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About 50 Belarusians expected to compete at 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

About 50 Belarusian athletes are expected to compete in nine different sports at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Mikalay Babets, a departmental head at the sports ministry, told reporters in Minsk on May 13.

The Belarusian team will include 23 hockey players, ten biathletes and five freestyle ski aerialists, Mr. Babets said.

The qualification campaign in the other sports is still in progress, he said. One alpine skier, one Nordic combined skier, one speed skater, one figure skater, one short track speed skater, and up to 10 cross-country skiers are expected to win the right to represent Belarus at the Olympics, Mr. Babets said.

Belarus had 28 athletes competing in seven sports at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. The number next year would be roughly the same if the hockey team had not qualified for the Games again, Mr. Babets said.

Belarusians won no medals in international winter sports competitions this past season, he noted. Nevertheless, Belarusian biathletes, freestyle ski aerialists, cross-country skiers and hockey players made it into the top eight on six occasions, Mr. Babets said.

Belarus finished the previous winter Olympics with one silver medal, which was won by freestyle ski aerialist Dzmitry Dashchynski. "We may pick up a medal in aerials and, if we're lucky, in biathlon," Mr. Babets said. "It's much more difficult to get a podium finish at Winter Olympics than at Summer Olympics." //BelaPAN