3 October 2018
See-off ceremony for Belarusian Youth Olympics 2018 national team held at NOC Belarus HQ

On 3 October, the national sport delegation departed from the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus to Buenos Aires for the Youth Olympic Games 2018.

Before the team left the National Olympic Committee, NOC First Vice-President Andrei Astashevich read aloud the farewell message from President Alexander Lukashenko to the young athletes.

On behalf of her teammates, young athlete Hanna Zubkova promised they would perform honestly in Buenos Aires, treat opponents with respect and abide by Olympic ideals.

Secretary General of the NOC Belarus George Katulin was confident:

- Belarus were always strong at the Youth Olympics. This time we also have a serious line-up who are able to win medals. Of course, we wait medals, but that is not as important for young athletes as the fact of their Olympic debut. It will be wonderful if they keep on building sport career and zero in on Olympic Games.

Young Ambassador Anastasiya Lesik set off for Buenos Aires along with the national team. She participated in the first Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck and now ready to help Belarusian athletes to enjoy their stay in Argentina and atmosphere of two-week sport festivity.

There are 37 Belarusian athletes in 16 sports who are going to fight for medals in Buenos Aires. 

Three Olympic champions are included in the Belarusian sports delegation:

Chef de Mission Dmitri Dovgalyonok – the champion of Barcelona 1992 in canoe sprint;

Coach Marina Lobatch – the champion of Seoul 1988 in rhythmic gymnastics;

Coach Aliaksei Abalmasau – the champion of Beijing 2008 in canoe sprint.

They will accompany their junior colleagues, many of whom have already become champions and medalists of junior world and European competitions: Anastasiya Shkurdai (swimming), Anna Kamenshchikova (rhythmic gymnastics), Ivan Litvinovich (trampoline), Aliaksei Aleksandrovich, Hanna Zubkova (both athletics), Kseniya Dzibuk and Natallia Varakina (freestyle wrestling), Ivan Brynza (rowing), Artsiom Kolasau (judo), Katsiaryna Etsina (modern pentathlon), Nadezhda Bogdanova (table tennis) and others.


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