Champions and medalists of Barcelona Olympics honored at NOC of Belarus

The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus hosted champions and medalists of the Summer Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona on 25 July.

The Olympic Games kicked off at the Lewis Companys Olympic Stadium 30 years ago, on 25 July 1992. Belarusian athletes made a significant contribution to the overall success of the CIS Unified Team. Our athletes won a total of 22 awards, including 13 gold medals.

Before the official meeting the sports idols of the 1990s gathered in the spacious foyer of the NOC of Belarus. They shared their memories of their young years and the Games with journalists and were keenly interested in each other’s affairs. Those were Andrei Barbachinski, Dmitri Dovgalenok, Ekaterina Karsten, Kanstantsin Lukashyk, Aleksandr Maseykov, Sergey Smal, Irina Sumnikova, Leonid Taranenko, Elena Khloptseva.

President of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus Viktor Lukashenko met with famous athletes and congratulated them on the memorable date.

“Many of you approached the Barcelona Games as renowned and decorated athletes, but given the political transformations taking place in the world, the CIS team had a hard time in 1992. However, you were strongly motivated to perform to the top of your ability and were determined to become Olympic champions and medalists. In total, Belarusian athletes won 22 medals in Barcelona: 13 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze medals. Nice to be with you today. You all once competed on the same Olympic team, and now many of you are sharing your expertise and knowledge with aspiring and fledging athletes. I am sure that today you have something to remember and discuss,” Viktor Lukashenko said.

The renowned athletes shared their memories of the Games in Barcelona, made specific proposals for the development of their sports. Many of them expressed their willingness to share their experience with young Belarusian athletes.

Social adaptation of athletes after the end of their professional careers was another important topic of the discussion during the meeting.

Olympic champion in canoe sprint Dmitry Dovgalenok, recalling the 1992 Games, noted the special atmosphere of the Olympics in Barcelona. "All the athletes were like one family, they communicated warmly with each other. I also remember the Olympic village. At that time, the IOC was headed by Juan Antonio Samaranch and he really wanted the Games to make a memorable event. The Spaniards, in my opinion, created the most comfortable conditions for the guests. We, the athletes, only had to show our best results," Dmitry Dovgalenok said.

His teammate Aleksandr Maseikov lamented today’s developments around the Belarusian team. "The conditions were in 1980 and 1984 were difficult too. Then politics also interfered in sport, which negatively affected the Olympic movement." Nevertheless, Maseikov believes, everything will pass, and the world Olympic family will again become united. "In the meantime, there is time to pause, think over further plans and prepare well for future tournaments. I always remember Barcelona with warmth. The Games brought together many world renowned athletes. I even took a picture together with basketball player Michael Jordan. We became champions too. The Games were great!,” the eminent athlete said.

Konstantin Lukashik, who won the first gold for the team in Barcelona, said that he has not thought much of his Olympic medal for the past 30 years: “More often my friends remind me of it, which is very nice. It is also nice that the NOC always takes care of Olympic athletes. It means a lot.”

The Olympic basketball champion was impressed with great conditions in Barcelona too. “As a participant of four Olympics I would like to note that the Athletes Village in Spain was the best one. The competition was high, and in these conditions we were able to win the gold medal thanks to dedication and discipline, which our coach Evgeny Gomelsky pointed to,” said Irina Sumnikova.

At the 25th Olympic Games in Barcelona, following the collapse of the USSR, representatives of post-Soviet countries performed as part of the CIS Unified Team. There were 54 Belarusian athletes among them, who won 13 gold, four silver and five bronze medals. One of the biggest stars of the 1992 Games was Belarusian gymnast Vitaly Scherbo, who won six Olympic gold medals. Taking the top step of the podium were also canoe sprint athletes Dmitry Dovgalenok and Aleksandr Maseikov, weightlifter Aleksandr Kurlovich, shooter Konstantin Lukashik, swimmer Yelena Rudkovskaya, gymnast Svetlana Boginskaya, basketball players Irina Sumnikova and Elena Shvaibovich, handball players Andrey Barbashinsky, Mikhail Yakhimovich and Andrey Minevsky. The opening ceremony of the Games in Barcelona was held on 25 July, the closing ceremony - on 9 August 1992.

Press service of the NOC of Belarus

Photos courtesy of the NOC of Belarus