The Olympic Medals of the Belarusian Athletes

Belarusian athletes made their Olympic debut in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952. Mikhail Saltykov, TimofeiLunev 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 Goryaevclaimed another silverin the triple jump. But the first gold was won by RomualdKlim 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 Lovetskytook the silver medal in the relay at the 1972 Munich Olympics. YevgenyGavrilenko got a bronze medal in 400m hurdles in Montreal, Canada in 1976. At the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games PyotrPochenchuk won a silver medal in 20km race walk, while the bronze at 50 km was won byYevgenyIvchenko.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 Kovalenkogot the bronze. In 1992 in Atlanta,silver medals were awarded to Natalya Shikolenkoin javelin throw, Igor Astapkovichin hammer throw.In discus throw, Vladimir Dubrovshchik won a silver medal and VasilyKoptyuh took the bronze. Natalia Sasanovich (heptathlon) won a silver medal in Atlanta and bronze medal in Sydney.

YaninaKorolchik won the gold medal in shot-put in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. ElinaZvereva won the gold medal in discus throwing at the same Olympic.

YuliaNesterenko became a real hero at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games by winningthe gold medal in 100m sprint. Irina Yatchenko won a bronze medal in discus throw and Ivan Tsikhangot the silver in hammer throwing at the same Olympic Games.

The results of Belarusian athletics team at the 2008 BeijingOlympic Games were great. In hammer throw,Oksana Menkova won Olympic gold with a new Olympic record, whileVadimDeviatovskiyand Ivan Tsikhantook the silver andbronze medalsrespectively.AndreyKravchenkowon the silver medal in decathlon.In shot put,Natalia Mikhnevichclaimed anothersilver,whileNadzezhdaOstapchuk and AndreyMikhnevich 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.

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?