Runner Marina Arzamasova and cyclist Vasily Kiriyenko named Belarus’ best athletes of 2015

This year, on December 17th, Marina Arzamasova celebrated her 28th birthday by winning gold at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing, in the 800m. Moreover, she took silver at the Military World Games, held in the Republic of Korea.

Biathlon World Cup overall winner Darya Domracheva was voted into second place and runner Alina Talai, who won bronze at the IAAF World Championships in the Chinese capital and gold in the 110m hurdles at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, came third.

Among the male athletes, Vasily Kiriyenko, 34, was the clear winner. His numerous achievements include a brilliant victory in the individual race at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in US Richmond, and a gold medal at the First European Games in Baku, as well as an excellent performance in the Giro d’Italia, one of the most prestigious professional cycling events. Weightlifter Vadim Streltsov, the world champion of the 2015 IWF Houston World Weightlifting Championships, was voted into second place, while canoeist Artem Kozyr, the champion of the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan, was third.

The woman’s kayak team (Olga Khudenko, Margarita Tishkevich, Marina Litvinchuk, Nadezhda Lepeshko) was voted the best team in non-game sports, while BATE players were recognised best for game sports.

Vladimir Shantorovich, the head coach of the national rowing and canoeing team, was named Belarus’ Best Coach of the Year 2015.

A total of 98 journalists from print and electronic media took part in the vote, held by Belarus’ oldest sports newspaper — Sportivnaya Panorama — for the 57th time.