Athletes Alina Talay and Marina Arzamasova received certificates from the regional executive committee on the occasion of their victory at the World Championships

The inhabitants of the Pridvinye region, and not only sports fans, experienced a feeling of delight and pride when, at the recent World Athletics Championships, Alina Talay from Orsha took 3rd place in the 100-meter hurdles, setting a new national record, and Marina Arzamasova, also representing our region, won "gold" in the 800-meter race. And these, by the way, are all the medals in the treasury of the Belarusian team. The other day, the girls were honored at the regional executive committee.

The Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Terentyev, and the Chairman of the Regional Athletics Federation, Director of the Vitebsk Branch of RUP "Beltelecom", Alexander Bokhan, presented the athletes with flowers and gifts, expressing their immense gratitude. In addition, the heroines of the world championship became holders of certificates from the regional executive committee for annual personal scholarships, as well as bonuses for their successful performance at the most significant sporting event of 2015.

After the award ceremony, in an informal setting, Vladimir Terentyev noted that the regional authorities closely follow the performances of athletes from the Vitebsk region, promptly learn about the results of competitions, rejoice in the successes of their athletes, and provide them with comprehensive support.

Journalists, of course, were primarily interested in everything related to the successful trip of the track and field athletes to Beijing and their immediate plans. Alina Talay, who has recently been working with a new Austrian coach, noted that the year as a whole turned out as planned. The only thing is that they were slightly underdeveloped physically, which is why in the final race, literally in the last meter, they lacked a little to take an even higher place.

The charming athlete from Orsha noted with a smile that if European sprinters used to regard American athletes as celestial beings, then today they look at the Belarusian athlete with apprehension. She also admitted that after returning home, she was so tired of various meetings and interviews that her only desire was to turn off all her phones for a few days and watch a movie.

Marina Arzamasova said that her initial goal was to reach the podium at the World Championships, and she steadily worked towards it. The universal recipe for success, according to her, is to never get discouraged or give up in case of failure, to always believe and hope. Before the final race, she told herself: "The gold medal is 800 meters away from you – go and take it."

Marina noted that, although she is registered as a resident of Minsk, she has been competing under the flag of the Vitebsk region for many years and highly values the support provided by the regional authorities. This support includes not only material assistance but also a good human attitude: "I am simply happy to be a part of you!"

Now Alina and Marina will have a very short period of rest. And then – preparation for the Olympic Games, which will be held next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We believe that they will bring new bright emotions to Belarusian fans.

Ales Byньkov. Photos by Dmitry Osipov, "Vitebskiye vesti".