At her debut Olympiad, Darya Naumova of Bobruisk, who turns 21 on August 26th, has performed brilliantly. In the snatch, Naumova lifted a bar bell weighing 116kg; at her third attempt, in the second exercise of clean and jerk, she lifted 142kg. The Belarusian athlete was behind only Lim Jong Sim, of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, who earned 274kg (121+153) while bronze went to Spaniard Lidia Valentín Pérez, who lifted 275kg (116+141).
To date, Darya’s best result had been fifth place, at the 2015 World Championship.
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, congratulated the athlete and stressed that this award is especially dear, it being the first in medal box for the Belarusian national squad at these Olympic Games. The President noted his hope that Darya’s success would add confidence to Belarusian athletes as the Olympiad progresses: a hope since proven true, since the Belarusian national team has now claimed further medals.
According to the conditions of the Olympic Choice project, the Presidential Sports Club provides the right for each Belarusian champion or prize winner of the Olympic Games to choose a youth sports school for provision of sponsorship: a sum in Belarusian Roubles which depends on the results of the athlete or a team.
Darya has chosen to support Bobruisk State Olympic Reserve College, where she studies. According to Darya’s choice, the Presidential Sports Club will give the college funds strengthen its material and technical base, to conduct competitions and to promote participation of its pupils in various tournaments.
The Olympic Choice project is held with assistance from the National Olympic Committee of Belarus and the Sports and Tourism Ministry. It launched in London in 2012 and continued in Sochi in 2014.
By Vladislav Mudrogin
