Google – AFP, Alexandre Fedorets (AFP), 21 February 2014
Rosa Khutor
— Ukraine on Friday raced to a famous victory in the women's team biathlon
relay at the Sochi Olympics, dedicating their inspirational performance to a nation
grieving over the deadly violence that claimed dozens of lives.
The
president of Ukraine's Olympic Committee, former pole vault great Sergey Bubka,
said the victory could help unite his country and bring peace after days of
clashes between security forces and protesters.
The team
led from the start in the 4x6 km relay race, finishing in 1hr 10min 2.5sec,
defeating second-place Russia by 26.4 seconds. Norway took the bronze.
Ukraine's
Olena Pidhrushna crosses the
finish line in the Women's Biathlon 4x6 km
Relay
at the Laura Cross-Country Ski
and Biathlon Center on February 21, 2014
(AFP,
Odd Andersen)
|
"We
are proud of them. We supported from the stands with our ribbons of grief and
our flags on which were written, 'For Peace! For Ukraine!'" said Bubka.
"We
dedicate this victory to all the Ukrainian people. I believe that in this hard
time for the country this medal can unite us and make peace, calm and
prosperity reign in Ukraine," he added.
Vita
Semerenko, a bronze medal winner earlier in the Games, started the race with
fiery determination and her lead was bolstered by the little known Juliya
Dzhyma on the second leg.
Valj
Semerenko, twin sister of Vita, had a shaky final standing shooting, missing
three targets, but Pidhrushna held her nerve to keep Russia's Olga Vilukhina
from taking the gold for the hosts.
-'Tears for
the whole country'-
Before
their post-race press conference, the girls had held a minute of silence to
remember the victims of the carnage that left nearly 100 dead.
"We
gave our people some positive feelings," said Pidhrushna of the race.
Pidhrushna's
husband is Olexiy Kaida, an MP for the strongly anti-regime nationalist Svoboda
(Freedom) Party. But she said the victory was for all Ukrainians.
"This
joy is for them all. For those who are standing on the Maidan and for the other
side as well," she added, referring to Independence Square in Kiev which
is the hub of the protest movement.
She said
her husband had "protected me from everything that is happening at
home."
"We
only know the minimum of what is happening there and that is a good
thing," she added.
Valj
Semerenko admitted she could not hold back her emotions on the podium for the
flower ceremony after the race.
"When
I was on the podium I couldn't stop crying. I tried to calm down and was trying
to hide it behind my skis."
"They
were tears of happiness, not only mine, but of the whole country, our
team."
Her sister
Vita added: "We haven't realised it yet. It is the dream of a whole
lifetime. Our dream and the dream of the whole of Ukraine has come true. We are
champions."
There had
been speculation that Ukraine's team could even leave the Olympics because of
the violence at home but Bubka had insisted they should stay to help unify the
nation.
Pidhrushna
said the troubles at home had not affected their preparations as they had tried
simply to concentrate on the race.
Tora Berger
of Norway, who anchored her country to bronze, said that Ukraine fully deserved
their victory.
"I'm
very happy that Ukraine won today. I saw the news on TV, The situation there
(Ukraine) is terrible," said Berger.
"They
were the best of us today and won this race deservedly."
Until
Friday, Ukraine had endured a relatively poor Games, with just the one bronze
medal won by Vita Semerenko in the women's biathlon sprint.
The
athletes themselves had not worn black armbands to remember the dead, in line
with IOC stipulations that sports events should not be used for any kind of
demonstrations.
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