MINSK, 18 March (BelTA) – Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of Belarus Nikolai Shudeiko has summed up the performance of Belarusian athletes at the 14th Winter Paralympic Games, BelTA has learned.
More than 600 athletes from 55 countries took part in the competition in Italy, including four representatives of Belarus, who competed with national symbols for the first time in several years. The Belarusian team secured two medals in cross-country skiing and finished 17th in the overall medal tally.
“You could say we really fought for these medals. That’s why they mean so much more to the athletes and to the whole country than in previous years. Our small team only got the green light at the last minute, and we had to adjust our entire preparation system. I think it was a solid performance after so many years on the sidelines. In the medal standings, we surpassed such strong countries as Japan, Finland, Slovakia… That means a lot,” Nikolai Shudeiko stated.
Both medals for the Belarusian team were secured by Raman Svirydzenka, who competes in the LW4 class for standing athletes with limb impairments. The 21-year-old from Novopolotsk won gold in his very first Paralympic race (the sprint), and a day later took silver in the 10km interval start classic race.
“Raman demonstrated his best qualities in Italy. He is becoming the team’s leader, and a new Paralympic ski and biathlon team will be formed around him. Such a grounded young man, he has matured over these four years, and we can rely on him in everything. A true gentleman with a wonderful sense of humor. If we had more athletes like him, Belarusian Paralympic sport would be ahead of the entire planet,” the secretary general of the Paralympic Committee noted.
Raman Svirydzenka. Screenshot of the video
Belarusian athletes Lidziya Loban, Valiantsina Biryla, and Darya Fedzkovich also competed at the Paralympic Games, reaching the top ten in their respective classes. The Belarusian team finished ninth in the mixed relay.
“We expected a little more from our women, but the lack of competitions over the past four years took its toll, as we were unable to participate in international events due to restrictions. Still, they did everything possible to represent the country with dignity. At certain stages, they were among the leading groups,” Nikolai Shudeiko shared.
The secretary general of Belarus’ Paralympic Committee also expressed gratitude to the coaches, administrators, and medical staff for their work with the team: “I really like this term. When everyone knows what needs to be done, it's not just a delegation, but precisely a team. We hope that no more cataclysms will interfere with sports or fuel its politicization. We choose to believe in a positive outcome for everyone, so that we can keep bringing joy to our fans and making Belarus proud.”
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