Diving
Sports diving in Belarus began to be practiced in the late 20s in Gomel and Bobruisk, where there were towers at water distances.
In 1933-1934, diving trainings were held in Mogilev, Minsk, Orsha and other cities of the republic.
In August 1934, for the first time, athletes contested the BSSR diving championship (in the program of the 2nd All-Belarusian Water Festival), which was won by Gomel athletes Markhel and Tahotsky. In subsequent years, diving competitions are organized simultaneously with swimming competitions. It was only since 1953 that separate championships began to be held in the BSSR.
In 1965, the BSSR Diving Cup was played for the first time. Which takes place as a personal championship of the republic (the first cup winners are G. Lisnevskaya and E. Andreeva).
Belarusian athletes are regular participants in the main All–Union and international diving competitions. In 1973, N.Mikhailin won the title of champion of the USSR, in 1974 – O.Slastnikova, in 1976 – V.Aleynik and A. Kosenkov. Both of the latter became bronze medalists at the XXI Olympic Games (1976). In 1973, N. Mikhailin won the title of European champion among young men. Belarus is the organizer of a number of international diving competitions (and the largest of them are the Spring Swallows).
In 1992, an independent national team of the Republic of Belarus was formed for the first time.
In general, Belarusian jumpers took part in 10 Olympiads, while showing a consistently high level of athletic performance. The only exception was the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona (Spain), where there were no Belarusian athletes in the CIS diving team. In total, the Olympic piggy bank of the Belarusian national team has 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze awards: The 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal (Canada) – Alexander Kosenkov on a 3-meter springboard and Vladimir Aleynik on a 10-meter tower won bronze medals. The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow (USSR) – Alexander Portnov won a gold medal on the 3-meter springboard, and Vladimir Aleynik won a silver medal on the 10-meter tower.
The period of diving development from 1994 to 2000 is characterized by a decrease in the level of performances of the national team at the international and Olympic levels. At the same time, it should be noted that individual Belarusian athletes maintain their leading positions at the European level. So Vyacheslav Khamulkin became the winner of the European Cup in 1996, the silver medalist of the European Cup in 1998. Together with Sergey Sinitsa, he won the silver medal of the 1999 European Cup. Synchronized springboard jumping is 3 meters. Svetlana Alekseeva became the silver medalist of the 1997 European Cup and the bronze medalist of the 1999 European Cup.
At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta (USA), the members of the national team of the Republic of Belarus showed the following results:
Andrey Semenyuk springboard 3m 10th place
Alekseeva Svetlana springboard 3m 14th place
Vyacheslav Khamulkin 3m springboard 21st place
Kudrevich Sergey vyshka 10th 11th place
Khvoshchinsky Andrey tower 10 m 15th place
All of the above athletes were representatives of the Soviet diving school and already in 1996 they performed at the limit of their physical abilities and in the future were not able to show a higher athletic result. Nevertheless, the coaching council decided to keep this composition of the national team for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney (Australia).
On the eve of the 2000 Olympics, the vast majority of full-time athletes of the national team of the Republic of Belarus, on whom the main hopes for participation in the Olympics were pinned, terminated their contracts and left the Republic of Belarus, due to departure abroad, to perform in show programs: Semenyuk A., Kudrevich S., Hamulkin V., Petrovskaya M. At that time worthy There was no replacement for the leading athletes. Due to the loss of a whole generation of promising athletes from 1979 to 1983. In September 2001, the Head coaching Council decided to form an intensive training group from among the junior athletes of 1985-1989, to prepare a new national team. This decision led to certain successes at the World and European Championships in the Olympic cycle: Vadim Kaptur – 1st place (PE2002g.), 3rd place (PE2004g.), Timofey Gordeychik – 2nd place (PE 2004g.), Anastasia Salivonchik -2nd place (PE2000g.), 1st place (PE2001g.), 3rd place (PE2002), Nikolay Dyrda – 3rd place (PE2004). However, despite successful performances at junior competitions, this group of athletes was not yet ready for competitions of the highest European and world levels due to the small experience of athletes participating in adult starts and the danger of forcing training.
In 2001, high-level athletes from the Russian Federation were invited to the national team of Belarus: Andrey Mamontov, Alexander Varlamov, Sergey Kuchmasov, to maintain the authority of the Republic of Belarus in the international arena and create decent competition in Belarusian diving. Already at the 2002 European Championships, the Belarusian pair, consisting of Alexander Varlamov and Andrei Mamontov, won a bronze medal in the synchronized jumping program from a 10-meter tower. Alexander Varlamov was third in the individual 10-meter tower jump. In 2003, Alexander Varlamov and Andrey Mamontov won the FINA Grand Prix final for the first time in the history of Belarusian diving in synchronized diving from a 10-meter tower.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens (Greece), the members of the national team of the Republic of Belarus showed the following results:
Sergey Kuchmasov springboard 3m 25th place
Varlamov Alexander tower 10 m 27th place
Mamontov Andrey tower 10 m 30th place
The following results were shown at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (China):
Kaptur Vadim HSE 10th 14th place
Varlamov Alexander tower 10 m 21st place
Kuchmasov Sergey springboard 3m 25th place
Romenskaya Daria springboard 3m 29th place
The following results were shown at the 2012 Olympics in London (Great Britain):
Kaptur Vadim HSE 10th 21st place
Gordeitchik Timofey tower 10 m 31st place
Specialized sports units recruit children from the age of 5-6, and further selection takes place in specialized classes, taking into account the abilities and physiological predisposition to engage in coordination sports. Starting from the age of 14, athletes are recruited to specialized departments of the institutions “RGUOR” and Grodno “UOR”. Improving sports skills in the future allows athletes to undergo training in the departments of the institution “RCOP of Water Sports”, and if the selection criteria are met, they can also join the national team.
Diving has been developed in Minsk at sports bases: UP SOK “Olympic” (institution “RCOP for water sports”, Institution “MG Sports School of Trade Unions for diving”) and in the Uruchye microdistrict (institution “GTSOR for water sports”). In Grodno, the Aquacenter swimming pool (Youth Sports School Grodno-Volna). In Brest, on the basis of the Brest Regional Center of the Olympic Reserve in Aquatics.
The main bases for the training of highly qualified divers in the Republic are the UP SOK “Olympic” and the GTSOR for water sports in the Uruchye microdistrict in Minsk.
Over the past period of 2009-2012, athletes – students of diving sports departments have completed 5 titles of Master of Sports and 3 titles of Master of Sports of international class.
In the current Olympic cycle of 2013-2016, it is planned to complete about 9 titles of Master of Sports and 4 titles of Master of Sports of international class.
The number of medals won at the Olympic Games by Belarusian jumpers
| First Name Last Name | City | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Portnov | Minsk | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Vladimir Oleinik | Minsk | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Alexander Kosenkov | Minsk | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Belarusian representation in international diving federations.
Belarusian diving is represented on the international stage in the International Aquatics Federation (FINA) by the Public Association “Belarusian Swimming Federation”. The main objectives of this organization are to involve Belarusian diving specialists in the governing bodies of FINA and LEN, as well as further expand the Belarusian representation of judges at competitions held under the auspices of LEN and FINA. Raising funds from the development funds of international federations for partial payment of travel and accommodation during the World and European Championships.
The international judging category “A” (the highest international judging category) allows you to provide refereeing for the European, World, and Olympic Championships.
Currently, the lists of international federations FINA and LEN include the following judges:
1. Lomanovsky S.N. – category “A”
2. Naryshkin V.B. – category “A”
3. Gladchenko A.S. – category “A”
4. Khamulkin V.E. – category “B”
5. Mamontov A.S. – category “B”
6. Valko V.M. – category “B”
– Chairman of the public association “Belarusian Republican Diving Federation” Igor V. Katibnikov tel. +375 (17) 286-12-86 mobile +375 (29) 6-28-20-04
– Chairman of the Minsk city branch of the NGO “Belarusian Republican Diving Federation” Birukov Igor Alexandrovich tel.+375 (17) 332-16-09 mobile. +375 (29) 621-32-81