SPORT The Minsk Times Thursday, September 3, 2009 11 No medals Minsk hosts this time

By Yuri Kovalev holiday of grace 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, held in German capital, sees Belarusian athletes fail to bring and beauty home medals In Berlin, Belarus saw no outstanding success. Mean- Graces compete at BelSwissBank Rhythmic while, Jamaican sprinter Us- Gymnastics FIG World Cup in Belarusian capital ain Bolt set a world record in the 100m and 200m and took By Yuri Karpenko and Svetlana Rudalova. We more experience to beat the gold in the 4x100 relay. Russia’s cannot deny her skills how- Olympic champion Yelena Isinbaeva was expected Only the Ukrainians ever. She is a very smart however, saying, “I still need to do well in the pole vault but were absent from the compe- and talented girl. Her great- time to establish myself as a did not live up to fans’ hopes. tition in Minsk, resting aft er grandmother (famous ac- gymnast.” Th e last time the Belarusian a tense stage of the World tress Stefaniya Stanyuta) was Belarus did well in the squad came home from the Cup in Kiev. Now that Bei- a famous actress — a face of group competitions. Anasta- World Championship empty- jing Olympic silver medallist Belarus, which speaks for sia Ivankova, Alesya Babush- handed was in 1999 at Span- Inna Zhukova has retired, itself. She is continuing the kina, Alina Tumilovich, Dina ish Seville. In Berlin, in the fans were keen to see who glorious traditions of her Gaityukevich and Marina shot-putt, Natalia Mikhnevich will take her place as the new creative family. From her Goncharova took second was placed fourth, while Pavel face of Belarusian rhythmic great-grandmother, who per- place in the ribbon and rope Lyzhin came sixth, Andrey gymnastics. Th e answer was formed at the Yanka Kupala events, and came third in Mikhnevich achieved sev- perhaps given at the World Th eatre, Melita has inherited the hoop exercise. Moreover, enth place and Pavel Krivitsky Cup event in Minsk, which artistry and fl exibility. Even they were best all-round. took eighth position. Another brought together representa- in her 70s, the great actress Th e Crystal Rose compe- shot-putter, Yuri Shayunov, tives from 28 countries. could easily do the splits. tition was also held as part had been placed second this Young Melita Stanyuta of Her great-granddaughter, of the World Cup, bringing current season but fi nished Belarus, who debuted this who has been engaged in together young gymnasts 26th among 34 participants. season at adult tournaments, since who failed to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympic cham- took a silver medal in the her early childhood, is self- major tournament. A show- pion Oksana Menkova came rope exercise and claimed critical. Success hasn’t turned performance by the stars of 13th and failed to reach the four bronze medals for her Melita’s head.” rhythmic gymnastics con- fi nals. Silver Olympic decath- hoop, ball, ribbon and all- “Minsk has only hosted cluded the event. Inna Zhu- lete Andrey Kravchenko was round events. a World Cup stage,” she kova, who has retired, also placed tenth. In the fi nal table, “Of course, judging by stressed aft er the competition performed; she prepared Belarus had 11 points and was the result, Melita is the new was over. “I can’t relax yet; I new performances especially placed 28th among 62 coun- leader of the team; at just need to correct my mistakes for her dear spectators. tries whose athletes made it 15, she has managed to win and achieve my peak for the Now, our Belarusian to the top eight at the World fi ve medals,” notes the head World Championship.” Ac- graces are training hard for Championship. coach of Belarus’ national cording to Melita, Yevgeni- the World Championship, team, Irina Leparskaya. ya Kanaeva of Russia, who held in Japan on September “However, she is modest, so took all the gold medals in 9th. Th ey aim to reach the Belarusian still looks up to her older Minsk, is beatable. Th e Bela- top eight and compete for ALEXANDER RUZHECHKA friends Lyubov Cherkashina rusian girl believes she needs medals. Melita Stanyuta’s major victories lie ahead footballers in the Autumn of great Apennines As prestigious Italian football ahead for fans football championship kicks off , two Belarusian BATE footballers crush Bulgarian Litex in away match players take the fi eld play offs for group stage of UEFA Europa League Belarusian national foot- ball team forward Vitaly Ku-

BELTA By Kirill Pirogov tuzov, 29, is no newcomer Irina Turets water skiing in the distance race to the Apennines. In 2001, Having moved from the having left BATE Borisov, he Champions’ League to the played for Milan. Later, he Pirouettes Europa League, our fi ve- joined Avellino, Sampdoria, time Belarusian champion Parma, and Pisa. has failed to win its home Now, together with his above water match against Litex. BATE Bari team-mates, he has made lost 0:1 despite having an ev- it through to the elite division By Kirill Karin Berdnikova, Olga Pavlova and ident advantage. In a recent of the championship from the Irina Turets, who jumped from match in Lovech, everything B series. He celebrated his re- European Water Ski fourth place in Canada to sec- depended on the Borisov turn to the A series with a goal Championship, held in ond position in Denmark. team. Pleasingly, the squad in his fi rst match of the new Denmark’s Vallensbaek, Our fi gure water-skiers defeated Bulgaria’s fourth championship, securing mod- is a success for Belarusian all took medals, as they did top team. REUTERS est Bari an away draw against team at the world forum. Gold was For a long time, the score Sergey Sosnovsky (2nd R) just after scoring against Litex formidable Inter Milan — 1:1. Belarus brought home claimed by German Belya- remained at 0:0 but, in the onov) and took their ticket Soviet football club to reach Mikhail Sivakov, 21, the two gold and two bronze kov, while silver went to Oleg 86th minute, defenseman to the Europa League group the UEFA Europa League’s second representative of Be- medals as well as three silver. Devyatovsky and bronze to Sergey Sosnovsky sent a goal stage. Shortly before the fi - qualifi cation round at the larus in the Italian champion- Prize-holders and winners of Alexey Zhernosek. In the past Serbian Uroš Golubović. nal whistle, Maxim Skavysh fi rst attempt. ship — who also ‘originated’ the recent World Champion- all-round, Oleg Devyatovsky Th is made up for his own pushed his opponent to Zenit, Moscow Dynamo, from BATE — was invited to ship in Canada (where Bela- and German Belyakov came mistake in allowing a Litex score in their own goal, end- Kharkov Metallist, Vorskla, Cagliari aft er a couple of high rus also collected a rich crop second and third respectively. goal in the fi rst match. Dur- ing the match 4:0. For the Amkar and Donetsk Metal- quality matches in the Cham- of medals) reiterated their In the slalom and trampo- ing extra time, the Belaru- second year in a row, BATE lurg have failed to achieve pions League. He is yet to ap- success. Th is year, the event line jumps, Belarus did less sians pulled themselves up is presenting an autumn of the necessary results in their pear on the fi eld in the A Se- gathered over 80 water-skiers well, failing to take a medal. and utterly smashed their great football, proving that away matches of the Europa ries but his coaches have great from 19 countries. Among the women, Natalia hosts. In nine minutes, they perseverance and self-belief League play-off s, so won’t be hopes for him (the club was Belarus was represented Berdnikova took gold for her scored twice (goals from win the day. going through to the next placed 9th at last year’s Italian by Oleg Devyatovsky, Natalia fi gure jumps. Sosnovsky and Vitaly Rodi- BATE is the only post- stage. championship).