SPORT The Times Thursday, September 1, 2011 11 Sniper’s ‘golden’ Football autumn expected shot By Kirill Pirogov to flower with brightest 26th Summer Universiade fi nishes in Shenzhen, China Th e Belarusian squad colours for BATE team earned 13 medals: three gold, four silver and six bronze. Two gold medals went to Yuri After defeating Austrian Sturm in an away match, BATE Borisov is through to Europe’s Shcherbatsevich. His fi rst was biggest club tournament — the UEFA Champions League — for first time in three years for small calibre shooting in the 50m prone position. By Yuri Karpenko has become a frequent player Th en, partnering Ilya Cher- in Champions League and geiko and Timofey Vyshinsky, Despite the Austrian Europa League group tourna- he added another gold to the match at Minsk’s Dynamo Sta- ments. We’ve acquired great team’s result. dium leading to a fair draw of experience, which helped us Our Belarusian 1:1, few believed BATE would in the match against Sturm. players did best of all at the see victory at the return match Few believed in us aft er our Student Games, with four in Austria; it’s always more home draw but we’ve achieved athletes capturing fi ve med- diffi cult to play far away from our goal.” als. Sergey Betov and Alexan- home. Moreover, the Bori- Th is is the second time that der Bury took the lead, with a sov footballers really needed a ’ seven-time champion joint silver in the men’s dou- win to go through to the next has reached the Champions bles followed by one bronze stage. League group stage. Th e Bori- each in individual events. Neither team presented an sov players last achieved this in Having lost in their semi-fi - optimum line-up in Graz. Th e the 2008/2009 season, joining nals, Belarus was obliged to Austrians’ leading forward, Real Madrid, Juventus Turin make do with a bronze medal Roman Kienast, was absent and Zenit St. Petersburg in the (since matches for third place due to injury while BATE was Champions League’s foremost are not held at the Universi- missing experienced half- round. ade). In the mixed event, with backs Dmitry Likhtarovich Th is time, the draw in Mo- Svetlana Pirozhenko, Bury and Alexander Pavlov. On the naco has seen rivals chosen took another silver, losing in eve of the meeting, the ten- for BATE in H Group of no the fi nals to a Taiwanese duo. sion was palpable. BATE head less star quality. Barcelona has Th e also took the coach Victor Goncharenko four times won the tourna- tennis team silver, behind noted, “When the Champi- ment, being the current holder South Korea. ons League Anthem is played, of the Champions League cup; Th ree swimming medals emotions brim over. Our op- meanwhile, Milan has won the went to Alexandra Gerasi- ponent is good in defence event seven times. Viktoria of menya, who claimed the 50m while being well organised; the is yet to freestyle gold, took silver they use others’ mistakes to boast any grand successes at in the 50m backstroke and their advantage.” European level but will no bronze in the 100m back- In the return match, Vitaly REUTERS doubt be keen to prove itself Alexander Volodko (R) is first to strike Sturm’s goal stroke. Th ree bronze medals Rodionov was the fi rst to scope worthy. were won by Lyubov Cher- out Sturm’s goal, making a the fi eld’s centre to Alexander their goal of the previous week By the fi nal whistle, the score- Matches will be held from kashina, who was placed third risky long-distance kick in the Volodko, who scored unex- at Dynamo Stadium. Again, board showed 2:0 in BATE’s September 13th to Decem- in calisthenics (all-round) and fi rst minute. Artem Kontsevoy pectedly from 25m, sending Dmitry Baga took a penalty favour. ber 7th, with two teams from in the individual exercises soon seized the moment, with the ball tightly under the bar. kick, with Marko Simić head- “Th is is our holiday and each group reaching the next with ball and skipping rope. his shot saved by the Austrian Th e Austrians then became ing the ball directly under the we’ve deserved it,” noted Mr. round. Th ose occupying third As expected, China goalkeeper. However, BATE evidently more nervous, bar. In the remaining time, Goncharenko at an aft er- place in each quartet will go claimed the most medals in laid the fi rst stone in the foun- which aff ected their play. BATE primarily focused on match press conference. “It’s to the play-off s of the Europa Shenzhen, with an impressive dation of their success during During the 70th minute, defending their goal. Howev- a fantastic achievement for League — Europe’s second 145 awards. Belarus fi nished the 36th minute. Edgar Ole- the Borisov footballers scored er, they still created a few tense our club and country. Over most important club tourna- 19th. khnovich made a pass from again, in a similar fashion to moments near their rival’s net. a short period of time, BATE ment. Eight medals and six tickets to 2012 Olympic Games Belarusian kayak and canoe masters claim multiple victories at 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Hungary By Yuri Kovalev come in spring. Th e men’s came fi rst in the marathon K1 ing her with bronze. kayak four is one of the most 5,000m; his delayed start left Th e only gold was won by Belarus has won a record spectacular and prestigious in him in second place. canoeists Dmitry Ryabchenko, number of medals — one gold, the Games’ programme, with Roman Petrushenko Dmitry Voitishkin, Denis Ga- three silver and four bronze — Belarus already known for its and Vadim Makhnev earned razha and Alexander Volchet- at the Rowing Canal in Szeged; skill. Our athletes caused a real bronze in the K2 200m, but sky — in the C4 1,000m; they according to specialists, it stir at the Beijing Olympics and could have done better. Th ey left their rivals no chance for boasts the most dedicated have since regularly confi rmed spoilt their fi rst two strokes, the third time at world cham- fans. Our athletes claimed six their leadership, winning vari- which infl uenced their posi- pionships. Th ey have places at Olympic tickets as a result of ous international level medals. tion. Alongside the women’s the London Games in all three their unchallenged triumph. Other season leaders, four, they managed to win events. Alexander Zhukovsky Sadly, Olympic champions including Oleg Yurenya of medals in Olympic disciplines. came fourth in the men’s C1 Roman Petrushenko, Alexey Belarus, were also left with- Irina Pomelova, Nadezhda 1,000m while Dmitry Voit- Abalmasov, Artur Litvinchuk out medals. Oleg faced disap- Popok, Olga Khudenko and ishkin fi nished sixth in the C1

and Vadim Makhnev failed to pointment in the K1 1,000m Marina Poltoran came third 200m. REUTERS reach the main fi nals and did but nevertheless has his place behind Hungary and Ger- Th e coaches have decided Victorious finish for Belarusian canoe four not take part in B fi nals, which at the London Olympics, as many. Poltoran has long been not to accelerate the training due to injury. He took part in gave us a pleasing bronze in the have placed their chances of do Alexander and Andrey a leader in the K1 5,000m, but of Denis Garazha — who leads the less prestigious C1 500m, C2 sprint event. Finally, young going to London in jeopardy. Bogdanovich, who came sixth failed to keep her initiative the national team. He missed claiming silver. Meanwhile, kayaker Pavel Medvedev won Th eir last opportunity will in C2 1,000m. Yurenya almost during the fi nal section, leav- the beginning of the season Ryabchenko and Volchetsky silver in the K1 500m.