Athletes honored at soirée sponsored by Atlanta Ukrainians (08/11/96)

Athletes honored at soirée sponsored by Atlanta Ukrainians

by Roman Woronowycz

ATLANTA - Nearly 300 sponsors, guests and organizers of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine joined with some of the athletes to honor their commitment and success at the Atlanta Centennial Games on July 31.

The athletes who attended were those who had completed their part in the Olympics and could afford to relax and enjoy the ambiance within the splendid surroundings of a luxurious Georgia estate, before their return to Ukraine the following day. They included those who had competed in artistic gymnastics, judo, Greco-Roman wrestling, women's volleyball and fencing.

Munching on canapés and sipping wine or beer, athletes mingled with the guests, signing autographs, posing for photos and giving personal accounts of their accomplishments and setbacks, and some hawking their "wears."

Fencer Serhiy Holubytsky, sitting under a parachute tent where the buffet dinner filled with traditional Ukrainian fare was served, said he had thoroughly enjoyed himself during the Olympics. "I only regret we didn't win a medal," he said. Now, he explained, he wanted to sell his blue-yellow warm-up suit so that he could go back to Ukraine with some money. He was asking $150.

Liliya Podkopayeva, who won three medals in gymnastics, including two gold, seemed a little overwhelmed by the attention and put off by it. At one point, as she was signing autographs, more out of responsibility than enjoyment it seemed, a guest blurted out, "You'd better get used to it," to which she responded with a scowl.

Ms. Podkopayeva's good friend, fellow gymnast Rustam Sharipov, who won his second consecutive Olympic gold in the parallel bars, felt none of the pressure. He posed happily for photographs, signed autographs and mingled easily with the guests, as did most everyone of the athletes

The next day Mr. Sharipov was quick to come to Ms. Podkopayeva's defense. He told The Weekly that people should not jump to criticize Ms. Podkopayeva. "She is a little overcome by all the attention," he explained. "She thought that the world championships is what she should expect. She really didn't realize that this would be so much more. Remember, she is only 17 years old."

She probably would rather have been with her gymnastics teammate, 16-year-old Liubov Sheremeta, who made several appearances during the evening, but spent much of the time in the children's bedroom of the house playing with stuffed animals.

The guests were like buzzing bees, excitedly trying to figure out who was who, and when one did, it was off for a picture or an autograph.

Wolodymyr Dyhdalo of Detroit, who was there with his granddaughter, Laryssa, had bought her an autograph book, and kept pushing her to get yet another autograph of a Ukrainian Olympian. He seemed more excited than she. At one point she asked her grandfather to identify the athlete he was pointing her towards. He replied, "It doesn't matter sweetheart, ask them, they'll tell you."

Olha Stefansky of New Jersey proudly held her granddaughter, 11-month-old Amanda Derr, in her arms as she came up to athletes and introduced the infant.

The fete was held on the three-acre estate of a beautiful Georgian Colonial mansion built in 1907, home to the family of Ihor (Eric) Prockow, 43, majority owner of Sun Data Co. of Atlanta, and his wife, Diana Stawnychy, both formerly of Montreal but now firmly entrenched Atlantans. The beautifully landscaped estate features a waterfall, swimming pool and tennis courts, and is located in the exclusive Buckhead area of northern Atlanta.

The event was sponsored by the Ukrainian Association of Georgia, of which Mr. Prockow is a founding member, and which today has approximately 150 members.

Mr. Prockow explained that he first came to Atlanta in 1979, while working for a multi-national communications firm and settled in Atlanta after joining Sun Data, into which he eventually bought. Today he owns 90 percent of the firm.

On July 20, another party had been held at the Prockow estate, this one for Ukrainian government functionaries and VIPs, including Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Yuri Shcherbak, Minister of Youth and Sports Valeriy Borzov (who was also present at the second function), and a host of VIPs from the International Olympic Committee and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and even a diplomat from Saudi Arabia. Mr. Prockow said that although the affair went off without a hitch, it was unpleasant only because it was a suit and tie affair on what was a particularly hot and humid evening.

At this evening's end, everyone left happy, except, perhaps, for a couple from the area who had been hired to give an exhibition of southern dance and a few lessons as well, a tutorial that never occurred because as quickly as the athletes had arrived, they were gone, off to the Olympic Village and then a last evening in the hot and festive Atlanta night.

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