The Olympic Medals of the Belarusian Athletes

Belarusian athletes made their Olympic debut in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952. Mikhail Saltykov, Timofei Lunev and Mikhail Krivonosov performed as members of the USSR team. But that was Anatoly Yulin who scored the first points by getting into the final in the 400m hurdle race.

Mikhail Krivonosov was the first among Belarusian sportsmen to win an Olympic medal (silver). It happened in Melbourn, Australia in 1956, when he was awarded with a silver medal in hammer throw.

At the 1960 Rome Olympic Games Vladimir Goryaev claimed another silver in the triple jump. But the first gold was won by Romuald Klim who set a new Olympic record in hammer throw at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Four years later, he became a silver medallist in 1968 in Mexico.

Vladimir Lovetsky took the silver medal in the relay at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Yevgeny Gavrilenko got a bronze medal in 400m hurdles in Montreal, Canada in 1976. At the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games Pyotr Pochenchuk won a silver medal in 20km race walk, while the bronze at 50 km was won by Yevgeny Ivchenko. Another bronze in Moscow was taken by Nikolai Kirov in 800m run.

Tatyana Ledovskaya won a silver medal in 400m hurdles and the gold medal in the relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Igor Lapshin was another silver medallist in Seoul with 17 m 52 cm in triple jump, while another Belarusian Alexander Kovalenko got the bronze. In 1992 in Atlanta, silver medals were awarded to Natalya Shikolenko in javelin throw, Igor Astapkovich in hammer throw. In discus throw, Vladimir Dubrovshchik won a silver medal and Vasily Koptyuh took the bronze. Natalia Sasanovich (heptathlon) won a silver medal in Atlanta and bronze medal in Sydney.

Yanina Korolchik won the gold medal in shot-put in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. Elina Zvereva won the gold medal in discus throwing at the same Olympic.

Yulia Nesterenko became a real hero at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games by winning the gold medal in 100m sprint. Irina Yatchenko won a bronze medal in discus throw and Ivan Tsikhan got the silver in hammer throwing at the same Olympic Games.

The results of Belarusian athletics team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were great. In hammer throw, Oksana Menkova won Olympic gold with a new Olympic record, while Vadim Deviatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan took the silver and bronze medals respectively. Andrey Kravchenko won the silver medal in decathlon. In shot put, Natalia Mikhnevich claimed another silver, while Nadzezhda Ostapchuk and Andrey Mikhnevich were awarded with the bronze medals.

After the disqualification in London, Ivan Tsikhan managed to win one more silver medal for Belarus at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

4. Answer the questions and prepare for the discussion on the topic

1. Why does track-and-field athletics have such a name?

2. When did the first foot race take place?

3. What organization is the governing body of track-and-field athletics?

4. What are the track events?

5. What distances does sprint consist of?

6. What are the middle and long distances?

7. What is the marathon?

8. What specific rules must athletes follow in race walking?

9. What are the hurdle races?

10. How is a typical competition in the steeplechase organized?

11. What relay races are usually there in the athletics meets?

12. What are field events?

13. What jumping events do you know?

14. What throwing events can you remember?

15. What combined competitions for men and women are there in track-and-field athletics?

16. What prominent track-and-field athletes can you name?