Belarus at the Olympics
Belarus was part of the former Soviet Union, and Belarusian athletes have been going to the Summer Games since 1952 up until to 1988 as part of the Soviet Union delegation. In 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarusian athletes again went to the Summer Games, this time as part of the European Unified Team consisting of twelve former Soviet Union republics.
When the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games rolled on, Belarus finally sent a delegation under their own flag. But by this time, Belarusian athletes are no stranger to competing and winning in the Summer Games. In their very first outing as an independent country, Belarus took a total of fifteen Olympic medals.
Rower Ekaterina Karsten gave Belarus her first official Olympic gold medal when she took the top spot in women’s single sculls. Belarus also got six silver and eight bronze medals in the Atlanta Games in 1996. This will set a trend for Belarus and establish them as one of the consistent performers in the Summer Games. Belarusian athletes have been taking home various Olympic medals since they first participated as an independent nation in 1996.
For the Winter Games, the circumstances are a bit different. Belarus also participated in the Winter Games since 1952 to 1988 as part of the Soviet Union. In 1992, they were also part of the Unified Team in Albertville, France. In 1994, they first joined the Winter Games under their own flag and took two silver medals. Like in the Summer Games, Belarus has also performed well in the Winter Games snatching Olympic medals in every outing since 1994. Their first gold however did not come until the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada where skier Alexei Grishin took the top place in men’s aerials (freestyle skiing).
In 2024, Belarus and Russia have been banned from competing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Selected athletes who can demonstrate that they have never "actively" supported the war will be allowed to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes.
Trivia
- Athletes from the region of Belarus have previously competed at the Olympic Games under the former country of the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, they were part of the Unified Team in 1992.
Related Pages
- Belarus at the Winter Olympics
- Russia at the Olympic Games
- Information about the Soviet Union at the Olympics
- About sport in Belarus
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