Belarus at the Olympics

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Belarus at the
Olympics
File:Flag of Belarus.svg
IOC codeBLR
NOCBelarus Olympic Committee
Websitewww.noc.by (in Russian and English)
Medals
Ranked 46th
Gold
22
Silver
39
Bronze
48
Total
109
Summer appearances
Winter appearances
Other related appearances
File:Flag of Russia.svg Russian Empire (1900–1912)
File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland (1924–1936)
File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union (1952–1988)
File:Olympic flag.svg Unified Team (1992)
File:Individual Neutral Athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics Flag.svg Individual Neutral Athletes (2024)

Athletes from Belarus began their Olympic participation at the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland, as part of the Soviet Union (IOC code: URS).[1] After the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991, Belarus, along with four of the other fourteen former Soviet republics, competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics (held in Albertville, France) as the Unified Team. Later in 1992, Belarus joined eleven republics to compete as the Unified Team at the Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain. Two years later, Belarus competed for the first time as an independent nation in the 1994 Winter Olympics, held in Lillehammer, Norway. With a total of 109 medals, Belarus is ranked third amongst post-Soviet states, after Russia and Ukraine. Since 1994, Belarus has won medals at each Winter and Summer Olympics it has participated in. In 2022, in response to the Belarus-assisted Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarusian athletes were temporarily suspended by the International Olympic Committee.[2] In January 2023, the International Olympic Committee announced plans to allow Belarusian athletes to participate at the 2024 Summer Olympics as neutrals.[3][4] (see also: 2024 Summer Olympics § Participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes)

Medal tables

List of medalists

Summer Olympics

Medal Name Games Sport Event
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ekaterina Karsten 1996 Atlanta File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's single sculls
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Vladimir Dubrovshchik 1996 Atlanta File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's discus throw
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Natallia Sazanovich 1996 Atlanta File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's heptathlon
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Igor Basinsky 1996 Atlanta File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 metre pistol
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Aleksandr Pavlov 1996 Atlanta File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 48 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Sergey Lishtvan 1996 Atlanta File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 100 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Aleksey Medvedev 1996 Atlanta File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 130 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vasiliy Kaptyukh 1996 Atlanta File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's discus throw
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Ellina Zvereva 1996 Atlanta File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's discus throw
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vitaly Scherbo 1996 Atlanta File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Artistic) Individual all-around
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vitaly Scherbo 1996 Atlanta File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's horizontal bar
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vitaly Scherbo 1996 Atlanta File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's parallel bars
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vitaly Scherbo 1996 Atlanta File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's vault
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Tamara Davydenko
Nataliya Lavrinenko
Yelena Mikulich
Aleksandra Pankina
Yaroslava Pavlovich
Valentina Skrabatun
Nataliya Stasyuk
Nataliya Volchek
Marina Znak
1996 Atlanta File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's Eight
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Valery Tsilent 1996 Atlanta File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 82 kg
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ellina Zvereva 2000 Sydney File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's discus throw
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Yanina Korolchik 2000 Sydney File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's shot put
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ekaterina Karsten 2000 Sydney File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's single sculls
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Yulia Raskina 2000 Sydney File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Individual all-around
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Tatyana Ananko
Tatyana Belan
Anna Glazkova
Irina Ilyenkova
Maria Lazuk
Olga Puzhevich
2000 Sydney File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Group all-around
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Igor Basinsky 2000 Sydney File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 metre pistol
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Igor Astapkovich 2000 Sydney File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's hammer throw
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Iryna Yatchenko 2000 Sydney File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's discus throw
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Natallia Sazanovich 2000 Sydney File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's heptathlon
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Anatoly Laryukov 2000 Sydney File:Judo pictogram.svg Judo Men's 73 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Pavel Dovgal 2000 Sydney File:Modern pentathlon pictogram (pre-2025).svg Modern pentathlon Men's individual
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Igor Basinsky 2000 Sydney File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 10 metre air pistol
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Sergei Martynov 2000 Sydney File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 metre rifle prone
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Lalita Yauhleuskaya 2000 Sydney File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Women's 25 metre pistol
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Gennady Oleshchuk 2000 Sydney File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 62 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Sergey Lavrenov 2000 Sydney File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 69 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Dmitry Debelka 2000 Sydney File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Yulia Nestsiarenka 2004 Athens File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's 100 metres
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ihar Makarau 2004 Athens File:Judo pictogram.svg Judo Men's 100 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Magomed Aripgadjiev 2004 Athens File:Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Light heavyweight
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Viktar Zuyev 2004 Athens File:Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Heavyweight
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Ekaterina Karsten 2004 Athens File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's single sculls
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Andrei Rybakou 2004 Athens File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 85 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Hanna Batsiushka 2004 Athens File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 63 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vadzim Makhneu
Raman Piatrushenka
2004 Athens File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Men's K-2 500 metres
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Natallia Tsylinskaya 2004 Athens File:Cycling pictogram.svg Cycling Women's track time trial
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Yuliya Bichyk
Natallia Helakh
2004 Athens File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's coxless pair
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Sergei Martynov 2004 Athens File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 metre rifle prone
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Tatsiana Stukalava 2004 Athens File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 63 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Viachaslau Makaranka 2004 Athens File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 84 kg
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Andrei Bahdanovich
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich
2008 Beijing File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Men's C-2 1000 m
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Raman Piatrushenka
Aliaksei Abalmasau
Artur Litvinchuk
Vadzim Makhneu
2008 Beijing File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Men's K-4 1000 m
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Andrei Aramnau 2008 Beijing File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 105 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Vadim Devyatovskiy 2008 Beijing File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's hammer throw
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Andrei Krauchanka 2008 Beijing File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's decathlon
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Inna Zhukova 2008 Beijing File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Individual all-around
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Murad Gaidarov 2008 Beijing File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's 74 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Ivan Tsikhan 2008 Beijing File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's hammer throw
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vadzim Makhneu
Raman Piatrushenka
2008 Beijing File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Men's K-2 500 m
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Olesya Babushkina
Anastasia Ivankova
Zinaida Lunina
Glafira Martinovich
Ksenia Sankovich
Alina Tumilovich
2008 Beijing File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Group all-around
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Ekaterina Karsten 2008 Beijing File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's single sculls
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Yuliya Bichyk
Natallia Helakh
2008 Beijing File:Rowing pictogram.svg Rowing Women's coxless pair
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Mikhail Siamionau 2008 Beijing File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's 66 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Anastasiya Samusevich 2008 Beijing File:Modern pentathlon pictogram.svg Modern pentathlon Women's
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Sergei Martynov 2012 London File:Shooting pictogram.svg Shooting Men's 50 m rifle prone
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Victoria Azarenka
Max Mirnyi
2012 London File:Tennis pictogram.svg Tennis Mixed doubles
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Andrei Bahdanovich
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich
2012 London File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Men's C-2 1000 m
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Raman Piatrushenka
Vadzim Makhneu
2012 London File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Men's K-2 200 m
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Maryna Hancharova
Anastasia Ivankova
Nataliya Leshchyk
Aliaksandra Narkevich
Ksenia Sankovich
Alina Tumilovich
2012 London File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Group all-around
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Aliaksandra Herasimenia 2012 London File:Swimming pictogram.svg Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Aliaksandra Herasimenia 2012 London File:Swimming pictogram.svg Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Volha Khudzenka
Iryna Pamialova
Nadzeya Papok
Maryna Pautaran
2012 London File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Women's K-4 500 m
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Liubov Charkashyna 2012 London File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics (Rhythmic) Individual all-around
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Victoria Azarenka 2012 London File:Tennis pictogram.svg Tennis Women's singles
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Uladzislau Hancharou 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics Men's trampoline
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Darya Naumava 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Women's 75 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Vadzim Straltsou 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg Weightlifting Men's 94 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Maryia Mamashuk 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Women's 63 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Ivan Tsikhan 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's hammer throw
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Aliaksandra Herasimenia 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Swimming pictogram.svg Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Javid Hamzatau 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 85 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Ibrahim Saidau 2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 125 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Marharyta Makhneva
Nadzeya Liapeshka
Volha Khudzenka
Maryna Litvinchuk
2016 Rio de Janeiro File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Women's K-4 500 m
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Ivan Litvinovich 2020 Tokyo File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics Men's trampoline
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Iryna Kurachkina 2020 Tokyo File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Women's freestyle 57 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov 2020 Tokyo File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Men's freestyle 74 kg
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Volha Khudzenka
Maryna Litvinchuk
Marharyta Makhneva
Nadzeya Papok
2020 Tokyo File:Canoeing pictogram.svg Canoeing Women's K-4 500 metres
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Maksim Nedasekau 2020 Tokyo File:Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's high jump
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Vanesa Kaladzinskaya 2020 Tokyo File:Wrestling pictogram.svg Wrestling Women's freestyle 53 kg
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Alina Harnasko 2020 Tokyo File:Gymnastics pictogram.svg Gymnastics Women's rhythmic individual all-around

Winter Olympics

Medal Name Games Sport Event
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Svetlana Paramygina 1994 Lillehammer File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's sprint
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Igor Zhelezovski 1994 Lillehammer File:Speed skating pictogram.svg Speed skating Men's 1000 m
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Alexei Aidarov 1998 Nagano File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Men's individual
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Dmitri Dashinski 1998 Nagano File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Men's aerials
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Aleksei Grishin 2002 Salt Lake City File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Men's aerials
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Dmitri Dashinski 2006 Turin File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Men's aerials
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Aleksei Grishin 2010 Vancouver File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Men's aerials
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Sergey Novikov 2010 Vancouver File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Men's individual
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Darya Domracheva 2010 Vancouver File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's individual
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Darya Domracheva 2014 Sochi File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's individual
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Darya Domracheva 2014 Sochi File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's mass start
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Darya Domracheva 2014 Sochi File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's pursuit
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Anton Kushnir 2014 Sochi File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Men's aerials
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Alla Tsuper 2014 Sochi File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Women's aerials
File:Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Nadezhda Skardino 2014 Sochi File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's individual
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Hanna Huskova 2018 Pyeongchang File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Women's aerials
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Darya Domracheva 2018 Pyeongchang File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's mass start
File:Gold medal icon.svg Gold Nadezhda Skardino
Iryna Kryuko
Dzinara Alimbekava
Darya Domracheva
2018 Pyeongchang File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Women's relay
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Anton Smolski 2022 Beijing File:Biathlon pictogram.svg Biathlon Men's individual
File:Silver medal icon.svg Silver Hanna Huskova 2022 Beijing File:Freestyle skiing pictogram.svg Freestyle skiing Women's aerials

Soviet Union

Athletes from the Soviet Union began participating in the Olympic Games in 1952, winning 194 total medals in the Winter Games[5] and 1010 at the Summer Games for a total of 1204 medals. Of those medals, 473 were gold, 376 were silver and 355 were bronze.[6] The Belarusian collection of medals began with Mikhail Krivonosov winning silver in the hammer throw at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. The Soviet Republic's first gold medal was won by Leonid Geishtor and Sergei Makarenko in the 1000 metre pairs canoe event during the 1960 Summer Games in Rome, Italy.[7] The Soviet Union first competed in the Winter Olympics in 1956, located in Cortina.[8] In 1988, the Soviet Union competed for the last time as a unified country.[9]

Unified Team

Gymnast Vitaly Shcherbo won six gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.[10]

Summer Olympic Games

1996 Atlanta

In Belarus's first independent appearance at the Summer Olympics, the delegation took home fifteen medals: one gold, six silver and eight bronze. The first Belarusian gold medal was won by Ekaterina Karsten in the women's single sculls rowing event. The silver medals were won in athletics, shooting, and wrestling (both freestyle and Greco-Roman). The bronze medals were won in artistic gymnastics, athletics, rowing and Greco-Roman wrestling.[11] The country sent 159 athletes to compete in 21 disciplines.[12]

2000 Sydney

The Belarusian government, using public funds and sponsorships, spent five million USD to prepare the athletes for the 2000 Olympics. Minister of Sports and Tourism Yevgeny Vorsin predicted that Belarus would win four gold medals during the Games.[13] Belarus finished with three gold, three silver and 11 bronze medals. Karsten successfully defended her championship in the single sculls, with the other two gold medals won by Yanina Karolchik and Ellina Zvereva in the shot put and discus throw events, respectively. The Belarusian women took silver in both individual and team rhythmic gymnastics, with a third silver medal coming in the men's 50 metre pistol event. Bronze medals were won in hammer throwing, shooting (3), Greco-Roman wrestling, pentathlon, weight lifting (2), judo, heptathlon and discus throwing.[14] One athlete from Belarus, Vadim Devyatovsky, was banned from Olympic competition due to testing positive for the substance nandrolone.[15]

2004 Athens

Belarus used leftover funds from the Sydney Games to prepare athletes to compete in the 2004 Olympics.[13] Belarus sent to Athens 153 athletes competing in 21 disciplines.[16] Those athletes won 15 medals: two golds, six silvers, and nine bronzes. The gold medals were won in the 100 meter dash and in judo. The silver medals were won in weightlifting (2), boxing (2), rowing and the hammer throw. The bronzes were won in shooting, the discus throw, weightlifting, cycling, rowing (2), wrestling (Greco-Roman) and canoeing/kayaking (2).[17] Ivan Tsikhan originally won the bronze in the hammer throw, but his medal was upgraded to silver after Adrian Annus of Hungary was stripped of his gold medal due to doping.[18] Yulia Nestsiarenka, who was not expected to do well in the 100 meter dash, took home the gold in the event. She was clocked at 10.93 seconds, beating the second place American by 0.03 seconds.[19] Wrestler Alexander Medved was tasked to carry the national flag during the opening ceremony.[20]

2008 Beijing

One hundred and eighty-one athletes from Belarus competed in 28 events at the Beijing Olympics.[21] Before the Olympics started, the National Olympic Committee of Belarus announced that medal winners would be awarded cash prizes, valued in United States dollars, from the Committee and their sponsors. Another sponsor, Belatmit,[22] offered gold medal winners free sausage for life. The women's basketball team would be given free sausage regardless of what medal they won.[22] The team captain was Ivan Tsikhan[23] and fencer Alexander Romankov carried the national flag during the opening ceremonies.[24] Overall, Belarus took home 19 medals, with four medals being gold, placing 16th in the medal standings, 13th in the total medal count.[25] At a ceremony bestowing state decorations on the Olympic champions President Lukashenko said his country had performed better in Beijing than they did in Athens, but he still called the Games a "missed opportunity", winning fewer gold medals than he personally had expected.[26] However, on September 21, the IOC has asked Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan to provide the body information on why they tested positive for abnormal traces of testosterone after the completion of the hammerthrow final on August 17. If found guilty, the pair will be stripped of their respective medals and Devyatovskiy will face a lifetime ban for a second doping offense.[27] The IOC found them guilty on December 11 and officially stripped them of their medals.[28] 10 June 2010 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the appeals filed by the two Belarusian hammer throwers, Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan, against the decision of the Disciplinary Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of 11 December 2008. Consequently, the silver and bronze medals won at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are to be returned to Vadim Deviyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan respectively. In 2012 IAAF retested doping samples from the 2005 World Athletics Championships and shotputter Andrei Mikhnevich was found positive for 3 anabolic steroids: Clenbuterol, Methandienone and Oxandrolone. In August 2014 IOC disqualified his results from the 2008 Summer Olympics and allocated the bronze medal.[29]

2012 London

Belarus won two gold medals at the 2012 games in London, the first being for Sergei Martynov in the men's 50m rifle prone shooting. Mixed doubles tennis players Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka won the other gold, with Azarenka also winning a bronze in the women's singles.

2016 Rio de Janeiro

2020 Tokyo

Winter Olympic Games

1994 Lillehammer

This was the first Olympic Games in which an independent Belarus participated. Before competing as an independent state, Belarusian athletes won four medals as part of the USSR and CIS squads from Olympic Games spanning 1964 to 1992.[8] Belarus sent 33 athletes to compete in seven disciplines. Silver medals were won by Igor Zhelezovski in the 1000 m speed skating and Svetlana Paramygina in the biathlon.[30] Out of the 67 nations that competed, Belarus ranked 15th in the medal totals.[7] According to the NOC RB, competing in the Lillehammer Olympics is a historic event for Belarus and "opened a new page in the history of Belarusian sport."[8]

1998 Nagano

Belarus sent a delegation of 59 athletes to compete in nine disciplines.[8] Belarus medaled twice, both times with bronze. The medals were earned by Dmitry Dashchinsky in aerials and Alexei Aidarov in the biathlon.[31] Belarus qualified for the second round of the hockey tournament, but lost its group matches and was eliminated by Russia in the quarterfinals, finishing seventh overall.[32] In a speech by President Alexander Lukashenko in 2002, he reflected on the achievements of athletes in the Nagano Games. While watching the events, he stated that the Belarusian athletes competed with dignity and brought glory to Belarus.[33]

2002 Salt Lake City

Belarus competed in nine disciplines, just like at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Belarus's single medal was a bronze won by Aleksei Grishin.[34] The men's ice hockey team drew international attention for its upset of top-seeded Sweden and subsequent 4th-place finish.[35] However, hockey team member Vasily Pankov, along with Belarusian team doctor Evgeni Lositski, were removed from the Olympic Games due to positive doping results. Lositski was barred from coming to the 2004 and 2006 Olympic Games for giving Pankov medication that included nandrolone.[36] Another Belarusian athlete was given a "strong warning" by the IOC for missing a doping test and admonished the NOC RB for helping her miss the test.[37]

2006 Turin

Sending 33 athletes, Belarus competed in eight disciplines.[38] Dmitry Dashchinsky took home the only medal, a silver in the aerials. Dashchinsky had earned a bronze medal at the 1998 Nagano Games.[7] The result was upsetting to Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus and head of the National Olympic Committee. He told members of the NOC RB that the coaches were to blame for the poor showing and that Belarus needed victories so they could feel pride as a nation. He also told the assembled members that if there are any more poor showings, he will fire the members.[39]

2010 Vancouver

Belarus won three medals. Alexei Grishin took the nation's first-ever gold in freestyle skiing – men's aerials. Sergey Novikov took silver in the men's 20-kilometers individual biathlon, while Darya Domracheva took bronze in the women's 15-kilometer individual biathlon.[40] The men's hockey team was eliminated in the first round of playoffs.

2014 Sochi

Belarus ranked 8th, its highest at any Olympic Games, after winning five golds and a bronze. Biathlete Darya Domracheva won three golds, in the women's pursuit, individual and mass start events. Nadzeya Skardzina won the bronze in the individual. In freestyle skiing, Alla Tsuper and Anton Kushnir won golds in the respective women's and men's aerial events.

2018 Pyeongchang

2022 Beijing

Flag bearers

Games Name
1994 Lillehammer Igor Zhelezovsky
1996 Atlanta Igor Astapkovich
1998 Nagano Alexandr Popov
2000 Sydney Sergey Lishtvan
2002 Salt Lake City Oleg Ryzhenkov
2004 Athens Aleksandr Medved
2006 Turin Alexandr Popov
2008 Beijing Alexander Romankov
2010 Vancouver Oleg Antonenko
2012 London Max Mirnyi
2014 Sochi Aleksei Grishin
2016 Rio de Janeiro Vasil Kiryienka
2018 Pyeongchang Alla Tsuper
2020 Tokyo Hanna Marusava & Mikita Tsmyh

National Olympic Committee

In 1991, an order was issued to create the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (Russian: Национальный олимпийский комитет Республики Беларусь), and it was not until 1993 before the NOC RB (НОК РБ) became a full member of the International Olympic Committee.[41] Also in 1993, Vladimir Ryzhenkov, who was at the time the Belarus Minister for Sport and Tourism, was elected to the post of President of the NOC RB. In May 1997, a year after the death of Ryzhenkov, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was elected to the post, which he still holds today. Lukashenko is the first known example of a head of state to also lead a National Olympic Committee at the same time.[7] Funding for the NOC RB comes from marketing of goods with the Olympic logo, donations from the private sector, sponsorships and from the national government.[13][42] As head of state, President Lukashenko issued decrees awarding prizes to those who bring home medals, use state funds to prepare for athletes and pay the coaches of the athletes. In 2004, President Lukashenko issued a decree awarding those who win medals in the 2004 and 2006 Olympic Games the following tax-free monetary awards (in United States dollars): $60,000 for gold, $30,000 for silver and $20,000 for bronze.[43] For the 2008 and 2010 games, the following tax-free prizes will be awarded to medal winners and their coaches (in United States dollars): $100,000 for gold, $50,000 for silver and $30,000 for bronze.[44]

See also

References

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  9. NOC RB. Belarusian athletes at Olympic Games Archived 2007-05-13 at archive.today. Published 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  10. "Vitaly SCHERBO | Olympic Athlete | Atlanta 1996, Barcelona 1992". Olympic.org. Archived from the original on 2011-01-13. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  11. Official 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Results. Retrieved July 14, 2007.
  12. "Belarusian athletes win 212 Olympic licenses". BelTA. 2008-08-07. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 BelaPAN, No. 61 News Article: Belarus Has Spent Over $5 Million to Prepare for Sydney, Sports Minister Says. September 14, 2000; 9:10 p.m. Retrieved July 14, 2007.
  14. Official 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Results. Retrieved July 14, 2007.
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