Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
competed at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The
Belarus Olympic Committee sent a total of 166 athletes to the Games, 90 men and 76 women, to compete in 20 sports.
Belarus left London with a total of 10 medals (2 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze), their lowest in Summer Olympic history. Most of these medals were awarded to athletes in sprint canoeing.
Sergei Martynov, who won gold for the first time, became the most successful Belarusian shooter in history, with a total of three Olympic medals. Three Belarusian athletes set the nation's historical record to win Olympic medals for the first time in their sporting events, including swimmer
Aliaksandra Herasimenia
Aliaksandra Viktarauna Herasimenia ( be, Аляксандра Віктараўна Герасіменя russian: Алекса́ндра Ви́кторовна Герасиме́ня; Łacinka: Aliaksandra Viktaraŭna Hierasimienia / Aleksandra G ...
, who took two silver in women's freestyle events. Tennis players and Grand Slam titleholders
Max Mirnyi
Maksim "Max" Mikalaevich Mirnyi ( be, Максім Мікалаевіч Мірны, ; russian: Максим Николаевич Мирный, ; born 6 July 1977) is a Belarusian former professional tennis player.
Mirnyi became a doubles speci ...
and
Victoria Azarenka
Victória Fyódarauna Azárenka ( be, Вікторыя Фёдараўна Азаранка; Russian: Виктория Фёдоровна Азаренко; born 31 July 1989) is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Azarenka is a former wo ...
, who also won the bronze in women's singles, became Belarus's first ever Olympic champions in the mixed doubles event, after beating Great Britain's Andy Murray and Laura Robson. For the first time in its history, Belarus, however, did not win an Olympic medal in athletics and wrestling.
Originally, Belarus had won three gold medals in the nation's total medal count. On 13 August 2012, the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
stripped shot putter
Nadzeya Astapchuk
Nadzeya Astapchuk ( be, Надзея Мікалаеўна Астапчук, ''Nadzeya Mikalayeuna Astapchuk''; russian: Надежда Остапчук, ''Nadezhda Ostapchuk;'' born October 28, 1980) is a Belarusian shot putter. She briefly was d ...
of her gold medal after testing positive for the
anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone (medication), testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related ...
metenolone
Metenolone, or methenolone, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) which is used in the form of esters such as metenolone acetate (brand name Primobolan, Nibal) and metenolone enanthate (brand name Primobolan Depot, Nibal Injection). Metenolo ...
, and the gold medal was subsequently awarded to silver medalist
Valerie Adams
Dame Valerie Kasanita Adams (formerly Vili; born 6 October 1984) is a retired New Zealand shot putter. She is a four-time IAAF World Championships in Athletics, World champion, four-time IAAF World Indoor Championships, World Indoor champion, ...
from New Zealand.
Medalists
Delegation
Belarus Olympic Committee selected a team of 166 athletes, 90 men and 76 women, to compete in 20 sports, surpassing the record by just a single athlete short in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
Men's football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is to ...
was the only team-based sport in which Belarus had its representation in these Olympic games. There was only a single competitor in archery, and in badminton. Athletics was the largest team by sport, with a total of 49 competitors.
The Belarusian team featured five Olympic champions from Beijing (hammer throwers
Aksana Miankova, sprint canoeing brothers
Andrei and
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich
Aliaksandr Viktaravich Bahdanovich ( be, Аляксандр Віктаравіч Багдановіч, born 29 April 1982) is a Belarusian sprint canoeist. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the C-2 1000 m event at Beiji ...
, and sprint kayakers
Raman Piatrushenka
Raman Ivanavich Piatrushenka or Roman Petrushenko ( be, Раман Іванавіч Пятрушэнка; born 25 December 1980) is a Belarusian sprint canoeist who has competed since 2000. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won four medals ...
, and
Vadzim Makhneu
Vadzim Henadzevich Makhneu ( be, Вадзім Генадзевіч Махнеў) or Vadim Makhnev russian: Вадим Махнев; born 21 December 1979) is a Belarusian flatwater canoeist who has competed since 2000. Competing in three Summe ...
). Shooters
Sergei Martynov and
Kanstantsin Lukashyk
Kanstantsin Leonidovich Lukashyk ( be, Канстанцін Леонідовіч Лукашык, Kanstancin Leonidovič Łukašyk, born September 18, 1975 in Hrodna) is a Belarusian pistol shooter, most known for winning the 50 metre pistol eve ...
, and single sculls rower
Ekaterina Karsten
Ekaterina Karsten ( be, Кацярына Карстэн, ''Kaciaryna Karsten''; russian: Екатерина Карстен; born 2 June 1972) is a Belarusian rower, a seven-time Olym ...
, competed at their sixth Olympic games, although they first appeared as part of either the Soviet Union (Martynov in 1988) or the Unified Team (Karsten and Lukashyk in 1992). Table tennis player
Vladimir Samsonov
Vladimir Samsonov or Uładzimir Samsonaŭ ( be, Уладзімір Віктаравіч Самсонаў, russian: Владимир Викторович Самсонов, born 17 April 1976) is a Belarusian former professional table tennis player ...
became the fourth Belarusian athlete to compete at fifth Olympics. Meanwhile, trap shooter
Andrei Kavalenka, at age 57, was the oldest athlete of the team, while rhythmic gymnast
Nataliya Leshchyk
Nataliya Leshchyk ( be, Наталія Валер'еўна Лешчык; Łacinka: Nataliya Leščyk; born 25 July 1995) is a Belarusian rhythmic gymnast who competed in group events. She is the Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's ...
was the youngest at age 17.
Professional tennis player
Max Mirnyi
Maksim "Max" Mikalaevich Mirnyi ( be, Максім Мікалаевіч Мірны, ; russian: Максим Николаевич Мирный, ; born 6 July 1977) is a Belarusian former professional tennis player.
Mirnyi became a doubles speci ...
, who won nine Grand Slam titles (including two from the
U.S. Open) in his career, and competed at his fourth Olympics, became Belarus' flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Karsten, who won a total of five Olympic medals, served as the nation's team captain.
, width=78% align=left valign=top ,
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves in fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are not counted as athletes:
Archery
Athletics
Belarus sent a total of 49 track and field athletes to the London games, after having achieved the required qualifying standards in their respective events (up to a maximum of three athletes in each event at the "A" standard, and one at the "B" standard). Hammer thrower and two-time Olympic medalist
Ivan Tsikhan
Ivan Ryhoravich Tsikhan (born 24 July 1976) is a Belarusian hammer thrower. He is a two-time world champion and an Olympic medalist.
Personal life
Tsikhan was born in the village of Hloŭsievičy, Slonim district, Grodno Region, Belarusian ...
, was initially selected to the team, but IAAF decided to withdrew him from the competition, as a re-test of his sample from
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
was positive. On August 13, International Olympic Committee decided the shot putter Nadzeya Astapchuk, the nation's only track and field medalist, to strip off her gold medal at the London games after she was tested positive for the
anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone (medication), testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related ...
metenolone
Metenolone, or methenolone, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) which is used in the form of esters such as metenolone acetate (brand name Primobolan, Nibal) and metenolone enanthate (brand name Primobolan Depot, Nibal Injection). Metenolo ...
.
;Men
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events –
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...
;Women
;Track & road events
;Field events
* Initially awarded gold in the shot put, Astapchuk was disqualified, and stripped of her medal, following positive drugs tests during the Games.
;Combined events –
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...
Badminton
Boxing
;Men
Canoeing
Sprint
Belarus has so far qualified boats for the following events
;Men
;Women
Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road
;Men
Track
;Sprint
;Pursuit
* Maryia Lohvinava
Maryia Lohvinava (born 25 September 1992) is a Belarusian female track cyclist. She competed in three events at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was the World Championships for tra ...
was reserve for the women's team pursuit but did not compete.
;Keirin
;Omnium
Diving
Belarus has qualified in the following events.
;Men
Equestrian
;Eventing
Fencing
Belarus has qualified 3 fencers.
;Men
Football
Belarus men's football team qualified for the event after win a play-off of the
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*'' ...
.
* Men's team event – 1 team of 18 players
Men's tournament
;Team roster
;Group play
Gymnastics
Artistic
;Men
;Women
Rhythmic
Trampoline
Judo
;Men
Modern pentathlon
Belarus has qualified four athletes in modern pentathlon.
Rowing
Belarus has qualified 2 boats.
;Men
;Women
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Sailing
Belarus has so far qualified 1 boat for each of the following events
;Men
;Women
M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race
Shooting
Belarus has ensured seven quota places in the shooting events at the Games.
;Men
;Women
Swimming
Belarus sent a total of 8 swimmers at the London games, after having achieved qualifying standards in their respective events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)): Belarus left London with a remarkable milestone in swimming, winning two silver medals by
Aliaksandra Herasimenia
Aliaksandra Viktarauna Herasimenia ( be, Аляксандра Віктараўна Герасіменя russian: Алекса́ндра Ви́кторовна Герасиме́ня; Łacinka: Aliaksandra Viktaraŭna Hierasimienia / Aleksandra G ...
in the
women's 50 m freestyle and
100 m freestyle
The 100 metre freestyle is often considered to be the highlight (Blue Ribbon event) of the sport of swimming, like 100 metres in the sport of Athletics.
The first swimmer to break the one-minute barrier (long course) was Johnny Weissmuller, in 1 ...
events, respectively.
;Men
;Women
Table tennis
Belarus has qualified two athletes for singles
table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
events. Based on their world rankings as of 16 May 2011
Vladimir Samsonov
Vladimir Samsonov or Uładzimir Samsonaŭ ( be, Уладзімір Віктаравіч Самсонаў, russian: Владимир Викторович Самсонов, born 17 April 1976) is a Belarusian former professional table tennis player ...
has qualified for the
men's event and
Viktoria Pavlovich
Viktoria Pavlovich ( be, Вікторыя Уладзіміраўна Паўловіч; Łacinka: Viktoryja Uładzimiraŭna Paŭłovič; born 8 May 1978) is a Belarusian table tennis player who plays for Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe SK. She wo ...
for the
women's
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
.
Tennis
Belarus has qualified three athletes for
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
events. After losing to U.S. tennis star Serena Williams in the semi-finals,
Victoria Azarenka
Victória Fyódarauna Azárenka ( be, Вікторыя Фёдараўна Азаранка; Russian: Виктория Фёдоровна Азаренко; born 31 July 1989) is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Azarenka is a former wo ...
managed to win the bronze medal in the women's singles against Russia's
Maria Kirilenko
Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko ( rus, Мари́я Ю́рьевна Кириле́нко, p=mɐˈrʲijə kʲɪrʲɪˈlʲɛnkə ; born 25 January 1987) is a Russian former professional tennis player. A junior Grand Slam champion at the 2002 US Open a ...
. The following day, Azarenka and her partner
Max Mirnyi
Maksim "Max" Mikalaevich Mirnyi ( be, Максім Мікалаевіч Мірны, ; russian: Максим Николаевич Мирный, ; born 6 July 1977) is a Belarusian former professional tennis player.
Mirnyi became a doubles speci ...
defeated Great Britain's
Andy Murray
Sir Andrew Barron Murray (born 15 May 1987) is a British professional tennis player from Scotland. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 41 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2016. Murray h ...
, men's singles champion, and his partner
Laura Robson
Laura Robson (born 21 January 1994) is a British former professional tennis player. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached th ...
to win the gold medal during the final match in the first ever mixed doubles event.
Azarenka and Mirnyi, not only claimed the title, but also set the nation's historical milestone to their sport.
Weightlifting
Belarus has qualified 4 men and 4 women.
;Men
;Women
Wrestling
Belarus has qualified eleven quotas.
;Men's freestyle
;Men's Greco-Roman
;Women's freestyle
References
External links
{{Nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
2012 in Belarusian sport