Kuchma lauds Ukraine's athletes (08/11/96)

Kuchma lauds Ukraine's athletes

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma, joined by government ministers, greeted Ukraine's Olympic champions and their coaches and trainers during a formal laudatory ceremony in the gilded halls of the Mariyinsky Palace on August 8.

The Ukrainian president presented gold medal winners with Cross for Courage medals, as well as $50,000 (U.S.) checks from the Eximbank. Silver and bronze medal winners received presidential badges of honor, and monetary prizes of $30,000 and $20,000, respectively.

A number of Ukrainian Olympic Team coaches and trainers were conferred the titles of "merited workers in physical culture and sports" during the hourlong ceremony, which was followed by a cocktail reception featuring champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

Valeriy Borzov, now the chairman of the National State Committee for Youth and Sports, introduced the members of Team Ukraine - dressed in their tan suits, accented with ties and scarves of blue and yellow - to the Ukrainian government leaders and spoke proudly of the athletes who had competed in the name of Ukraine.

He spoke of the role success in the Olympics will play in forming national awareness and patriotic feelings, adding that these Games proved Ukraine has great potential as an Olympic contender in numerous sports. He also thanked representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora whose contributions significantly helped Team Ukraine.

"The victories of the Ukrainian athletes - the participants of the Olympics - are a source of pride for Ukraine's citizens and foster national awareness," said Mr. Borzov before Team Ukraine presented President Kuchma with a blue-and-yellow warm-up suit on the eve of his birthday (President Kuchma turns 58 on August 9.)

Addressing the athletes and their trainers, President Kuchma spoke warmly of the accomplishments of the Ukrainian team, noting that Ukraine's debut in the Olympic movement has been a success, and that this is underscored by the fact that Ukraine finished in 10th place amid a field of 197 countries.

He said the XXVI Olympiad has already gone down in the annals of history, and will include the names of Ukraine's athletes, singling out gold medal winners: Liliya Podkopayeva, Inessa Kravets, Kateryna Serebrianska, Viacheslav Oliynyk, Volo-dymyr Klichko, Timur Taimazov, Rustam Sharipov, Ihor Matvienko and Yevhen Bratslavets.

"In your honor, nine times the national anthem of Ukraine resounded in the halls and nine times its state flag was raised in the arenas of distant Atlanta," said the Ukrainian leader, adding that perhaps not all the Olympic athletes are aware of the impact their achievements have on promoting the good name of Ukraine throughout the world.

"The medals, the ovations, the applause which were given our athletes in Atlanta have simultaneously asserted Ukraine's standing," said the beaming president, before he presented the medals and checks to the athletes.

He told Ukraine's star athletes of the trepidation at home, as millions of viewers watched the Ukrainian athletes, cheered their triumphs and sympathized with their failures.

"Tens of people have told me that they cried tears of joy together with our Liliya, when Ukraine's national anthem sounded and her eyes shed a tear. Such moments are genuine flashes of truth, and your teardrop, Liliya, I'm sure will, to a greater degree, serve as a unifying force among our people, will contribute to the greatness of our homeland more than 100 lessons about the necessity of nurturing patriotic sentiments," said President Kuchma.

As Presidential Chief of Staff Dmytro Tabachnyk read the names of the Olympic champions, trainers and coaches, President Kuchma greeted each one individually, presenting them with medals, certificates and checks.

Speaking on behalf of her teammates, Ms. Podkopayeva, the golden girl of Ukraine's first summer Olympics, thanked President Kuchma and the Ukrainian government for their support of the athletes, and presented him with a souvenir gold medal and a banner signed by the team.

Liudmyla Serebrianska, mother and coach of Kateryna Serebrianska, gold medalist in rhythmic gymnastics, thanked President Kuchma and his ministers on behalf of the coaches and trainers for making the trip to Atlanta possible. She spoke of the camaraderie among the members of Team Ukraine and the pride they felt in representing Ukraine.

In turn, President Kuchma said that, despite all the difficulties of the transition period, the Ukrainian government will continue to devote its full attention to the development of a material base for Ukraine's sports organizations.

Ukraine's athletes had returned to Kyiv on August 2 and 6, and since that time have been feted by various ministries and organizations.

Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko said Team Ukraine's "performance at the Olympic Games in Atlanta is the best gift for the fifth anniversary of Ukraine's independence," which will be marked on August 24.

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