MINSK, 28 December (BelTA) – Tatyana Petrenya (trampolining) and Anton Kushnir (freestyle skiing) were named Belarus' best female and male athletes of 2017, respectively, BelTA informs.
Printed and electronic media selected the top Belarusian athletes of 2017 by voting. The voting was traditionally organized by the Sportivnaya Panorama newspaper.
With 623 points, Tatyana Petrenya, the winner of the 2017 Trampoline World Championships, had a clear advantage in the women's category. The 2014 Sochi Olympic champion Anton Kushnir, who won three World Cups in 2017, received most votes among men. According to the media, the top eight Belarusian athletes are women. Apart from Tatyana Petrenya, the top three also includes Olga Khudenko (canoeing and kayaking) and Arina Sobolenko (tennis). Wrestler Vanessa Kolodinskaya placed fourth. Three-time Olympic champion Darya Domracheva made a successful return to sport after having a baby. She claimed silver in women's pursuit at the Hochfilzen World Championships in February 2017, and won a race at the 2017 IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen. The biathlete finished fifth in the voting.
The top ten also includes Anastasia Prokopenko (modern pentathlon), Aleksandra Sasnovich (tennis), Aleksandra Gerasimenya (swimming), and Vasily Kiriyenko (cycling).
The Belarusian women's tennis team was named the best one in team sports, the trampoline team was ranked No. 1 in other sports.
Eduard Dubrov, the leader of the women's tennis team, was named the best coach.
According to the organizers, the number of athletes nominated for the voting reached a record high of 93 in 2017, breaking the 2010 record (87). It was 37 in 2000, 51 in 2012, and 83 in 2016.
