Ukraine and Sun Valley united thanks to good luck and good will (02/10/02)

Ukraine and Sun Valley united thanks to good luck and good will

by Andrew Nynka

SUN VALLEY, Idaho - It's not often that a delegation with little money can afford to prepare for Olympic competition at a world-class facility. So how is it that Ukraine managed to land Sun Valley, Idaho? And, have almost all their expenses and needs looked after.

The answer, said Laryssa Barabash-Temple, attaché for the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC-U) as well as chairwoman of the Ukrainian World Congress Sports Commission, is part chance and in large part due to the good will of specific people.

Thanks to a family wedding and an introduction to the right person, Ms. Barabash-Temple explained, Ukraine's athletes now find themselves among those from eight other countries who are training here.

The Ukrainian ice skaters, who also spent much of the summer in Sun Valley, trading their appearances in local ice shows for ice time, beat out other skating teams and some hockey clubs in claiming the indoor rink in the days leading up to the Games.

And besides excellent facilities, Sun Valley has the right time zone (the same as Salt Lake's) and the right altitude (it's higher than the Olympic venues, so the athletes won't struggle when the Games begin), as well as a quiet town with little distractions for the athletes.

"You always have world-class athletes here," said Jack Sibbach of the Sun Valley Company, a vacation resort with condominium units and an expanded village of shops and restaurants as well as several ski resorts. "Just not this many at once," he added.

Both Mr. Sibbach and Chip Fisher, president of the Idaho governor's Olympic Committee, were instrumental in securing Sun Valley as the official training site for the Ukrainian biathlon, figure skating and cross-country skiing teams.

"We wanted to reach out to other nations in the spirit of sport and peace," said Mr. Fischer.

When Ms. Barabash-Temple heard that both the state of Idaho and the Sun Valley Company were interested in hosting an Olympic delegation, she jumped on the opportunity for Ukraine. However, due to major financial constraints, there was a strong possibility that Ukraine would not be able to take advantage of the opportunity, said Ms. Barabash-Temple. When she relayed this information to Idaho officials they, along with Mr. Fischer, Mr. Sibbach and Ms. Barabash-Temple, largely covered the costs on their own, leaving the Ukrainian delegation with only food to worry about.

Commenting to the Idaho Statesman on Sun Valley's allure, Johann Muehlegg, the cross-country skier from Spain (via Germany), said: "I saw it one day. I said, here is perfect. Here is my place for training." Mr. Muehlegg is a favorite to win a medal this month.

He's not alone in his praise.

European skiers and biathletes quietly admit it's better than back home.

"Sun Valley has the best cross-country complex I've ever seen," said Ms. Temple, "and my coaches say the same thing, too."

The Sun Valley Company, according to Mr. Sibbach, loves to hear that, and they have adapted many of the runs to mirror what the athletes will see in Utah.

"The elevation, the profile of the trails, it's very similar to Soldier Hollow," said Ukraine's head coach for biathlon, Roman Bondaruk.

Ms. Bondaruk's biathlon team - which stars Olena Zubrylova, the No. 2 female biathlete in the world - has spent nearly 120 days a year at altitudes similar to that of Salt Lake City over the past two years, all in preparation for the Games.

"There couldn't have been better training," Ms.Temple said.

Aside from all of the athletic facilities, the athletes have also been provided with the use of condominiums during their stay, largely covered by the generosity of the Sun Valley Company, Mr. Fischer, Mr. Sibbach and Ms. Barabash-Temple.

Asked if there were any drawbacks about the facilities, Dmytro Dmytrenko, who will replace Vitalii Danylchenko in men's figure skating after Mr. Danylchenko aggravated a recurring knee injury that now needs surgery, said the ice surface here is narrow and, as a result, the skaters will have to adjust to a wider ice surface once in Salt Lake City.

It seems that in the two years the Ukrainian delegation and Idaho organizers have been working together, a congenial relationship has developed - so much so that Mr. Fischer has been asked to march with the Ukrainian delegation during the opening ceremonies as a guest of the Ukrainian delegation.

"I think this will be one of the proudest moments I will have felt in a long time," said Mr. Fisher. "However, we would also like to congratulate Ukraine for all that we believe they will accomplish in these Games."

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