Honorary citizen of Vitebsk and Chicago Vikenty Dmitriev awarded by the NOC of Belarus

March 29, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA/. Legendary Vitebsk artistic gymnastics coach Vikenti Dmitriev, who is celebrating his 80th birthday, has been awarded the Honorary Badge of the NOC of Belarus "For Services in the Development of the Olympic Movement in the Republic of Belarus". The award was presented to the jubilarian today by Viktor Bynkov, Executive Director of the NOC Representative Office in the Vitebsk Region, during a festive ceremony in Vitebsk, BELTA correspondent reports. The name of Honored Coach of the USSR and Belarus, Honored Teacher of Belarus, Honorary Citizen of Vitebsk and Chicago (USA) Vikenti Dmitriev is inscribed in golden letters in the annals of the Olympic movement. The awarding of the NOC award is a tribute of respect and recognition of the legendary coach's merits in the development of elite sports and the preparation of athletes for the Olympic Games, World and European Championships, and a significant personal contribution to the promotion of the ideals and principles of Olympism and the popularization of sports. Suffice it to say that his trainees, including the famous Larisa Petrik and Tamara Lazakovich, have won a total of seven Olympic medals at the main four-year competitions, including three gold medals. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the regional and city executive committees, educational and sports institutions, public organizations, as well as numerous trainees and admirers of the jubilarian's coaching talent. A pleasant surprise from the event organizers was a video greeting from one of the stars of world gymnastics, discovered by Vikenti Dmitriev, two-time Olympic champion Larisa Petrik, who now lives in Germany. A native of Leningrad, Vikenti Dmitriev arrived in Vitebsk in the mid-1950s on the initiative of the then director of the Vitebsk Physical Education College, who invited the gifted athlete to study in the Belarusian city. Perhaps Vikenti Dmitriev would have achieved success as an athlete, but a serious injury thwarted his plans, but did not put an end to his coaching career. He worked with young children with great success, looking for talent among ordinary girls and boys. Among his trainees are winners and prize-winners of various competitions Alla Itson, Tatyana Arzhannikova, Svetlana Kudinova, and many others. One of the particularly memorable events in Vikenti Dmitriev's coaching career was 1973, when he and Tamara Lazakovich, as part of the Soviet Union women's team, made a two-month tour of the USA. The performances were a great success, evidenced by the reception of the athletes by US President Richard Nixon. In memory of that trip, Vikenti Dmitriev keeps gold cufflinks presented by the US President. At the same time, the city of Chicago awarded the members of the sports delegation the title of honorary citizens of that city. -0-