R. Safiullin: Preparation of Ukrainian athletes for Winter Olympics goes according to plan
Preparation of
Ukrainian sportsmen for the XXII Olympic Winter Games in
As of today, according
to the Minister, preliminary 45 athletes will represent our country at the XXII
Olympic Winter Games. They take on in 11 of 15 sports and a total number of
those who will fight
for medal is about 3 thousand athletes from 80 countries.
Ravil Safiullin has informed that Ukrainian athletes will compete
in the biathlon, skiing, figure skating, luge,
freestyle, alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, Nordic combined, short
track and bobsledding.
The Minister noted
that the largest delegation of Ukrainian athletes is in biathlon - 11 athletes,
ski races - 8, six athletes will fight for medal in freestyle, luge and figure skating. Four athletes will compete in
snowboarding, in Nordic combined and alpine skiing – 3, in bobsledding - 2 and by
ones will compete for a place on the podium in short track and ski jumping.
"You know that in
winter sports, we are not as strong as in summer sports. And the last Olympics
in Vancouver (Canada) in 2010 ended for the Ukrainian team with zero, but this
year, and I really believe, we can show decent result and finally overcome the landmark
of two medals that our sportsmen maximum were able to win before," the
Minister said.
Ravil Safiulin noted that the funding of the preparation for the Winter
Olympics in 2014 was carried out mainly by the cost of the state budget, and up
to date there is no problem with funding. The total amount that has been used by
kinds of sports to prepare for the Games from 2011 to 2013 amounts to USD 108 705
000.
The Minister recalled
that athletes and their coaches will receive monetary compensation from the
state for the victory at the Olympics in the amount of $125 thousand dollars,
for the second place provides 80 thousand dollars and for the third - 55
thousand dollars.
During the briefing Ravil Safiulin also informed
about the preparations for the XI Paralympic Winter
Games. He noted that the total number of our athletes who will participate in
the Paralympics is 31 sportsmen.