23 athletes from the Vitebsk region are vying for a spot in the London 2012 Olympics

April 5, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. 23 athletes from the Vitebsk region are contenders for participation in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This was announced today at a meeting with candidates for the national Olympic team by Mikhail Portnoy, head of the physical culture, sports and tourism department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, a BELTA correspondent reports. These are athletes representing track and field, weightlifting, cycling, and rhythmic gymnastics. Great hopes are pinned on Natalia Mikhnevich, Alina Talay, Vadim Devyatovsky, and other athletes. Regarding the results of the region's representatives at sports competitions in 2011, Mikhail Portnoy noted that the past year was quite successful. "At international competitions of world and European level, athletes from the region won 152 medals of various denominations, including 48 in Olympic sports. This is the second result among all regions of Belarus after Minsk," he said, emphasizing that the Vitebsk region has not achieved such success since 2004. In addition, in 2011, out of 68 Belarusian sports records, 27, or 37%, belong to representatives of the Vitebsk region. "The results of the current winter season also give cause for pride: the Vitebsk region is the undisputed leader in skiing, short track, and biathlon. Thanks to our athletes and coaches, significant successes have been achieved in track and field," added Mikhail Portnoy. In 2012, it is planned to allocate over Br114 billion for the development of sports and physical culture in the Vitebsk region.