102 The Olympic Legacy of the Games of the XXII Olympiad for Ukraine In addition, the Olympic sports camp was built in Koncha Zaspa – the countryside of Kyiv. In the forest area, the authors of the project from the Kyiv branch of the All-Union Institute for the Design of Sports Facilities "Soyuzsportproekt" managed to accommodate a sports complex, which included five gyms, a club-dining room with a cinema and a reading room, two hotel buildings, outdoor sports fields, for the stay of 400 athletes. The entrance to the camp was decorated with the Olympic- themed bas-reliefs, and the walls of the buildings were decorated with handmade artistic and decorative com- positions. A new period of development for the stadium came on the eve of the 1980 Olympics. Reconstruction of the Dynamo Stadium allowed to make the installation of an electronic scoreboard, increased the administrative building by one floor; the athletics track underwent a major reconstruction. For the successful creation of the lighting poles installed at the stadium, the invention of the Ukrainians was registered in the State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers for Inventions and Dis- coveries as an industrial design. The famous colonnade at the entrance to the stadium, a monumental fence, all the architectural design was not only preserved but also carefully restored. The "Dynamo" Stadium used to have a building housing administrative premises and dressing rooms 103 The delegation that came to Kyiv for the qualifying football tournament included 11 judges from the USA, Scotland, Germany, Sweden, Colombia, Brazil, Kuwait, Cuba, Zambia, and 11 honorary guests-members of the International Olympic Committee, national Olympic committees, international sports committees, and fed- erations – a total of 91 people. They inspected the readi- ness of sports facilities for the Olympic tournament. During the Olympic days, Kyiv was visited by IOC President Lord Michael Killanin, IOC members Joao Ave- lange (Brazil), Abdel Mohamed Halim (Sudan), Tsuney- oshi Takeda (Japan), ambassadors Yaker Layakhi (Alge- ria), Abdul Rahman Alduri (Iran), and others. Preparations for the 1980 Games made it possible to reconstruct the central districts of Kyiv, giving them a real metropolitan look. In particular, the image of the October Revolution and Lenin Komsomol Squares (now – Maidan Nezalezhnosti and the European Square) were complete- ly changed. The monuments to the 1980 Olympic Games in Kyiv are not only the Olympic National Sports Complex and the hotels around it, but also the building of the Min- istry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ukrainian House, the Trade Union House, and the Olympic mascot “Bear Mi- sha” installed at the entrance to Kyiv. Before the 1980 Games, 114 hotels, dormitories, mo- tels, and campsites were opened in the country. In Kyiv, new hotels Bratislava and Rus were built, and the hotels Dnipro, Mir, Teatralna, Leningrad, Zolotiy Kolos were re- constructed for the convenience of city guests. The Respublikansky Stadium metro station (now – Olimpiyska) has become one of the Kyiv’s attractions The Trade Union House (pictured left) and the Ukrainian House (pictured right) were built on the eve of the Games of the XXII Olympiad The October Revolution Square underwent a major renovation on the eve of the 1980 Olympic Games. In 1977, a metro station was opened there 104 The Olympic Legacy of the Games of the XXII Olympiad for Ukraine Ukrainian Organizing Committee of the 1980 Olympics Pavlo Yesypenko opened the big Olympic festival on July 20. Kyiv is the only city visited by the 1980 Olympic flame twice. At the solemn ceremony in the presence of more than 100,000 spectators, the silver medallist of the 1972 Olympic Games in track and field decathlon, Merited Mas- ter of Sports of the USSR Leonid Litvinenko was honoured to light the Olympic flame in the stadium. "No one forced people to go to the stadium. On the con- trary, they "fought" for tickets a month before the matches. And they were available to everyone, cost about 2 roubles. No special emphasis was placed on propaganda and po- litical campaigning. The involvement factor worked. It was a generation that saw the war; people who managed and enjoyed life... Then, by the way, sportswear became fash- ionable... Everyone wanted to take part in preparation for the Olympics, to go to competitions. There was pride for the country, for us: we can do it, we did it!” – Petro Yesip- enko told years later. It was in the Rus Hotel near the Respublikansky Sta- dium that a kind of Olympic village was organized for athletes participating in football tournaments. Judges and journalists were accommodated in the Dnipro Hotel; Mir, and Bratislava received the fans. Representatives of different Ukrainian regions built twelve restaurants and cafes in Kyiv for the visitors of the capital, so that the guests of the city could get acquainted with the peculiarities of different types of the national cui- sine (Bessarabian, Slobozhansk, Galician, etc.). The press centre headed by V. G. Dmytruk, the editor of the Sportivnaya Gazeta, was set up in Kyiv to cover the Olympic battles. Office equipment to ensure comfortable and efficient activities of media representatives was devel- oped with an active participation of the Institute of Cyber- netics of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Celebrations on the occasion of the opening of the Olympic football tournament in Kyiv took place at the renovated Respublikansky Stadium. The chairman of the The Rus Hotel, which became the Olympic village for participants of the group football tournament in Kyiv Judges and journalists were accommodated in the Dnipro Hotel, which was reconstructed on the eve of the 1980 Olympic Games Opening festivities of the Olympic football tournament at the renovated Respublikansky Stadium of the capital of the Ukrainian SSR 105 Badges of participants of the cultural programme of the 1980 Games of the XXII Olympiad interest among the audience: "The Price of the Olympic Hammer", dedicated to prominent hammer throwers Anatoliy Bondarchuk and Yuriy Sedykh; "The Height" – about the world record holder in high jump Volodymyr Yashchenko; "Kyiv Olympic", "Son of the Champion", "Ring", "Main Record", and others. A special place among the cinematographic products was occupied by the car- toons "How the Cossacks played football" and "How the Cossacks became Olympians". Many enterprises, organizations, and their employ- ees from different regions of Ukraine, which provided preparation for the celebration of peace and sports festivities in Kyiv, were decorated with state awards of the USSR and the Ukrainian SSR. President of the In- ternational Olympic Committee, Lord Michael Killanin, expressed his gratitude to the Head of the Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Games in Ukraine Pavlo Yesypenko and presented him a commemorative med- al. In return, Lord Killanin and received an embroidered folk shirt from Pavlo Yesypenko in memory of his stay on the Ukrainian soil. The largest, of course, was the Olympic cultural pro- gramme of Kyiv, which involved 70 music, choir, and dance groups, more than 150 leading theatre actors and talented youth. 17 museums, 7 libraries, 6 cinemas, 4 parks of culture and recreation joined the cultural programme. Meetings with prominent Ukrainian Olym- pians organized by the Republican Peace Committee were interesting for the guests of Kyiv. The 1980 Olympics left many traces in material cul- ture and art. The Olympic rings that adorned the streets of Soviet cities are found in many places to this day; the symbols of the Games are familiar to many as decora- tions of household and souvenirs. Many documenta- ries, cartoons, songs, musical compositions, and works of fine art were devoted to the 1980 Olympic Games. The contribution of Ukrainian cinematographers to the content of the cultural programme cannot be left out. The following documentaries aroused considerable 106 The Olympic Legacy of the Games of the XXII Olympiad for Ukraine 107 Before the football tournament of the 1980 Games of the XXII Olympiad, the organizers placed orders for the Olympic paraphernalia with a number of artists. The best Ukrainian artists – creators of posters, badges, souvenirs, etc. – sent their offers. On the eve of the Olympic holiday, different memorabilia were created, and almost every fan of Olympic sports longed to have a souvenir. The Games of the XXIV Olympiad (Seoul – 1988) Oleksandr Kyrychenko - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in cycling in the men's 1000 m time trial The right to host the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad was granted to Seoul (Republic of Korea). By the number of medals gained at the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, the USSR national team was the leader with a sig- nificant advantage of 55 gold, 31 silver, and 46 bronze medals. The Ukrain- ian SSR was represented by 96 athletes in the national team of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian athletes made a significant contribution to the vic- tory of the USSR team at the Games of the XXIV Olympiad: they won 14 gold, 10 silver, and 13 bronze Olympic medals in the individual and team standing. The performance of Ukrainian athlete Sergey Bubka, who won the gold medal in pole vault and showed a result of 5 m 90 cm, became a sensation. Throughout his sports career, this outstanding athlete man- aged to set 35 world records. He is the only pole vaulter who won at six world championships. The record of the Ukrainian athlete – 6 m 14 cm – set in 1994 was surpassed by Swedish athlete Armand Duplantis only 26 years later – in 2020. Twenty-one Ukrainian athletes mounted the highest step of the Olym- pic podium at the Games of the XXIV Olympiad Gennady Avdeyenko, Vik- tor Bryzgin, Olga Bryzgina, Lyudmyla Dzhigalova, Maria Pinigina, Tetyana Samolenko, basketball players Oleksandr Bilostinny, Oleksandr Volkov, Valeriy Goborov; football players Volodymyr Lyutyi, Oleksiy Mykhaily- chenko, Volodymyr Tatarchuk, Vadym Tyshchenko, Oleksiy Cherednyk; gymnast Olga Strazheva, wrestler Sergiy Beloglazov, cyclist Oleksandr Kyrychenko, shooter Dmytro Monakov, handball player Oleksandr Ry- manov and Leonid Doroshenko, and volleyball player Olga Shkurnova. Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Games of the 1980s108 109109 Gennady Avdeyenko - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in athletics in the men’s high jump Sergey Bubka - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in the men’s pole vault Sergiy Beloglazov - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in freestyle wrestling in the weight class up to 57 kg 110 Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Games of the 1980s110 Olga Bryzgina – a two-time champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in athletics in the women’s 400 metres and in the 4 x 400 m relay Viktor Bryzgin - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in athletics in the men’s 4 x 100 m relay Tetyana Samolenko - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in athletics in the women's 3,000 metres, bronze medallist in the women's 1,500 metres Lyudmyla Dzhigalova – the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in athletics in the women’s 4 x 400 m relay 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111 Mariya Pinigina - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in athletics in the women’s 4 x 400 m relay Olga Shkurnova - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in volleyball Olga Strazheva – the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in gymnastics (women's team combined exercises) Dmitry Monakov – the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in shooting (mixed trap) 112112 Valeriy Goborov - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in basketball Oleksandr Bilostinny - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in basketball Oleksandr Volkov - the champion of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul in basketball Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Games of the 1980s 113113 Ukrainian handball players Leonid Doroshenko and Oleksandr Rymanov as part of the USSR national handball team – the champions of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul Volodymyr Lutyi, Oleksiy Mykhailychenko, Volodymyr Tatarchuk, Vadym Tyshchenko, and Oleksiy Cherednyk as part of the USSR national football team – the champions of the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul Part ІV The Olympic Progress in the Independent Ukraine Establishment of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games 2004 Olympic Torch Relay in the Capital of Ukraine - Kyiv Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Winter Games Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games Ukrainian Athletes at the European Games Ukrainian Athletes at the European Youth Olympic Festivals Popularization and Educational Activities of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the Olympic Academy of Ukraine International Olympic Academy in the System of Olympic education in Ukraine Visits of Leaders of the International and European Olympic Movement to Ukraine Honouring Outstanding Ukrainian Athletes and Sports Personalities. Ukrainian Academy of Sports Ukrainians Abroad in Cooperation with the Olympic family of Ukraine Perfo Team Olym 2004 the Ca Ukrai Olym Ukrai Youth Ukrai Europ Ukrai Europ Festiv Popu Educa Natio of Uk Acade Intern Acade Olym Visits Intern Olym Hono Ukrai Perso Acade Ukrai Coop famil Sovereignty of Ukraine and the provisions of the Olym- pic Charter, the Assembly, as the competent authority, decided to establish the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. The then Chairman of the State Committee of the Ukrainian SSR for Youth, Physical Culture and Sport, two-time Olympic champion Valeriy Borzov was elect- ed the first President of the NOC of Ukraine, Volodymyr Kulyk became the First Vice President, Myroslav Hertsyk and Volodymyr Platonov – Vice Presidents, Secretary General – Volodymyr Kiba who was replaced by Borys Bashenko in 1992. The proclamation of the Act of State Independ- ence of Ukraine on 24 August 1991, confirmed in an All-Ukrainian referendum on December 1 of the same year, and the recognition of Ukraine as an independ- ent state by the world community made it possible to take the first steps to formal recognition of the NOC of Ukraine. In the early 1990s – after the proclamation of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine by the Verk- hovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR – significant changes took place in the political, economic, social, and cul- tural life of the republic, and they did not come by the sphere of sports. An urgent need in the Ukrainian soci- ety to represent Ukraine in the international Olympic movement arose. From that moment on, a new page of the Olympic history of independent Ukraine has begun. On December 22-23, 1990, the Assembly of Found- ers of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine took place in Kyiv. Two hundred and ten delegates – repre- sentatives of the republican federations of Olympic sports, regions of Ukraine, and cities of republican subordination (Kyiv and Sevastopol), republican sports associations, departmental sports organizations, state bodies and public organizations – were selected. Of the 210 delegates to the Assembly of Founders of the NOC of Ukraine, 164 arrived. Guided by the Declaration of State Establishment of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine 117 On 18 December 1991, on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, an appeal was sent to the Internation- al Olympic Committee with a request to recognize the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and to allow the national Olympic team of Ukraine to participate in the 1992 Olympic Games. On 9 March 1992, the Executive Board of the Inter- national Olympic Committee recognized the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and granted it the status of a temporary member. After that, at an extraordinary session of the General Assembly of the NOC of Ukraine, the emblem of the organization, which included the small coat of arms of Ukraine and the Olympic rings, was considered and approved. On 24 September 1993, at the 101st session, the Inter- national Olympic Committee, made a significant decision for our country and its sports on the full recognition of the NOC of Ukraine. With this decision, Ukraine became a full member of the Olympic family. In 1994, the rights of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine as an independ- ent non-governmental organization were enshrined in law by the Law of Ukraine "On Physical Culture and Sport" Art. 35 (now Article 23). A P P E A L Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the International Olympic Committee (Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy (VVR), 1992, No. 12, p. 175) On 1 December 1991, the 53 million people of Ukraine, adhering to international legal norms and continuing the age-old tradition of nation-building, proclaimed the state independence of Ukraine in a democratic and peaceful way on the basis of an all-Ukrainian referendum. Since that day, Ukraine has been recognized as an independent state by 15 countries, including Canada and Great Britain, Poland and Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary, India, and Turkey. Many other states intend to do so in the near future. Our state is a member and one of the founders of the United Nations Organisation and other international establishments. In Ukraine, under the leadership of national federations, all Olympic sports and Sport-for-All movement are now successfully developing. The names of prominent Ukrainian athletes and leading coaches are widely known in many countries around the world. Since 1952, Ukrainian athletes have not missed a single Olympics and won more than 400 medals, including 177 gold. The National Olympic Committee has been established and is active in Ukraine. Given the above and in connection with the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a state, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appeals to the International Olympic Committee to recognize the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and allow the national Olympic team of Ukraine to participate in the 1992 Olympic Games. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is confident that a positive decision of the International Olympic Committee on the recognition of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine will allow thousands of athletes and national teams of Ukraine to take an active and full part in the international Olympic movement, join its recognized values, enhance the prestige of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, help spreading the humanistic ideals of the Olympic movement on the planet. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Kyiv, 18 December 1991, № 1999-XII IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch presents the first President of the NOC of Ukraine, Valeriy Borzov, with a document recognizing the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. 1993 Valeriy Borzov – Merited Master of Sports, a two- time Olympic champion, the first President of the NOC of Ukraine (1991–1997) The Games of the XXV Olympiad. Barcelona – 1992 The Games of the XXV Olympiad took place in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, a Mediterranean pearl filled with a special atmosphere of spirituality, which, apparently, attracted such giants of the global culture as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. And that was the hometown of the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch. As a sign of the eternal unity of the Olympic sports and art, the divine voices of outstanding singers Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Montserrat Caballe sounded at the Games opening. According to the results of the Games, the first place was occupied by the Unified Team of the CIS, which competed under the Olympic flag. Its athletes won 45 gold, 38 silver, and 29 bronze medals. The team included 80 Ukrainian athletes who took part in the events in 23 sports and contributed 17 gold, 14 silver, and 9 bronze Olympic medals from individual and team events to the team's medal treasury. For the first time at those Games, the state flag of Ukraine was raised in honour of Oleg Kucherenko's victory in the Greco-Roman wrestling competition in the weight class up to 48 kg. Oleg Kucherenko – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in Greco- Roman wrestling in the weight class up to 48 kg 118 ofof CC ooff ss cuullt offo tt AnAnnntt vovovovovovovoovvovoooiiiiii JoJooJoosesesses AcAAAcAcAAcAAAAcAcAcAcccc thththhtt eee ItItItItttsss ss ininininccc ananannd inninind ttitit mm OlOO ee theth The Games of XXV Olympiad (Barcelona-1992) Olena Zhyrko – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in basketball Maryna Tkachenko – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in basketball Georgy Pogosov – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in fencing, men's team sabre Serhiy Bebeshko – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in handball Yuri Gavrilov – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in handball 119 Tatiana Gutsu – a two-time champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in gymnastics in the women’s all-around and team events, silver medallist in the women’s uneven bars, and bronze medallist in the women’s floor exercises Tetyana Lysenko – a two-time champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in gymnastics in the women’s beam and team events and bronze medallist in the women’s vault Lyudmila Dzhigalova - the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in athletics in the 4 x 400 m relay Vadym Guttsait - the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in fencing, men’s team sabre Oleksandra Tymoshenko - the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in rhythmic gymnastics in the individual all-around event 120 The Games of XXV Olympiad (Barcelona-1992) Olga Bryzgina – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in athletics in the women’s 4 x 400 m relay and silver medallist in the women’s 400 m Rustam Sharipov – the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in gymnastics in the men’s team event Igor Korobchinski - the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in gymnastics in the men’s team event and bronze medallist in the men’s parallel bar Hryhoriy Misyutin - the champion of the 1992 Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona in gymnastics in the men’s team event, a four- time silver medalist in the men’s all-around, vault, horizontal bar, and floor 121 ннннccceloeloelonananana in in in in ccceloeloe nananana in in in in The Games of the XXVI Olympiad. Atlanta – 1996 Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games The year of 1996 was marked by a jubilee date – the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Games of the modernity as well as the Games of the next – XXVI – Olympiad, which took place in Atlanta, USA. They became the first Games of the Olympiad in which the independent Ukraine was represented by an independent team. The national team of Ukraine included 233 athletes who won 23 Olympic medals (9 gold, 2 silver, 12 bronze) and brought the national team of Ukraine to a rightful – ninth – place in the overall standings. The owners of the highest Olympic awards were Yevhen Braslavets and Igor Matviyenko (sailing); Volodymyr Klichko (boxing); Inessa Kravets (athletics); Vyacheslav Oliynyk (Greco-Roman wrestling); Lilia Podkopayeva (2), Rustam Sharipov (gymnastics); Kateryna Serebryanska (rhythmic gymnastics); Timur Taymazov (weightlifting). Volodymyr Klichko - the champion of the 1996 Games of the XXVI Olympiad in boxing in the men's super heavyweight (above 91 kg) 123 Vyacheslav Oliynyk – the champion of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in Greco- Roman wrestling in the weight class up to 90 kg Timur Taymazov - the champion of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in weightlifting in the weight class up to 108 kg Yevhen Braslavets and Igor Matviyenko - the champions of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in sailing in the men's 470 team competition 124 Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games Kateryna Serebryanska - the champion of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in rhythmic gymnastics in the women’s all-around event Inessa Kravets - the champion of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in athletics in the women's triple jump Rustam Sharipov – the champion of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in gymnastics in the men's parallel bars, bronze medallist in the men’s team competition Lilia Podkopayeva – the two-time champion of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in gymnastics in the women's all-around individual and floor exercises, silver medallist in the women's balance beam 125 The Games of the XXVII Olympiad. Sydney – 2000 In the final year of the twentieth century – in 2000, the Australian city of Sydney hosted the Games of the XXVII Olympiad. At those Games, Ukraine was represented by 234 athletes who, as at the previous Games, won 23 Olympic medals, including 3 gold, 10 silver, and 10 bronze medals. In Sydney, one of the ringing triumphs at the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in swimming was a brilliant performance by 18-year-old Ukrainian athlete Yana Klochkova. On the lanes of the Olympic pool, Yana confidently won in the 400m individual medley women, having set world and Olympic records – 4.33.59. And in the 200m individual medley women, she also finished first, having set a new Olympic record – 2.10.68. She added a silver Olympic medal in the 800m freestyle women to complement her gold medals. Mykola Milchev – the champion of the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in men's skeet shooting Yana Klochkova – the two-time champion of the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in swimming in the women's 200 m and 400 m individual medley and the silver medallist in the women's 800 m Freestyle In 2004, the Olympic flame visited the hospitable Ukrainian land again. On 5 June 2004, from Boryspil Air- port, to where the Olympic flame was delivered by plane, the procession started on the Boryspil-Kyiv route at 3:45 p.m. It was solemnly handed over to the first famous Olympic champions Nina Bocharova, Zinaida Turchyna, and Borys Shakhlin near the sign of Kyiv-Hero City. After the symbolic ribbon was cut, the torch was presented to the first Olympic champion of the inde- pendent Ukraine Vyacheslav Oliynyk, who brought the Olympic flame to the capital. One hundred and twenty torchbearers carried fire through five districts of the city for 38.5 km along the route: Bazhana Avenue – Kharkivs- ke Highway – Vozzyednannya Avenue – Paton Bridge – Druzhby Narodiv Boulevard – Velyka Vasylkivska Street – Lva Tolstoho Street – Taras Shevchenko Boulevard – Peremohy Avenue – Dovzhenko, Olena Teliga, Mel- nykova (now – Yuriya Illenka), Artema (now – Sichovykh Striltsiv), Velyka Zhytomyrska, Volodymyrska, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, and Khreschatyk streets. Oleksandr Volk- ov, the champion of the Games of the XXIV Olympiad in basketball, was entrusted to carry the torch along the main street of the country. The Kyiv route was complet- ed on Maidan Nezalezhnosti by the legendary Ukrain- ian high jumper Sergey Bubka, who passed the torch to the rostrum, where a fire in the Olympic cauldron was lit to the sounds of the Ukrainian anthem performed by Oleksandr Ponomaryov. Under volleys of fireworks, the Olympic flame was placed into the “sacred lamp” and immediately transported to the airport for it continued its journey around the world. 2004 Olympic Flame Relay in the Capital of Ukraine – Kyiv In 004, the Olympic flame visited the hospitable Uk i i l d i O 5 J 2004 f B il Ai – in the Capital of Ukrain In 2000044, tthehe OOllylympmpicic flame visited the hospitable in the Capital of Ukra The Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony near the temple of Hera at the sacred site of Ancient Olympia 127 Olympic champion Sergey Bubka was granted the high honour to carry the sacred Olympic flame through the territory of Olympia The Olympic flame travels around the world Only the best athletes, including Vitaliy Klichko, will carry the Olympic flame in Los Angeles On 5 June 2004, the Olympic flame was delivered by plane to Boryspil airport 128 2004 Olympic Torch Relay in the Capital of Ukraine - Kyiv128 Vyacheslav Oliynyk – the Olympic champion of the independent Ukraine (1996 Atlanta) – carried the Olympic flame into the capital of Ukraine Two-time Olympic handball champion (1976, 1980) Liudmyla Poradnyk carries the Olympic flame The Olympic torch is carried by Sergiy Fedoriv, the first HIV- positive person to have admitted it in the media The torch with the Olympic flame is in the hands of Vitaly Gaidachuk, Head of Department of the National Aerospace University (Kharkiv) 129 Ruslana Lyzhychko – 2004 Eurovision winner – carries the Olympic flame in one of the central streets of the capital Four-time Olympic champion (1968, 1972, 1976) in gymnastics Ludmilla Tourischeva with an Olympic torch One of the participants in the torchlight procession was Olympic basketball champion (1992) Maryna Tkachenko Sergey Bubka – Olympic champion in athletics (1988 Seoul) – brought a torch to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, where the Olympic flame was solemnly lit in the evening 130 Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games One hundred and four years after the Games of the I Ol- ympiad of the modernity, which took place in 1896 in Ath- ens, the Olympic Games returned to their cradle – Greece. At the 2004 Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, the national team of Ukraine was represented by 245 athletes, who won 22 Olym- pic medals (8 gold, 5 silver, 9 bronze) and occupied the 12th place in the overall standings. The results of the successful performance of the Ukrainian athletes in the Olympic are- nas of Athens were not an echo from the sports system of the USSR but became the achievement of the independent Ukraine itself. The gold Olympic medals were gained by Valeriy Hon- charov (gymnastics), Yana Klochkova (2) (swimming), Olena Kostevych (shot put), Irini Merleni-Melnyk and Elbrus Tedeyev (freestyle wrestling), Yuri Nikitin (trampoline jumping), and Nataliya Skakun (weightlifting). ym en th UU pipi plpl pe nna th U chccccc KKKoKKo (f((f(f(f(f(f NNNNNNNNN The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. Athens – 2004 Irini Merleni - the champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in wrestling in the women's freestyle 48 kg weight class Elbrus Tedeyev - the champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in wrestling in the men's freestyle 66 kg weight class 131 Olena Kostevych - the champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in the women's 10 m air pistol Yuri Nikitin – the champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in gymnastics in the men’s trampoline Yana Klochkova – the two-time champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in swimming in the women's 200 m and 400 m individual medley Valeriy Honcharov – the champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in gymnastics in the men’s parallel bars Nataliya Skakun – the champion of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in weightlifting in the women’s 63 kg weight class The Games of the XXIX Olympiad were held in Beijing under the motto “One World, One Dream”. In China, “8” is believed to be a lucky number. That is why, the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad was scheduled to start at triple eight for the date and one extra for the time – at 08:08:08 pm (local time) on 08.08.2008. At those Games, the national team of Ukraine was represented by 254 athletes who competed in 28 sports. The Ukrainian athletes won 22 Olympic medals (7 gold, 4 silver, 11 bronze), bringing the Ukrainian national team to the 12th place in the overall medal standings. Ten Ukrainians were awarded the Olympic gold medals. A brilliant performance in the women’s team event of the Ukrainian women's sabre fencing team of Olga Kharlan, Olena Khomrova, Galyna Pundyk, and Olga Zhovnir became one of the greatest sensations of the 2008 Games. Natalya Dobrynska (athletics), Vasyl Lomachenko (boxing), Inna Osypenko- Radomska (canoeing), Artur Aivazian and Oleksandr Petriv (shooting), Viktor Ruban (archery) also mounted to the top of the Olympic podium. The Games of the XXIX Olympiad (Beijing-2008) the be Ga eeeig (l(llloo rerep UUkUk bbrbro innn t AA AA b UUUkk KKhKhKK tththhee ((a(aa( tt RRaRaRR (s(s(ssshh ththhthhht eeeee 132 Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games At the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the title of the Olympic champions in the women’s team sabre fencing event was gained by the Ukrainian team of sabre fencers of Olga Kharlan, Olena Khomrova, Galyna Pundyk, and Olga Zhovnir ff Galyna Pundyk Olena Khomrova Olga Zhovnir Olga Kharlan 134 Oleksandr Petriv – the champion of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in the men's 25 m rapid fire pistol Viktor Ruban – the champion of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in the men’s individual archery event. Olekkssandndr PeP triv – theh champion of the Games of the XXXIX Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games 135135 Natalya Dobrynska – the champion of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in the women's heptathlon 135 Vasyl Lomachenko – the champion of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in boxing in the weight class up to 57 kg. He was recognized as the outstanding boxer of the tournament and awarded the honorary Val Barker Trophy 136 The Games of the XXX Olympiad were held in London in 2012. The capital of Great Britain became the city that hosted the Olympic Games for the third time (before that, the 1908 Games of the IV Olympiad and the 1948 Games of the XIV Olympiad took place in London). At those Games, Ukraine was represented by 238 athletes who competed in 21 sports. They won 17 Olympic medals (5 gold, 3 silver, and 9 bronze), which brought the team to the 14th place in the overall medal standings. Eight Ukrainians reached the highest step of the Olympic podium – Yana Dementyeva, Nataliya Dovgodko, Anastasiya Kozhenkova, and Kateryna Tarasenko (rowing); Yuriy Cheban (canoeing); Yana Shemyakina (épée fencing); and boxers Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk. The Games of the XXX Olympiad (London-2012) 201 the Ga Oly whwhw gogogg 1414t popoo KoKo (c(ca LoLooLoLoLom Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games 137131313777 Anastasia Kozhenkova – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in rowing women's foursome team Yana Dementyeva – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in rowing women's foursome team Kateryna Tarasenko – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in rowing women's foursome team Nataliya Dovgodko – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in rowing women's foursome team NaN taliya Dovgodkoo ththhe cchammpipip onon 138 Vasyl Lomachenko – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in boxing in the weight class up to 60 kg Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games Oleksandr Usyk – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in boxing in the weight class up to 91 kg 13913133133333999 Yana Shemyakina – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in fencing in the women’s épée event Yuriy Cheban – the champion of the Games of the XXX Olympiad in canoeing in the men's C-1 200 m event ananna SShehemymyakinna aaa –– ththththe e chammmmmppipipippioonoo of f thththththhhhhhthhthhhththhhhhhhththheeeeeeeeeeeeeee tttthhh XXXXXX OOOl i dd iiii f i ii thh SSSShhhhhh kkii ththtthth hh iiiii ffff t ofofofo épépépp YaYaYaY ff YYYYYY 140 The Games of the XXXI Olympiad took place in August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and became the first Games to have been held in South America. At those Games, Ukraine was represented by a team of 206 athletes (87 men and 119 women) who competed in 27 sports. Ukrainian athletes won 11 Olympic medals, including 2 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze, and ranked 31st in the overall medal standings. Oleg Vernyaev (gymnastics) and Yuriy Cheban (canoeing) became the Olympic champions. The Games of the XXXI Olympiad (Rio de Janeiro-2016) Performances of the National Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games 141 As a result of performances of the independent Na- tional Team of Ukraine at the Olympic Games (1996– 2016), the Ukrainian athletes won 34 gold, 32 silver, and 55 bronze medals (121 in total). If we summarize the re- sults of performances of the independent National Team of Ukraine at the Summer Olympics (1996–2016) and Win- ter Olympics (1994–2018), we obtain a total of 37 gold, 33 silver, and 59 bronze Olympic medals (129 in total). Yuriy Cheban – the champion of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in canoeing in the men's C-1 200 m event Oleg Vernyaev – the champion of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in gymnastics in the men’s parallel bars and the silver medallist in the men's gymnastics individual all-around Starting from 1951, when the Soviet Union had joined the global Olympic community, Ukrainian athletes took part in the Olympic Games within the USSR team. However, in view of climatic conditions and historical traditions, the level of winter sports development and the results of Ukrainian athletes at the Olympic Winter Games were not significant. In the early 1970s, Ukraine assumed comprehensive measures to develop winter sports, which included reconstruction and construction of sports facilities, in- volvement of renowned experts, establishment of win- ter sports training centres at sports schools. The national team of Ukraine at the Grand Opening Ceremony of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games of 2018 in Pyeongchang Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Winter Games 143 Two Ukrainian athletes, Ivan Biakov (biathlon) and Tatyana Shelekhova (speed skating) competed for the first time at the XII Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria (1976). I. Biakov who had become the Olympic champion in the biathlon 4 x 10 km relay for the first time representing the RSFSR in the Soviet national team, moved to Kyiv later on and gained a gold medal in the biathlon 4 x 10 km relay already representing Ukrainian SSR. So, he became a double Olympic champion. Ivan Biakov – the champion of the XI and XII Olympic Winter Games (1972, 1976) in biathlon in the men’s 4 x 7.5 km relay Two Ukrainian athletes, Ivan Biakov (biathvan Biakov (biath Ivan Biakov – the champion of the XI and XII Olympic Winter d d e k 144 Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Winter Games At the following 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Plac- id, USA, Ukraine's representation increased to five ath- letes who competed in speed skating but failed to win Olympic medals. At the XIV Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo (1984), the USSR national team included four Ukrainian ath- letes (three men and one woman) who competed in cross-country skiing, ski jumping, the Nordic combined, and speed skating. Ukrainian skier Oleksandr Batyuk became the silver medallist in in the 4 x 10 km relay. The XV Olympic Winter Games of 1988 took place in Calgary, Canada. The USSR national team included three Ukrainian athletes who took part in figure skat- ing, speed skating, and cross-country skiing competi- tions. Ukrainian figure skater V. Petrenko won a bronze medal. Oleksandr Batyuk – the silver medallist of the XIV Olympic Winter Games in cross-country skiing in the 4 x 10 km relay 145 At the XVI Winter Olympics in Albertville (1992), the Unified Team of the Commonwealth of Independ- ent States that had emerged after the dissolution of the USSR entered the Olympic arena. By the number of medals (9 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze), that team occu- pied the second place. It consisted of eight Ukrainian athletes (five men and three women) who entered competitions in six sports: bobsleigh, alpine skiing, luge, figure skating, freestyle skiing, and ice hockey. The Olympic champions of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games were Viktor Petrenko in figure skating and Oleksiy Zhytnyk in ice hockey. Viktor Petrenko – the champion of the XVI Olympic Winter Games in figure skating (men's singles), the bronze medallist of the XV Olympic Winter Games Oleksiy Zhytnyk – the champion of the XVI Olympic Winter Games in ice hockey 146 In February 1994, at the XVII Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway – for the first time in history – Ukraine was represented by an independent team of 37 athletes competing in 10 sports: biathlon, bobsleigh, al- pine skiing, speed skating, the Nordic Combined event, cross-country skiing, luge, ski jumping, figure skating, and freestyle jumping. Oksana Baiul won the first Olympic gold medal for the independent Ukraine at the 1994 Winter Olympics in figure skating. And biathlete Valentina Tserbe gained a bronze medal in the 7.5 km sprint. Oksana Baiul – the champion of the XVII Olympic Winter Games in figure skating (women's singles) Valentina Tserbe – the bronze medallist of the XVII Olympic Winter Games in biathlon in the women’s 7.5 km Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Winter Games 147 The XVIII Winter Olympics of 1998 took place in Na- gano, Japan. At those Games, the Ukrainian national team included 56 athletes who competed in 10 sports: biathlon, bobsleigh, alpine skiing, speed skating, cross- country skiing, luge, ski jumping, figure skating, free- style skiing, and short track speed skating. One Olympic medal was gained: biathlete Olena Petrova became the silver medallist in the 15 km sprint. At the XIX Olympic Winter Games of 2002 in Salt Lake City, Ukraine's national team was represented by 68 athletes who competed in 11 sports: biathlon, bob- sleigh, alpine skiing, speed skating, cross-country ski- ing, luge, ski jumping, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, and short track speed skating. Unfortunately, Ukraine had neither Olympic champions nor medallists at those Games. The XX Olympic Winter Games of 2006 were held in the sports arenas of the Italian city of Turin. At those Games, Ukraine was represented by 52 athletes in 9 sports: biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, the Nordic Combined event, luge, ski jumping, figure skat- ing, freestyle skiing, and short track speed skating. In two sports, bronze medals were gained for Ukraine: bi- athlete Liliya Yefremova – in the 7.5 km sprint and figure skaters Olena Grushyna and Ruslan Goncharov – in ice dancing. Olena Petrova – the silver medallist of the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in biathlon in the women’s 15 km Lilia Efremova – the bronze medallist of the XX Olympic Winter Games in biathlon in the women’s 7.5 km Ruslan Goncharov and Olena Grushyna – the bronze medallists of the XX Olympic Winter Games in figure skating (ice dancing) OlOlee of tof t bia Lilia Efremmomova – ttthhe bbbrororonzznzn eee memedallist tt 148 The XXI Olympic Winter Games of 2010 took place in Vancou- ver on the west coast of Canada. The national team of Ukraine included 47 athletes who competed in 9 sports: biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, the Nordic Combined event, luge, snowboarding, ski jumping, figure skating, and freestyle skiing. At the XXII Olympic Winter Games (Sochi-2014), Ukraine was represented by 43 athletes who competed in 9 sports: biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, the Nordic Combined event, luge, snowboarding, figure skating, freestyle skiing, and short track speed skating. The gold medal in biathlon was won by a quartet consisting of Olena Pidgrushna, Vita Semerenko, Valentina Semerenko, and Yulia Dzhyma in the women’s 4 x 6 km relay. Vita Semerenko also became the bronze medallist in the 7.5 km sprint. Valentina Semerenko, Yulia Dzhyma, Olena Pidgrushna and Vita Semerenko – the champions of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in biathlon in the women’s 4 x 6 km relay Ukrainian Athletes at the Olympic Winter Games 149 At the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, which took place in the Korean city of Pyeongchang in 2018, the national team of Ukraine included 33 athletes who competed in 9 sports: biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, the Nordic Combined event, luge, skeleton, snowboard- ing, figure skating, and freestyle skiing. Ukrainian athlete Oleksandr Abramenko won the Olympic gold medal in freestyle skiing in the men’s aerials. In 42 years of participation in the Olympic Winter Games, Ukrainian athletes participated in five Winter Olympics as members of the national teams of the USSR and the CIS and in seven Games as an independent team. They won 5 medals (3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) in 1976-1992, and in the years of independence the official team of Ukraine won 3 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze med- als – thus, making it 8 in total. Oleksandr Abramenko – the champion of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in freestyle skiing in the men’s aerials Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games The I Summer Youth Olympic Games were held in Singapore from 14 August to 26 August 2010 among junior athletes (aged 14 to 18). Fifty-five Ukrainian athletes representing 18 sports took part in those Games. The Ukrainian national team won 35 medals of different value (10 gold, 9 silver, 16 bronze), which brought it to the 4th place in the overall medal standings. Daryna Zevina and Andriy Govorov (swimming), Oleksandr Satin and Oleg Stepko (gymnastics), Igor Lyashchenko and Kateryna Derun (athletics), Anastasia Spas (modern pentathlon), and Denys Kushnirov (shooting) won the Olympic gold medals. The I Summer Youth Olympic Games (Singapore-2010) 151 Daryna Zevina – the champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in swimming (girls 100 m backstroke) Oleksandr Satin – the champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in gymnastics (boys’ trampoline) Andriy Govorov – a two-time champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in swimming (boys’ 50 m freestyle and youth boys’ 50 m butterfly) OOlOlOl kkk ddd S tititi thth hh iii ff th 152 Denys Kushnirov – the champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in shooting (boys’ 10 m air pistol) Kateryna Derun – the champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (girls’ javelin throw) Igor Lyashchenko – the champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (boys' 10000 m walking) Anastasia Spas – the champion of the I Summer Youth Olympic Games in modern pentathlon (girls’ mixed relay) Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games 153 The II Summer Youth Olympic Games took place in Nanjing (China) from 16 August to 28 August 2014 among junior athletes. The national team of Ukraine was represented by 58 athletes who competed in 20 sports. They won 29 medals of different value (9 gold, 9 silver, 11 bronze), which put the Ukrainian national team at the 6th place in the overall medal standings. Mykhailo Romanchuk and Anastasia Malyavina (swimming), Elyzaveta Babiy, Yulia Levchenko, and Glib Piskunov (athletics), Pavlo Korostylov (shooting), Angelina Kalinina (tennis), Anton Kuznetsov (modern pentathlon), and Ramil Hajiyev (boxing) mounted to the highest step of the Olympic podium. The II Summer Youth Olympic Games (Nanjing-2014) 154 Mykhailo Romanchuk – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in swimming (boys’ 400 m freestyle) Anastasia Malyavina – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in swimming (girls’ 200 m breaststroke) Elyzaveta Babiy – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (girls’ long jump) Yulia Levchenko – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (girls’ high jump) Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games 155 Glib Piskunov – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (boys’ hammer throw) Pavlo Korostylov – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in shooting (boys' 10 m air pistol) Angelina Kalinina – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in tennis (girls’ singles) Anton Kuznetsov – the champion of the II Summer Youth Olympic Games in modern pentathlon (boys’ individual) AAAA KKK hhh hhhh ii 156 The III Summer Youth Olympic Games took place in Buenos Aires (Argentina) from 6 October to 18 October 2018 among junior athletes. Ukraine delegated 55 athletes who competed in 22 sports. The Ukrainian athletes won 23 medals of different value (7 gold, 8 silver, 8 bronze). Valeria Ivanenko, Yaroslava Maguchikh, and Mykhailo Kokhan (athletics), Kateryna Chorniy (fencing), Ivan Tyschenko (rowing), and Nazar Chepurnyi (gymnastics) won the Olympic gold medals for the Ukrainian national team. The III Summer Youth Olympic Games (Buenos Aires-2018) Kateryna Chorniy – the double champion of the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in fencing (individual and team competitions) Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games 157 Yaroslava Maguchikh – the champion of the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (girls’ long jump) Mykhailo Kokhan – the champion of the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (boys’ hammer throw) Nazar Chepurnyi – the champion of the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in gymnastics (boys' mixed multi-discipline team) Valeria Ivanenko – the champion of the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in athletics (girls’ hammer throw) Ivan Tyschenko – the champion of the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in rowing (boys' single sculls) 158 The I Winter Youth Olympic Games took place in Innsbruck from 13 January to 22 January 2012 among athletes aged 14 to 18. That Austrian city became the Olympic capital for the second time in its history – in 1964, it hosted the IX Olympic Winter Games. At the Games, the Ukrainian national youth team was represented by 23 athletes in eight disciplines: biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, the Nordic combined event, luge, ski jumping, figure skating, and short track speed skating. In Ukraine’s history at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, the first medal was gained by figure skaters Oleksandra Nazarova and Maksym Nikitin. They won a silver medal in ice dancing. Two more silver medals for Ukraine were won by figure skaters Yaroslav Paniot in team competitions and Mariya Dolgopolova in short track speed skating as a member of the mixed team. Ukraine ranked the 24th among 67 participating countries with its three silver awards. The I Winter Youth Olympic Games (Innsbruck-2012) Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games 159 Oleksandra Nazarova and Maksym Nikitin – the silver medallists of the I Winter Youth Olympic Games of 2012 in ice dancing Yaroslav Paniot – the silver medallist of the I Winter Youth Olympic Games of 2012 in figure skating (mixed NOC team) Mariya Dolgopolova – the silver medallist of the I Winter Youth Olympic Games of 2012 in short track speed skating 160 The II Winter Youth Olympic Games took place in Norwegian Lillehammer from 12 February to 21 February 2016 among junior athletes. That Norwegian city became the Olympic capital for the second time in its history. Exactly 22 years before – in 1994, the Olympic flame of the XVII Olympic Winter Games was lit there. Ukraine was represented by 23 athletes who competed in nine disciplines: biathlon, alpine skiing, the Nordic combined event, cross-country skiing, luge, snowboarding, ski jumping, and figure skating. Ukrainian female biathlonist Khrystyna Dmytrenko won in the girls’ pursuit event and gained the first for Ukraine gold medal of the II Winter Youth Olympic Games. In the mixed NOCs event in figure skating, Ivan Shmuratko won a silver medal, and a mixed quad including Daryna Kyrychenko won bronze medals in the team snowboard ski cross. Ukraine ranked the 18th with its three silver awards (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze). The II Winter Youth Olympic Games (Lillehammer-2016) Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games 161 Khrystyna Dmytrenko – the champion of the II Winter Youth Olympic Games in biathlon (girls’ pursuit) Daryna Kyrychenko – the bronze medallist of the II Winter Youth Olympic Games in the team snowboard ski cross as part of the mixed NOC team Ivan Shmuratko – the silver medallist of the II Winter Youth Olympic Games in the mixed NOCs event in figure skating 162 The III Winter Youth Olympic Games took place from 9 January to 22 January 2020 in Lausanne (Switzerland). Ukraine was represented by 39 athletes in 12 disciplines: biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, the Nordic combined event, luge, skeleton, snowboarding, ski jumping, figure skating, freestyle skiing, 3x3 hockey, and short track speed skating. Ukrainian athletes won four medals (1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze). Volodymyr Troshkin gained a gold medal in the boys' 3x3 mixed tournament in ice hockey; Denys Pasko was awarded a silver medal. Freestyle skier Orest Kovalenko won a bronze medal in the boys' big air event. A sports couple – Sofia Nesterova and Artem Darenskyi – occupied the 3rd place in the team trophy event in figure skating. The III Winter Youth Olympic Games (Lausanne-2020) an n tthehe ko was ko wowonn aa ppplelelelee ––– SSSSSofiofiofifio aaaa ppplalaalalalalaal cecececeeececce iiiiinnnnn n tththththt eeee Ukrainian Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games 163 Volodymyr Troshkin – the champion of the III Winter Youth Olympic Games in ice hockey (boys' 3x3 mixed tournament) Denys Pasko – the owner of the silver medal of the III Winter Youth Olympic Games in ice hockey (boys' 3x3 mixed tournament) Sofia Nesterova and Artem Darenskyi – the bronze medallists of the III Winter Youth Olympic Games in figure skating (team trophy event) Orest Kovalenko – the bronze medallist of the III Winter Youth Olympic Games in freestyle skiing (boys' big air event) The European Games are the international sports competitions among athletes of Europe. They are held under the auspices of the European Olympic Committees once every four years. The I European Games took place in Baku in 2015. By the results of the competitions, the Ukrainian national team was honoured with 46 medals (8 gold, 14 silver, and 24 bronze) and occupied the 6th place in the overall medal standing. At the II European Games, which took place in Minsk in 2019, the results were improved as the national team of Ukraine won 51 medals (16 gold, 17 silver, and 18 bronze) and ranked 3rd by the number of awards. Ukrainian Athletes at the European Gamess 165 The I European Games were held from 12 June to 28 June 2015 in the capital of Azerbaijan – Baku. Ukraine was represented by 242 athletes in 32 sports and disciplines. At that prestigious continental forum, our team won 46 medals (8 gold, 14 silver, and 24 bronze), having ranked the 6th in the overall medal standing and the 8th in the gold medal standing among all participating countries. Eleven Ukrainian athletes were honoured with the highest- value awards: Oleg Vernyaev (artistic gymnastics), Andriy Yagodka and the team of Olga Kharlan, Olena Kravatska, Alina Kamashchuk, and Olga Zhovnir (sabre fencing), Georgiy Ivanytskyi, Markiyan Ivashko, and Viktor Ruban (archery), Alina Stadnyk-Makhynya (freestyle wrestling), and Andriy Khloptsov (swimming). The I European Games (Baku-2015) 166 Andriy Yagodka – the champion of the I European Games in fencing in the men’s sabre The athletes of the national team of Ukraine marching at the Grand Opening Ceremony of the I European Games. Baku, 2015 Oleg Vernyaev – the champion of the I European Games in gymnastics in the men’s artistic individual all-around and men’s vault Olga Kharlan, Olena Kravatska, Alina Kamashchuk, and Olga Zhovnir – the champions of the I European Games in fencing in the women’s team sabre OlOlOlOlO KKKKKKhhhhh lllllll OlOOlOlllllOlOl KKKK tt kk AAAliil KKKKK hhhh hhhhh kkk dd OOll VVV hhhhhhhh hhhh iiiiiOOlOOlllOOOllO AAA d i Y dk th h i f th II Ukrainian Athletes at the European Games 167 Andriy Khloptsov – the champion of the I European Games in swimming in the men's 50 metre butterfly Georgiy Ivanytskyi, Markiyan Ivashko, and Viktor Ruban – the champions of the I European Games in archery in the men’s team event Alina Stadnyk-Makhynya – the champion of the I European Games in women’s freestyle wrestling in the weight class up to 69 kg 168 The II European Games were held in Minsk – the capital of Belarus – from 21 June to 30 June 2019. Ukraine was represented by 198 athletes in 15 sports and 22 disciplines. At those Games, the Ukrainian national team won 51 medals (16 gold, 17 silver, and 18 bronze), having ranked the 3rd in the overall medal standing. Twenty-two Ukrainian athletes were awarded gold medals for their highest performance: judokas Daria Bilodid and Georgiy Zantaraya, sambo wrestler Anastasiya Sapsai, athletes Tetyana Melnyk, Anna Ryzhikova, Danylo Danylenko, Stanislav Senyk, Olga Lyakhova, Yana Kachur, Oleksiy Pozdnyakov, Yevgen Gutsol, boxers Viktor Vykhryst and Oleksandr Khyzhnyak. Also, the constellation of the champions of the II European Games of 2019 was formed by Maria Povkh and Lyudmyla Kuklinovska (kayaking and canoeing), Ganna Solovey (cycling track), Yuliya Tkach (wrestling), Zhan Beleniuk (Greco-Roman wrestling), Anastasiya Bachynska and Oleg Vernyaev (gymnastics), Anita Seryogina and Stanislav Goruna (karate). The II European Games (Minsk-2019) Ukrainian Athletes at the European Games 169 Olympic champion in skeet shooting Mykola Milchev bearing the national flag of Ukraine at the head of the national team during the Grand Opening Ceremony of the II European Games. Minsk, 2019 170 Dariya Bilodid – the champion of the II European Games in women’s judo in the weight class up to 48 kg Anastasiya Sapsai – the champion of the II European Games in women’s sambo in the weight class over 80 kg Georgiy Zantaraya – the champion of the II European Games in men’s judo in the weight class up to 66 kg Yuliya Tkach – the champion of the II European Games in women’s freestyle wrestling in the weight class up to 62 kg DDD i Bil did h h i ff hh III Ukrainian Athletes at the European Games 171 Anita Seryogina – the champion of the II European Games in women’s karate in the weight class up to 61 kg Oleksandr Khyzhnyak – the champion of the II European Games in men’s boxing in the weight class up to 85 kg Viktor Vykhryst – the champion of the II European Games in men’s boxing in the weight class over 91 kg Zhan Beleniuk – the champion of the II European Games in Greco-Roman wrestling in the weight class up to 85 kg Stanislav Goruna – the champion of the II European Games in men’s karate in the weight class up to 75 kg AAnAnitita SeSSeryogiiinaaa thththe cchhampion oofff ththththee III VViktkt VV kkkhhhh tttt thhthhh hhh iiii ffff thhhhth III EE GG i 172 Oleg Vernyaev – the champion of the II European Games in artistic gymnastics in the men’s parallel bars Maria Povkh and Lyudmyla Kuklinovska – the champions of the II European Games in canoeing in the women’s K-2 200 m Anastasiya Bachynska – the champion of the II European Games in artistic gymnastics in the women’s floor event Olga Lyakhova, Yana Kachur, Oleksiy Pozdnyakov, Yevgen Gutsol – the champions of the II European Games in athletics in the mixed distance pursuit relay (800-600-400-200 m) Ukrainian Athletes at the European Games 173 Ganna Solovey – the champion of the II European Games in cycling in the time trial Tetyana Melnyk, Anna Ryzhikova, Danylo Danylenko, and Stanislav Senyk – the champions of the II European Games in athletics in the mixed 4x400 m relay The national athletic team of Ukraine – the champion of the DNA (Dynamic New Athletics) competitions at the II European Games In 1990, the Association of the European Olympic Committees decided to hold the Winter and Summer European Youth Olympic Days once every two years. Later, in 1999, the competitions of young European athletes were named the European Youth Olympic Festivals and became the most important sporting events for young athletes aged 14 to 18 from 50 European countries. In 1991, the first European Youth Olympic Days were held, and young athletes of Ukraine competed there as part of the United Team of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Since 1993, Ukrainian athletes have been participating in this sports forum under the auspices of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. Since then, the Olympic hopefuls of our country have taken part in 15 summer and 14 winter festivals and won 223 medals, of which 69 gold, 80 silver, and 74 bronze medals, in individual and team competitions. Ukrainian Athletes at the European Youth Olympic Festivals 175 During the years of independence, the most successful for the young Ukrainian athletes were the XI European Youth Olympic Winter Festival held in 2013 in Brasov (Romania) and the XV European Youth Summer Olympic Festival held in 2019 in Baku (Azerbaijan). At the XI European Youth Olympic Winter Festival held from 17 to 22 February 2013 in Brasov, Romania, the team of Ukraine consisting of 33 young athletes ranked 10th out of 45 participating countries with a full set of medals – gold, silver, and bronze medals. The honour of bearing the state flag of Ukraine at the Opening Ceremony of the Festival was granted to a young figure skater, the captain of the National Team Yaroslav Paniot. Anastasiya Merkushina, Anastasiya Nychyporenko, Anton Mygda, and Maksym Ivko became the champions of the European sports festival in biathlon in the mixed relay event. Figure skater Yaroslav Paniot added a silver medal to the blue-and-yellow medal treasure box. Biathlete Anastasiya Merkushina won a bronze medal in the 6 km sprint. Solemn send-off ceremony of the National Team of Ukraine to the XI European Youth Olympic Festival in Ivano-Frankivsk The National Team of Ukraine at the Grand Opening Ceremony of the XI European Youth Olympic Winter Festival of 2013 in Brasov Anastasiya Merkushina, Anastasiya Nychyporenko, Anton Mygda, and Maksym Ivko mounted the highest step of the victory podium. 2013, Brasov Honouring the winners of the XI European Youth Olympic Winter Festival at the Olympic House. 2013, Kyiv 176 At the XV European Youth Summer Olympic Festival, which took place from 21 to 27 July 2019 in the capital of Azerbaijan – Baku, Ukraine was represented by 68 young athletes who competed in seven sports, and namely: cycling, volleyball, judo, track-and-field athletics, swimming, wrestling (freestyle, women's, Greco-Roman), and artistic gymnastics. At the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Festival, the honour of bearing the state flag of Ukraine at the front of the National Team was granted to Vice-Champion of the 2018 World Gymnasiade, European champion among judo cadets Timur Valeyev. Our team won 8 gold, 7 silver, and 10 bronze medals, ranking sixth. Summing up the performances of the Ukrainian team, the President of the NOC of Ukraine Sergey Bubka noted, “It is nice to see talented young people and a promising sports reserve. In Baku, our team won the largest number of medals in the history of the Ukrainian performances at the Olympic Festivals – 25. It is a delight that in our traditional "medal" sports (gymnastics, athletics, swimming, wrestling, judo) we see a wonderful succession of those who will maintain our glorious achievements. This creates expectations for future victories”. The champions and medallists of the festival were young gymnasts Ilya Kovtun (all-around, parallel bars, horizontal bar, team event), Nazar Chepurnyi (floor exercise, pommel horse, team event), Volodymyr Kostyuk (team event), who won 11 medals of different value, including six gold, four silver, and one bronze medal – Mariia Horielova, who won in the long jump, and swimmer Rostyslav Kryzhanivskyi, who was the first in the 100 m breaststroke, also won gold medals. Ukrainian Athletes at the European Youth Olympic Festivals 177 Mariia Horielova – the champion of the XV European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in the long jump. 2019, Baku Rostyslav Kryzhanivskyi – the champion of the XV European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in the 100 m breaststroke. 2019, Baku Meeting of the National Team of Ukraine on the native soil “Golden Harvest” of Ilya Kovtun, Nazar Chepurnyi, and Volodymyr Kostyuk. 2019, Baku 178 In different years, Ukrainian stars of modern sports participated in those festivals: four-time champion of the XXVII and XXVIII Olympic Games in swimming Yana Klochkova, champion of the XXII Olympic Biathlon Olympic Games Olena Pidgrushna, bronze medallist of the XXVII Olympic Games in athletics Roman Shchurenko, silver medallist of the XXVIII Olympic Games in athletics Olena Krasovska, bronze medallist of the XXXI Olympic Games in athletics Bogdan Bondarenko, bronze medallist of the XXX Olympic Games in athletics Yelyzaveta Bryzgina, champions and medallists of the Youth Olympic Games Anastasiya Merkushina, Yaroslav Paniot, Khrystyna Dmytrenko, Yaroslava Maguchikh, Mykhailo Kokhan, as well as many other athletes who had glorified Ukraine at the World and European Championships. Year City Gold Silver Bronze Total 1991 Brussels, Belgium — — — — 1993 Valkenswaard, Netherlands 5 4 5 14 1993 Aosta, Italy — 4 1 5 1995 Bath, Great Britain 3 5 8 16 1995 Andorra la Vella, Andorra — 1 1 2 IV 1997 Lisbon, Portugal 11 4 5 20 IV 1997 Sundsvall, Sweden — — 1 1 V 1999 Esbjerg, Denmark 2 3 5 10 V 1999 Poprad, Slovakia — — — — VI 2001 Murcia, Spain 4 4 2 10 VI 2001 Vuokatti, Finland — — — — VII 2003 Paris, France 4 4 2 10 VII 2003 Bled, Slovenia — — 2 2 VIII 2005 Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 4 4 2 10 VIII 2005 Monte, Switzerland 1 — 2 3 IX 2007 Belgrade, Serbia 7 6 3 16 IX 2007 Jaca, Spain — — — — X 2009 Tampere, Finland 1 2 5 8 X 2009 Upper Silesia, Poland — 2 — 2 XI 2011 Trabzon, Turkey 2 3 2 7 XI 2011 Liberec, Czech Republic — — — — XII 2013 Utrecht, The Netherlands — 6 8 14 XII 2013 Brasov, Romania 1 1 1 3 XIII 2015 Tbilisi, Georgia 3 7 7 11 XIII 2015 Vorarlberg, Austria-Vaduz, Liechtenstein 1 — — 1 XIV 2017 Gy r, Hungary 3 4 1 8 XIV 2017 Erzurum, Turkey 3 3 XV 2019 Baku, Azerbaijan 8 7 10 25 XV 2019 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — — 2 2 Summer 57 63 58 178 Winter 3 11 10 24 Total 60 74 68 202 Ukrainian Athletes at the European Youth Olympic Festivals 179 According to the Olympic Charter, the mission of the National Olympic Committees, is to promote the funda- mental principles and values of Olympism in their coun- tries, in particular, into sports and education, imple- menting Olympic education programmes at all levels in schools, sports and physical education institutions, and universities. Education of the 21st century is an education for people based on the developing and cultural domi- nant, upbringing of responsible individuals capable of self-education and self-development, use of acquired knowledge and skills for creative problem solving, criti- cal thinking, individuals that seek to change their lives and lives of their country for the better. In 2006, Olympic education of children, pupils, and students passed to a new stage of its development: con- fident steps were taken from theoretical research to their practical implementation. The NOC of Ukraine together with the Olympic Academy of Ukraine pays great attention to the devel- opment of educational projects aimed at broadening of outlook, deepening the knowledge acquired in the process of Olympic education, putting it in practice; formation of skills and abilities for self-education, inter- est in various realms of science, technology, art, sports, identification and development of individual creative talents and aptitudes; organization of active leisure and cultural recreation for children and youth. Promotional and Educational Activities of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the Olympic Academy of Ukraine 181 Olympic Day Every year on 23 June, the athletic Ukraine unites with other countries to promote traditions of peace, harmony, and the Olympic values. The date was chosen by the International Olympic Committee in 1948 to commemorate the date of the IOC's creation – 23 June 1894. The Olympic Day is a family festival of sports, where everyone may find an activity to one’s liking and feel like a real Olympian. The sports festival takes place in central streets of cities, parks, children's camps, stadiums of different regions, embracing the whole of Ukraine. The most active participants of the Olympic Day are usually children, pupils, and students who look up to their senior friends – Olympians. During the festival, interactive master classes by national sports federations take place on sports grounds. Those interested can try their hand at boxing, gymnastics, wrestling, modern pentathlon, fencing, athletics, football, etc. under the guidance of famous Olympic medallists as well as take part in competitions, quizzes, and autograph sessions. The Olympic Day in the capital of Ukraine - Kyiv 182 Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU Olympic Lesson In November 2003, the UN General Assembly declared 2005 the International Year of Sport and Physical Education, thus providing a unique opportunity to demonstrate positive values of sport and its important role in society. That decision inspired the launch of a unique cultural and educational project of the NOC of Ukraine – the annual holding of Olympic lessons at educational institutions of all levels. The first lesson under the motto “O Sport, You Are Peace!” took place on 1 September 2005. The following year, in 2006, the Olympic Lesson went beyond school classrooms and became the All- Ukrainian Olympic Lesson – a celebration of sport, peace, friendship, and respect; it reached main streets and squares of cities, towns, and villages. During these spectacular activities on sports grounds, everyone (regardless of age) can try their hand at both Olympic and non-Olympic sports, obtain advice from coaches, fill gaps and test knowledge of the history of the Olympic Games and the Olympic movement, converse with Olympic champions and medallists. Subsequently, the project grew longer than one day and became the All-Ukrainian Olympic Week. President of the NOC of Ukraine Sergey Bubka with future Olympians IOC President Thomas Bach delivers a master class to Ukrainian schoolchildren. Kyiv, 2015 183 Olympic Book Project Since 2006, Sergey Bubka, President of the NOC of Ukraine, has supported the initiative of the Olympic Academy of Ukraine of creating educational literature for children, students, and professionals in the field of Olympic sports. In 2008, at the initiative of the NOC of Ukraine and the active participation of the OAU, a unique project – The Olympic Book – was launched and continues successfully today. As the result of the project implementation, 110 thousand copies of different publications were provided free of charge to educational institutions. Each of the 20,000 schools in Ukraine received a selection of publications on Olympic sports. “I am confident that by doing this we are taking another step towards spreading the Olympic principles and ideals in our society. We plan to make this activity traditional as such projects are our future,” Sergey Bubka highlighted at the presentation of the project. The project has boosted the creation of Olympic libraries at Ukraine schools and higher educational institutions, which hold Olympic readings, Olympic lessons, meetings of discussion clubs, and the Olympic literature has become available to teachers, students, and their parents. To promote the spiritual and physical development of children, a social project Learn to Win launched in 2010. Within its framework, a series of books Life of Outstanding Children was presented in schools of Ukraine. Each book is devoted to certain sports and childhood of the most outstanding Ukrainian athletes. The NOC of Ukraine pays great attention to the publication of books about prominent figures of the Ukrainian Olympic sports, their challenging life’s journeys to Olympic gold medals. Among them are autobiographical books by Borys Shakhlin, Sergey Bubka, Valeriy Borzov, and many others. Olympic champions Sergey Bubka and Oleksandr Volkov at the presentation of the "Learn to Win Project". Kyiv, 2010 Exhibition of Olympic literature at the "Engage a Child into Sports" Forum. Kyiv, 2014 184 «Your Olympic Guidebook» Within the framework of the Olympic Book Educational Project, the manuals Your First Olympic Guidebook (with five re-editions) for children of primary school age, Your Olympic Guidebook – for children of senior school age (author – M. Bulatova), and Games That Conquered the World (author – S. Bubka, M. Bulatova). At the request of the EOC Commission on Olympic Culture and Legacy, a textbook Your Olympic Guidebook was prepared by M. Bulatova in 2011. It formed the basis of cultural and educational programmes for participants of the European Youth Olympic Festivals. The textbook provides information about the Olympic Games of antiquity, their revival, the Olympic symbols and ceremonies, the international Olympic system, the Olympic Games with their achievements and challenges. A separate chapter is dedicated to Europe's achievements in the Olympic movement: the role of European presidents, prominent European athletes, European leaders of summer and winter Olympic sports associations, European cities hosting the Games, the founding history of the European Olympic Committees and major European Olympic events – the Olympic Youth Festivals. The book also features the logos of 50 European Olympic Committees. The manual ends with more than 120 questions that can be used for self-examination of festival participants as well as for competitions and entertainment activities during leisure time. The manual was later expanded and re- issued four times. «Olympians Speak English» – the Educational Publication For successful integration of Ukrainian students into the world community (especially of young athletes who attend competitions), OAU specialists prepared and published a Ukrainian-Russian-English phrasebook Olympians Speak English in 2011. The edition (in three books) contains both general and special vocabulary in Olympic sports. It provides an opportunity to master vocabulary in an intelligible format, to better understand international sports terminology, to familiarize with the globally acceptable rules of etiquette and behaviour. The distribution of Olympic literature within the framework of the NOC of Ukraine Olympic Book campaign made it accessible even in remote parts of our country. Your Olympic Guidebook study manuals. 2011, 2017 Your First Olympic Guidebook is a study manual published a number of times in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016 Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU 185 A series of textbooks on the Olympic Games Attracting attention to the diversity of the Olympic Games, their significant educational role may enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian and humanistic education of young people, which, in its turn, cannot but raise the importance of the sports component of the Olympic Games. To achieve this objective, a series of textbooks on the Olympic Games, the Winter Olympics, and the Youth Olympic Games was started in 2007. Each manual contains information about the organization of the Olympic Games, symbols and ceremonies of the Games, peculiarities of organization of Olympic villages, work of volunteers, Olympic facilities, events on the Games programmes, the Olympic calendar, cultural Olympiads, educational programmes of the Games, environmental protection, economic aspects of the Games, mass media, information systems, and security system during the Games. A separate chapter is dedicated to the national Olympic team of Ukraine. Each manual contains a section on the development of children's creative activities, individual and group activities, questions for self-assessment, topics for essay writing and artistic creativities, business and situational games, questions for quizzes. Textbooks for schoolchildren on the Olympic Games, the Winter Olympics, and the Youth Olympic Games 186 Olympic posters To ensure visibility of implementation of Olympic education in schools, the decision was made to create Olympic posters. The first series consisted of ten posters: Ancient Games, Renaissance, Symbols, Games That Conquered the World, Problems, Trends, Olympic Ukraine, Diversity, Olympic Champions of Independent Ukraine, National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. The set of 2012 includes ten posters: Ancient Olympic Games, Renaissance, Olympic Symbols and Ceremonies, Olympic Mascots, Olympic Values, Games That Conquered the World, Olympic Champions (two posters), and Youth Olympic Games. The next edition of 2014 contained a series of 17 posters on the historical heritage of Olympic sports in Ukraine, which aimed to instil the Olympic values into the younger generation through specific examples from the lives of prominent Ukrainian and foreign athletes – champions and medallists of the Olympic Games. In 2015–2016, a set of 60 posters was published, which revealed the history of the formation and development of Olympic sports – from ancient times to the modernity. Based on the recommendations of the IOC Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission, the posters demonstrated a close connection between sports, history, and art. The purpose of that work was to familiarize young people with the diversity of Olympic sports and the achievements of the Ukrainian athletes in them. Olympic posters. 2012 Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU 1956 р. Череповський Євген 1968 р. Сидяк Віктор 1972 р. Сидяк Віктор 1988 р. Міндергасов Сергій, Погосов Георгій 1992 р. Гутцайт Вадим, Погосов Георгій 2004 р. Третяк Владислав 2008 р. Жовнір Ольга, Пундик Галина, Харлан Ольга, 2012 р. Харлан Ольга Хомрова Олена Фехтування на шаблях До сучасної олімпійської програми фехтування на шаблях увійшло, починаючи з Ігор І Олімпіади 1896 р. в Афінах. Жінки дебютували на Іграх ХХVІІІ Олімпіади 2004 р. в Афінах. На Олімпійських іграх у змаганнях з фехтування на шаблях розігруються чотири комплекти нагород: по два серед чоловіків і жінок відповідно. Розвитком цього виду спорту в нашій країні опікується Федерація фехтування України, створена 1991 р. Її очолює Павло Гайдай. Першим олімпійським здобутком для українських шаблістів у чоловіків стала бронзова олімпійська медаль Євгена Череповського, яку він здобув у складі збірної команди СРСР на Іграх XVІ Олімпіади 1956 р. в Мельбурні. Для незалежної України золоту олімпійську медаль здобула команда жінок у складі Ольги Жовнір, Галини Пундик, Ольги Харлан та Ольги Хомрової, яку вони здобули на Іграх ХХІХ Олімпіади 2008 р. в Пекіні. Всього українські фехтувальники у різні роки у складі збірних команд СРСР (1956–1988), СНД (1992) та України (2004–2012) здобули одинадцять олімпійських нагород різного ґатунку в особистих і командних змаганнях. Їх володарями стали: 2016 р. Харлан Ольга, Вороніна Олена, Комащук Аліна, Кравацька Олена Харлан Ольга Ольга Жовнір, Галина Пундик, Ольга Харлан, Олена Хомрова Ольга Харлан Вадим Гутцайт Віктор Сидяк Георгій Погосов 1956 рр. ЧЧереповський Євген 1968 рр. Сидяк Віктор 1972 рррр. Сидяк Віктор 1988 р. Міндергасов Сергій, Погосов ГеоргійГГ 1992 р. Гутцайт Вадим, Погосов ГГГ еоргійГГ 2004 р. Третяк Владислав 2008 р. Жовнір Ольга, Пундик Галина, Харлан Ольга,ГГ 2012 р. Харлан Ольга Хомрова Олена Фехтування на шаблях До сучасної олімпійської програми фехтування на шаблях увійшло, у починаючи з Ігор І Олімпіади 1896 р. в Афінах. Жінки дебютували на Іграх ХХVІІІ Олімпіади 2004 р. в Афінах. На Олімпійських іграх у змаганнях з фехтування на шаблях розігруються чотири комплекти нагород: по два серед чоловіків і жінок відповідно. Розвитком цього виду спорту в нашій країні опікується Федерація фехтування України, створена 1991 р. Її очолює Павло Г у р у р у УУ айдай.ГГ Першим олімпійським здобутком для українських шаблістів у чоловіків стала бронзова олімпійська медаль Євгена Череповського, яку він здобув у складі збірної команди СРСР на Іграх XVІ Олімпіади 1956 р. в Мельбурні. Для незалежної України золоту олімпійську медальУУ здобула команда жінок у складі Ольги Жовнір, Галини Пундик,ГГ Ольги Харлан та Ольги Хомрової, яку вони здобули на Іграх ХХІХ Олімпіади 2008 р. в Пекіні. Всього українські фехтувальники у різні роки у складі збірних команд СРСР (1956–1988), СНД (1992) та України (2004–2012) здобулиУУ одинадцять олімпійських нагород різного ґатунку в особистих і командних змаганнях. Їх володарями стали: р 2016 р. Харлан Ольга, Вороніна Олена, Комащук Аліна, Кравацька Олена Харлан Ольга п І ундик, мрова 187 A series of 60 posters on the history of Olympic sports. 2016 188 Olympic Diary In 2005, a joint project of the NOC of Ukraine and the Olympic Academy of Ukraine was launched – the Olympic Diary. The pages of the Olympic diary, along with information on the history and modernity of the Olympic Games, Olympic values, ceremonies and symbols, on the host cities of the Olympic Games, the Winter Olympics, the Youth Olympic Games, the European Youth Olympic Festivals, the European and Olympic Games, sports, champions, and winners of the Olympic Games, contained new sections with recommendations for a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, tips from champions, Olympic quizzes and puzzles, etc. Such diaries are distributed annually free of charge to schoolchildren all over Ukraine. Annual Olympic diaries for schoolchildren Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU 189 Encyclopaedia of Olympic sports in questions and answers In 2008, an idea of creating the Encyclopaedia of Olympic Sports in Questions and Answers (author – M. Bulatova) emerged. New didactic approaches to presenting information were proposed to enhance children's interest in various aspects of the Olympic movement. The book not only contains comprehensive information on outstanding events of the centuries– old history of the Olympic Games from their origin in ancient Greece in the early first millennium BC and through the most interesting pages of the modern Olympic Games but also encourages readers to active cognitive activities, independence, creative thinking, and self-improvement. To test the readers’ knowledge, 1,700 questions were formulated; for each, a reader is offered four possible answers, and whether the chosen answer is correct or not can be checked on the following page. The publication is illustrated with more than 900 drawings and photographs; their captions represent a brief illustrated course in the Olympic history. The sections Interesting, Historical Background, Myths and Legends, Sports Legends complement the text with many interesting facts about the events of the Olympic Games of antiquity and the Olympic Games of modernity. Encyclopaedia of Olympic Sports in Questions and Answers (in Ukrainian and English) received the Kryshtaleva Knyga (meaning Crystal Book) Prize as the best book of Ukraine of 2010 in the nomination From the Depths of the Ages 190 Textbook «Olympic Sport» Many years of work of the team of authors under the academic guidance by Professor Volodymyr Platonov resulted in a two-volume edition of the textbook Olympic Sports, which covers different periods in the history of ancient Greek civilization, describes the origin, development, and decline of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, attempts for their restoration in the 17th–19th centuries, which culminated in the revival of the Olympic Games and the formation of the modern international Olympic movement. The life and work of each of the eight IOC Presidents are comprehensively presented. The events and sports results of the Olympic Games (1896–2008) and the Olympic Winter Games (1924–2006) are reviewed. The book explains the principles and structure of the international Olympic system, the characteristics of Olympic sports, the system of Olympic training of national teams in different countries, the economic foundations of Olympic sports, and their current problems. The textbook Olympic Sports was presented at the XIII Olympic Congress, held in Copenhagen in 2009, where it received a high appraisal by the IOC. Monographs The research on the history of Olympic sports and the Olympic Games – from their origin in ancient Greece to the modernity – provided material for three published books: monographs – Cultural Heritage of Ancient Greece and the Olympic Games (authors – M. Bulatova, S. Bubka), Olympic Sport in Society: History of Development and Current State (author – S. Bubka) – and the fundamental two-volume edition Olympic Games. 1896–2012 (authors – S. Bubka, M. Bulatova, V. Platonov). The collective monograph "Olympic Sport" (edited by V. N. Platonov) is the most complete fundamental work on the history, theory, and current state of the Olympic movement. IOC President Jacques Rogge (second from the right) presents the award of the International Olympic Committee for the organization of work on Olympic education to the NOC of Ukraine. XIII Olympic Congress. Copenhagen, 2009 Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU 191 «Cultural Heritage of Ancient Greece and the Olympic Games» The book Cultural Heritage of Ancient Greece and the Olympic Games narrates the history of the origin and development of the Olympic Games in the context of the ancient Greek civilization in different periods. It provides information on the origins of athletics in ancient Greece, types of competitions, organization of ancient Greek Olympic Games, and multiple endeavours for their revival. A distinctive peculiarity of the book is an organic combination of the text and illustrations presenting various arts – paintings, architecture – that not only substantially complement the story but are independent representation of history and culture of ancient Greece and the Olympic Games of antiquity, their revival and development in the modern world. «Olympic Games» A two-volume edition Olympic Games talks about the events and results of the Games of the Olympiads (1896–1972, 1976–2012) and the Olympic Winter Games (1924–1972, 1976–2010), prominent personalities of the international Olympic movements, political and economic problems that accompany the Games. A hallmark of the work is a description of activities of the multitude of true enthusiasts of Olympic sports, connoisseurs of their history, ideals, and achievements – outstanding representatives of culture, education, architecture, literature, music, and arts who enriched the Olympic Games with their work and transformed them from a mostly sports event into a multifaceted phenomenon of the global culture. Edition "Cultural Heritage of Ancient Greece and the Olympic Games" saw the world in 2012 Two-volume edition "Olympic Games. 1896–2012" 192 «Olympic Sport in Society: History of Development and Current State» The monograph Olympic Sport in Society: History of Development and Current State (author – Sergey Bubka) delivers the generalized results of research in which the Olympic Games, the international Olympic movement, and Olympic sport are considered as a set of broad multifaceted social phenomena of high importance reaching far beyond the traditional fields of knowledge and practice. «Encyclopaedia of Olympic Sport» In 2014, Professor M.M. Bulatova initiated a research and publishing project on creation of encyclopaedias dedicated to Olympic sports with the purpose of their comprehensive promotion among the general public. Sergey Bubka, President of the NOC, became the manager of the Encyclopaedia of Olympic Sports project. The series was started with the publication Athletics. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers (authors – S. Bubka, M. Bulatova). Later, the books Wrestling. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers, Boxing. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers, Fencing. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers, Figure skating. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers, Tennis. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers, Hockey. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers, Diving. Encyclopaedia in Questions and Answers (author – M. Bulatova). The books of this series take readers into the multidimensional world of sports, introducing them to sports impressive history and fascinating modernity, bright sporting events, achievements and biographies of outstanding athletes. A distinctive feature of this series is a variety of forms of presentation: eye-catching illustrations, numerous facts, references and conclusions, described events from the lives of prominent athletes and sports managers. Monograph "Olympic Sport in Society: History of Development and Current State" (author – Sergey Bubka) Educational project led by S. Bubka "Encyclopaedia of Olympic Sports" Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU 193 «Olympic Sport in the System of Humanitarian Education» The textbook Olympic Sport in the System of Humanitarian Education (authors – M. Bulatova, S. Bubka, V. Platonov) narrates the history of the origin, development, and decline of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, attempts to restore them in the 17th–19th centuries, which resulted in the revival of the Olympic Games and the formation of the international Olympic movement; presents how Olympic sports are reflected in literature and arts of different historical periods. The textbook substantiates and analyses periodization of the modern Olympic movement, provides a review of the structure of the international Olympic system, the most important provisions of the Olympic Charter, the fundamentals of the International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committees, international sports federations. The sports and events included in the programmes of the Games of the Olympiads and the Winter Olympic Games are described. The criteria of formation of the Games programmes, the order of their organization and holding, the Olympic symbols and attributes, the Olympic ceremonies and rituals are presented. The economic and gender policy of the IOC, an athlete's place and entourage in Olympic sports and are outlined. The entire content of the book shows the Olympic Games and the Olympic movement in their organic relationship with historical processes and various life aspects of society. This opens wide opportunities to apply its content not only for Olympic education but also for solving various problems of humanistic education. The NOC of Ukraine and the Olympic Academy of Ukraine – the initiators of the Olympic Book educational project – receive letters of gratitude from educational institutions of Ukraine for having received an opportunity to appreciate the history of the Olympic movement through literary works. Textbook "Olympic Sport in the System of Humanitarian Education" (authors – M. Bulatova, S. Bubka, V. Platonov) for higher educational institutions in sports 194 «Nauka v Olympiyskom Sporte» (Science in Olympic Sports) Journal Under the auspices of the IOC and the NOC of Ukraine, publication of the international scientific- theoretical journal Nauka v Olympiyskom Sporte (Science in Olympic Sports) was launched in 1994. The main tasks of the journal include: - to equip field experts (coaches, teachers, experts in the field of organization and management of Olympic sports, etc.), students at universities, technical schools and colleges of physical culture and sports with timely information essential for their effective activities; - to promote international cooperation in the field of sports science, popularize achievements of the Ukrainian experts in the world and introduce achievements of leading scientists from around the world in our country; - to provide leading scientists of our country working in the field of sports science with an opportunity to publish their works; - to unite experts of different profiles (sociologists, historians, philosophers, teachers, biologists, etc.) around the interests of a very complex and diverse field of knowledge and the field of human activity – modern Olympic sports; through this journal, to involve experts in the systematic research of problems of Olympic sports, using resources of different disciplines. «Olimpiyska Arena» (Olympic Arena) Journal The Olimpiyska Arena (Olympic Arena) Journal is an official edition of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine founded in 1995. Its pages cover information about the Olympic movement and elite sports in Ukraine and in the world. The journal contains sections Interviews with the Champions and Medallists of Major Competitions, Sports Statistics, Portrait Gallery of Prominent Olympians, History of Sports, Analytical Articles on the Development of sports. The international scientific-theoretical journal "Nauka v Olympiyskom Sporte" (Science in Olympic Sports) has been published since 1994 The "Olimpiyska Arena" (Olympic Arena) Journal is an official edition of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine founded in 1995 Popularization and Educational Activities of the NOC of Ukraine and the OAU 195 All-Ukrainian Network of Olympic Education Schools At the initiative of the Olympic Academy of Ukraine a pilot project to launch the All-Ukrainian network of Olympic Education Schools, was put into practice in 2008 with 16 first establishments. The information about the project spread quickly across regions. It gained support of pedagogical teams of educational institutions and proved its relevance and viability in the following time period. Today, the project unites about 300 secondary schools. Observations of activities of these allow to conclude about the effectiveness of the process of integration of Olympic education in the educational process of schoolchildren as a holistic effective pedagogical system and one of the innovative pedagogical technologies in modern education. The experience of the All-Ukrainian network of Olympic education schools inspired the NOC of Ukraine and the Olympic Academy of Ukraine to introduce the All- Ukrainian competition for the best model of the school of Olympic education, which has been held every two years since 2009. Winners and runners-up of are awarded diplomas of the NOC of Ukraine and the Olympic Academy of Ukraine, as well as valuable gifts – technical teaching aids that schools use in practice. In 2015, at the initiative of the Olympic Academy of Ukraine, with the support of the NOC of Ukraine and the scientific-methodical journal Fizychne Vykhovannya v Ridniy Shkoli (Physical Education in a Native School) of the State Information and Publishing Enterprise Vydavnytstvo Pedagogichna Presa (Pedagogical Press Publishing House) an All-Ukrainian competition was held in the history of the Olympic movement. Its purpose was to preserve the historical heritage of the Olympic movement in Ukraine; to create museums, offices, expositions on the history and modernity of the Olympic and sports movement in educational institutions; to instil a sense of patriotism in the younger generation. Valentyna Yermolova is a resource teacher of physical culture at School № 45 in Kyiv, Director of the first Olympic Education Office in Ukraine with her pupils. Kyiv, 1997 Students of the Berehynia College of Cherkasy and the Potentsial Gymnasia of Kyiv during the online lesson “NO to doping!”. 2014 Teaching aids and the syllabus of the Basics of Olympic Knowledge for students at secondary schools of Ukraine (2009, 2011, 2016). 196 The interest of the younger generation in researching various aspects of the Olympic movement, the history and modernity of the Olympic Games and their values led to the creation of the Minor Olympic Academy in 2014. A competition for the best scientific work on the Olympic movement is held among its participants once every two years. Since 2008, the NOC of Ukraine together with the Olympic Academy of Ukraine has held annual scientific and practical seminars that address various aspects of the positive impact of Olympic education on the upbringing of the new generation for pedagogical staff who work on the implementation of Olympic education in various educational institutions. More than 200 pedagogical workers from all regions of Ukraine take part in each of such seminars. Over the years, more than 4,000 teachers have enhanced their scientific and practical preparation in the implementation of Olympic education into the system of educational institutions. The methodology developed by experts of the Olympic Academy of Ukraine allows to organize a system of continuous training of different categories of pedagogical workers in the process of postgraduate pedagogical education on the implementation of Olympic education at different levels. To ensure practical implementation of Olympic education, participants of each seminar receive educational and teaching materials for students and teachers. An important factor in promoting Ukraine's image in the world was the recognition of School № 142 (Dnipro) as a full member of the International Network of Coubertin Schools and granting it the right to use the name of Pierre de Coubertin School by the CIPC General Assembly. It is the only educational institution in Ukraine that has joined 32 schools from different