Sports in Ukraine

A: Many sports are popular in Ukraine. They are: hockey, soccer, weightlifting, track and field athletics, tennis, basketball, volleyball, boxing, figure-skating, cross-country skiing, swimming, judo and shooting. Many people grow with outdoor winter sports as well as with swimming, diving, sailing, water skiing, canoeing.

There are many stadiums and public sports facilities in the country. Numerous national and international matches and competitions are regularly held in Ukraine. They attract large numbers of fans.

B: Ukrainian sports are well developed and home Ukrainian athletes rank with the world stars. They have good Olympic results. Ukraine's participation in the world Olympic movement started in 1894, when a 56-year-old Ukrainian General Oleksyi Butovsky, was one of the founding members of the Movement. A hundred years later, in 1994 Valeriy Borzov, the famous sprinter of the 1970s, was elected the member of the IOC (Internatiuonal Olympic Committee).

In 1994 Independent Ukraine sent its national team to win in the Games for the first time. At the 17th Winter Games in Lillehammer, young figure skater Oksana Bayul went down into Olympic history. She won the first gold medal for Ukraine.

The Olympic victories of Ukrainian athletes are impressive: 400 trophies, including 180 gold medals. By its athletic attainments over the past 40 years Ukraine ranks with the world's 20 leading Olympic countries. Among the champions are gymnasts V. Chukaryn, L. Latynina, M.Horokhovska, B. Shakhlin; rowers V. Morozov, O. Shaparenko, S. Chukhrai; yachtsman V. Monkin; track-and-field athletes V. Borzov, V. Holubnychyi, O. Bryzhina, Yu. Siedykh; wrestlers O. Kolchynsky, S. Bielohlazov: weightlifter L.Zhabotynskyi; handball players L.Karlova, Z.Turchyna; volleyball players Yu. Poliakov, Yu.Venherovskyi; water polo players O. Barkalov, and many others.

C: Among the best known team athletes are the Kyiv " Dynamo" soccer players who in 1975 and 1986, led by noted coach V. Lobanovskyi, took the
European Cup Holders’ Cup. Practically every tournament was won for almost 20 years by the Kyiv “Spartak” handball team, led by L.Turchyn. Great success was achieved by women's basketball team winning the 1995 European Championship..

Andriy Shevchenko is a famous Ukrainian footballer, who is considered a national hero in Ukraine. Ukraine was the host to the UEFA European Football Championship in 2012, together with Poland. The European Football Championship is one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The final tournament of the 14-th UEFA EURO 2012 was held in in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 to July 1, 2012. Sixteen national teams competed there. In Ukraine the matches were played in four stadiums: in Donetsk, Lviv, Kharkiv and Kyiv. The final match took place in Kyiv.

D: The Ukrainian school of gymnastics is recognized in the world. At different periods I. Deriuhina, O. Tymoshenko, O. Skaldina, K. Serebrian'ska, O.Vitrychenko and others won world and European championships.

S. Bubka, world famous pole vaulter, was the first in Ukraine to receive the title “Merited Master of Sports of Ukraine” followed by that of “Master of Sports, International Class” is the holder of 35 world records.

Ukraine is noted for its famous heavyweight boxers - Volodymyr and Vitaliy Klychko which have won world champion's title many times. Brothers Vitaly and Volodymyr Klychko show the highly professional boxing.

a) What do you know about the sportsmen you see in the photos?

L. Zhabotynsky O.Skaldina L. Latynina S. Bubka

V. Borzov Brothers KlychkoKyiv " Dynamo"

b) What other sports celebrities of Ukraine do you know?

Exercise 3. When did the following events take place?