News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) – Runner Marina Arzamasova and racing cyclist Vasily Kiriyenko have been voted Belarus' Athletes of the Year 2015, according to the journalists' vote conducted by the Sportivnaya Panorama newspaper, BelTA has learned.

In 2015 Marina Arzamasova, who celebrated her 28th birthday on 17 December, performed brilliantly at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing, winning the gold medal in 800m. In addition, she became the silver medalist of the Military World Games, which were held in the Republic of Korea. Biathlon World Cup overall winner for the 2014–15 season Darya Domracheva was voted into second place and runner Alina Talai, who won bronze at the IAAF World Championships in the Chinese capital and gold in the 110m hurdles at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, settled for the third place.

Among the male athletes Vasily Kiriyenko was an absolute winner. His numerous achievements include a brilliant victory in the individual race at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, Richmond, USA, the gold medal at the First European Games in Baku and excellent performance at Giro d'Italia, one of the most prestigious professional cycling events. Weightlifter Vadim Streltsov, the world champion of the IWF Houston World Weightlifting Championships 2015, was voted into the second place and canoeist Artem Kozyr, the champion of the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan, into third.

The woman's kayak team (Olga Khudenko, Margarita Tishkevich, Marina Litvinchuk, Nadezhda Lepeshko) was voted the best team in the non-game sports. BATE players were recognized best in the game sports. Vladimir Shantorovich, the head coach of the national rowing and canoeing team, was named Belarus’ Best Coach of the Year 2015.

A total of 98 journalists from print and electronic media took part in the poll held by Belarus’ oldest sports newspaper for the 57^th time.