SPORT The Times Thursday, February 27, 2014 11 Olympics blow out golden torch The Olympics have now ended in Sochi, with an impressive closing ceremony — as expected. The show was a great success and crowned wonderful Games for , at which our athletes enjoyed some head- spinning victories. There’s no doubt that the Sochi Olympics were unique and unpredictable.

strength, showing the Belarusian team leader was dis- that I’m able to do suaded by coach Nikolay Kozeko, anything. I’ve been who convinced Anton to continue lucky today. I wanted training and taking part in competi- to win, as my tricks tions. Mr. Kozeko has been proven and jumps were correct. complicated. I’m re- After the Vancouver Olym- ally happy. I don’t pic champion, Alexey Grishin, fell think this will ever down during the qualification stage, happen again so I’ll Mr. Kushnir became a contender to finish my career now, continue the Belarusian freestyle tra- on a high note.” dition: since 1998, we have never re- turned from a winter Games without Anton Kushnir an Olympic . He succeeded: It took 22 years his triple somersault with five pirou- for Anton to claim ettes earned him the highest score in his Olympic medal, Olympic freestyle history and, logi- despite being a hot cally, gold. BELTA during Winter closing ceremony favourite four years “The jump was wonderful and ago in Vancouver I’ve done my best,” Mr. Kushnir By Dmitry Baranovsky star hour: Darya captured gold and (when the Ukrain- said after the competition. “I test- Nadezhda Skardino took bronze, ian sportsman joined ed out the jump during the 2009 After around ten days of the in the individual race. After Darya’s our Belarusian World Championship, in Japan, and competition, Belarus joined the top mass start gold, President Alexan- team). Mr. Kushnir’s planned to perform something simi- five most popular Google enquiries der Lukashenko signed a decree to ski acrobatics talent lar in Vancouver but failed. I cor- within the US, inspired by our five award her the title of Belarus, was well confirmed rected my mistakes but my injuries gold . Three of our athletes in to which Ms. Domracheva com- by his Big Crystal prevented me from achieving what I ‘red-and-green’ stepped up to the top mented that her success was no sur- Globe (won during wanted. I’m happy with this victory plinth of the podium. prise for her, as she believed that her World Cup rounds) — for myself and my country.” years of hard work would eventually but he met failure, Our freestyle and biathlete med- Darya Domracheva pay off. She noted, “Over my career, which prevented als shine out so brightly that the Medals were expected from our I’ve had many races. Some were suc- Anton from going failures of our skiers and short track top Belarusian biathlete. However, cessful and others — not. Each time, through to the fi- speed skaters are easier to bear. Ex- even the most passionate optimists I concentrated my efforts to become nals. He was on the perienced skier Sergey Dolidovich could hardly have imagined that stronger and, as a result, joined the edge of retiring, be- came close to success in the 50km Darya would do so brilliantly — es- Sochi Olympics ready for any situa- ing without financial individual race but, sadly, his efforts BELTA pecially after her disappointment in tion… and enjoyed these victories.” ’s joy of Olympic victory support. However, failed to bring a medal…. the sprint race, which opened the Darya may yet claim the Big biathlon programme at the Laura Crystal Globe this season, as she is on each occasion, missed out. She Sports Complex. She failed even to among the favourites, with no plans attended the four previous Olympics come close to a medal, leading to to slow down after her Sochi tri- without bringing home a medal, per- doubts regarding her readiness. Of umph. haps due to a lack of self-belief. Three course, those concerns were dis- years ago, Alla retired and chose to pelled over the coming days, when Alla Tsuper have a child, but was persuaded to Ms. Domracheva claimed three gold Bookmakers gave odds of 125- return, leading to her unexpected but medals (in the pursuit, individual 1 on Alla Tsuper’s Sochi gold: only very welcome triumph in Sochi. race and mass start). Her rivals were those with strong faith believed in Around 18 months ago, the head truly ‘knocked-out’; even her arch- the Belarusian’s potential for success. coach of Belarus’ national freestyle competitor — Norwegian Tora Berg- Alla began her trampoline career team, Nikolay Kozeko, suggested er — couldn’t match Darya’s speed. long ago and was many times close that Ms. Tsuper test her sporting luck Day seven of the Games was our to winning major competitions but, for the last time and Alla agreed. It took less than a year to get back in shape, regaining her former strength and, importantly, she rebuilt her self- confidence. No great achievements were expected from her in Sochi, which enabled Alla to relax and jump as never before. The jump which brought Alla an Olympic gold had been performed only twice in her life (the first during a training session). Ms. Tsuper took a risk and created a true sporting sensation, knocking out her rivals Chinese Nina Li and Xu Mengtao and Australian Lydia Lassila. “I’m very happy at becoming an Olympic champion,” Alla gushed, breathless with joy after the final

BELTA results were announced. “I’ve dem- BELTA Nadezhda Skardino’s happy smile onstrated my fighting spirit and Anton Kushnir’s ‘gold jump’