

Klitschko, who had back surgery in April, has not fought since beating Danny Williams last December.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Klitschko will take on the unbeaten Samuel Peter in an International Boxing Federation elimination bout on September 24 in Atlantic City, fight promoters announced on August 10, according to The New York Times. The winner of the 12-round fight at Boardwalk Hall will become the mandatory challenger for the IBF title held by Chris Byrd.

Volodymyr Klitschko, 29, lost the World Boxing Organization title when he was knocked out by Corrie Sanders in 2003. His career was hurt also after he lost the following year to Lamon Brewster.

In other boxing news, former heavyweight champion and controversial boxer Mike Tyson arrived in Ukraine on a private visit on August 28, Ukrinform reported the following day. The news agency reported that Tyson and his 131-foot yacht Summer Wind landed at the Odesa Marine Port, and cited unofficial sources who said he intended to leave for Kyiv the following day.

Swimming

Ukraine's Andrii Serdinov took third place in the men's 100-meter butterfly at the 11th Federation International de Natiation (FINA) World Championships held in Montreal on July 17-31. Ian Crocker of the United States took first place with a new world record time of 50.40 seconds, while Serdinov finished the race in 52.08. Michael Phelps of the United States took second place with a time of 51.65.

Serhii Breus of Ukraine took third place in the men's 50-meter butterfly with a time of 23.38 seconds, while Roland Schoeman of the Republic of South Africa took first place with a new world-record time of 22.96. Crocker of the United States took second place with a time of 23.12.

Oleh Lisohor of Ukraine took fourth place in the men's 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1 minute and 0.36 seconds, while Brendan Hansen of the United States took first place with new course record time of 59.37 seconds. Kosuke Kitajima of Japan took second with 59.53, and Hugues Duboscq of France took third with 1:00.20.

Ukraine's Valerii Dymo took sixth place in the men's 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 28.03 seconds, while Mark Warnecke of Germany took first place with 27.63. Mark Gangloff of the United States took second place with a time of 27.71, and Japan's Kitajima took third with 27.78.

Diving

The Ukrainian team of Kristina Ischenko and Olena Fedorova took third place in the women's three-meter synchronized springboard competition at the 11th FINA World Championships in Montreal. The Ukrainian pair scored 308.82 points, while China's Ting Li and Jingjing Guo took first place with a score of 349.80. Germany's Ditte Kotzian and Conny Schmalfuss took second place with a score of 319.05.

Roman Volodkov and Anton Zakharov of Ukraine took fourth place in the men's 10-meter synchronized platform event with a score of 353.40, while Russia's Dmitry Dobroskok and Gleb Galperin took first place with a score of 392.88. China's Jinghui Yang and Jia Hu took second place with a score of 374.79, and Great Britain's Peter Waterfield and Leon Taylor took third place with a score of 367.95.

Ukraine's Fedorova took eighth place in the women's three-meter springboard event with a score of 522.12, while China's Jingjing Guo took first place with a score of 645.54. Min Xia Wu of China took second with 619.05, and Tania Cagnotto of Italy took third with 591.27.

Zakharov of Ukraine took 11th place in the men's 10-meter platform event with a score of 587.13, while Jia Hu of China took first place with 698.01. José Antonio Guerra Oliva of Cuba took second with a score of 691.14, and Gleb Galperin of Russia took third with 656.19.

Yulia Prokopchuk of Ukraine took 12th place in the women's 10-meter platform competition with a score of 417.03, while Laura Ann Wilkinson of the United States took first with 564.87. Australia's Loudy Tourky took second place with a score of 551.25, and Tong Jia of China took third with 550.98.

Synchronized swimming

Ukraine's Daria Yushko took eighth place in the solo event at the 11th FINA World Championship, finishing with a score of 91.583, while France's Virginie Dedieu took first place with 99.001. Russia's Natalia Ischenko took second with 98.250, and Gemma Mengual of Spain took third with 97.417.

Ukraine took ninth place in the free routine competition with a score of 91.833, while Russia took first with 99.333. Japan took second with 97.833, and Spain took third with 97.167.

The Ukrainian team of Ksenia Sydorenko, Daria Yushko and Oksana Samokhvalova took 10th place in the duet competition with a score of 89.917, while the Russian team took first place with a score of 99.084. Spain took second place with a score of 97.417, and Japan took third place with a score of 97.334.

World University Games

Russia took first place in the medal count at the World University Games held in Izmir, Turkey, on August 10-21, while Ukraine came in fourth in the total medal count.

Russia took 26 gold medals, 16 silver and 23 bronze for a total count of 65 medals, while Ukraine took 18 gold, 16 silver and 18 bronze for a total of 52 medals. The People's Republic of China took second place with 49 total medals (21 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze for a total of 49), while Japan took third place (18 gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze for a total of 56).

A highlight for Ukraine came in the basketball tournament. The United States beat Ukraine, 85-70, in the men's basketball final to take first place in the tournament. Ukraine finished in second place, while Serbia and Montenegro took third place by beating Russia, 86-77, in the bronze medal game.

Ukraine took gold medals in archery, athletics, fencing, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming and wrestling; silver medals in archery, athletics, basketball, diving, fencing, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming and wrestling; and bronze medals in archery, athletics, fencing, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sailing, swimming and wrestling.

The World University Games are an international sporting and cultural festival that is staged every two years in a different city and, its organizers say, is second in importance only to the Olympic Games.

- compiled by Andrew Nynka

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