By Dmitry Baranovsky
The Russian team led, with 285 awards, including 151 gold, but our Belarusians can be proud of their 40 medals, including 23 gold. The Universiade aims to test young athletes, whose future will take them towards World Championships and Olympic Games.
The tournament in Kazan brought many new names to light. Our Belarusian kayakers and canoeists did well, claiming 12 medals within a single day. Meanwhile, Maria Litvinchuk (previously Poltoran) took four medals within six hours. Belarusian rower Olga Khudenko claimed three gold awards. Undoubtedly, they’ll become fixtures at future world tournaments.
Of course, Alexandra Gerasimenya was expected to do extremely well, even without focused training, having won medals at the World Championship and Olympics previously. Our ‘golden fish’ is already a world-class record breaker. Yevgeny Tsurkin broke two national records in Kazan, showing that he is progressing and may be ready to make a name for himself at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona.
Commenting on the Belarusian squad’s performance in Kazan, Belarus’ Sports and Tourism Minister, Alexander Shamko, emphasises that each medal is a ticket to the future. Our athletes deserve praise and to have their names remembered.
