Awarding of the laureates of the "Triumph to Sports Heroes" competition

Belarus has learned the names of its best athletes. A jury, comprising renowned journalists, athletes, and sports officials, selected the most deserving. Fans also voted for a month.
The main criterion for nominees was not only the Olympics but also the results shown in the world arenas in 2015 and 2016. This was to ensure that no sporting achievement was forgotten.
Behind a modest smile and a chic evening suit, Maria Mamoshuk from Gomel hides a slight sadness that she didn't bring home a gold medal from Rio. She was close in the final against the Japanese opponent and hadn't lost a single match all year! Nevertheless, her silver medal was called the breakthrough of the year. Maria is the first athlete in the history of sovereign Belarus to win an Olympic medal on the wrestling mat.
"It was my Olympics and no one else's," Masha said in Brazil. But sport, like girls, is unpredictable. As soon as she returned home, she began preparing for the new Olympic cycle. And she will be the youngest contender for gold in Tokyo.
The best "Result of the Year" belongs to Maryna Arzamasava – the first non-black world champion in the 800-meter race. For two years, the honored master of sports had to fight not only with herself. And now, also with illness (the athlete has pneumonia but promises to return to competitions in a month) – therefore, Maryna's coach receives the award.
It so happened that almost all the awards today... belong to the fairer sex. The brightest emotions of 2015. This is what the organizers talked about. But how can one forget this biathlon miracle? Darya Domracheva's Big Crystal Globe. Today, the three-time Olympic champion is once again recognized as the best athlete of Belarus, and this is the fans' opinion. However, Dasha herself could not come to receive the award – the pre-Olympic week in South Korea did not allow it.
And here, Vitebsk rejoices. The only Olympic champion from Rio – the first Belarusian trampoline gold medalist, Vladislav Goncharov – is the best athlete, and his mentor, Olga Vlasova, is the best coach. Could it have been otherwise? Even the Chinese, who have never lost in this sport, shook the Belarusian's hand. Olga Vlasova seems not to believe it even now – they did it!
The last two years in world sports have been filled with doping scandals and disqualifications. When the principles of sport were violated, and the concept of "sport beyond politics" seemed to be completely forgotten. This is how Belarusian rowers also found themselves out of the game. The story of searches at training camps and the suspension of the men's team from the Rio Games dealt a heavy blow to the reputation of the world federation. The good name of Belarusian athletes has been restored, and compensation for damages is ahead. However, time cannot be turned back. For Roman Petrushenko and the Bogdanovich brothers, the Brazilian Olympics became their last. At the rowing canal in Rio, the women's kayak four fought for them. One against all, they won bronze, and today they are rightfully recognized as the best team in the country. For the first time, the "Triumph. Heroes of Sport" award was decided by the Presidential Sports Club, the NOC of Belarus, and the Ministry of Sports based on the results of two sports years, in order to have more contenders for the honorable award. After all, then athletes who participated in two Olympic cycles – summer and winter – become its nominees. This format is much more spectacular and, of course, more intriguing. Tomorrow, our athletes will once again trade their chic evening gowns for sports uniforms. Many will have two training sessions a day, starting at 7 a.m., and monotonous work that leaves very little time for entertainment and family. They have turned sports into the meaning of their lives, and every day they overcome themselves. They are all driven by passion and the will to win – this is exactly the prize that eleven-time Paralympic champion Igor Bokiy won this time as well. "Triumph. Heroes of Sport" once again reminded us that we have someone to be proud of. But we never forgot that! ONT.