Sport in Ukraine
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Sports such as football and wrestling have been popular in Ukraine since the 19th century.[1] Ukraine has benefited from the Soviet Union's emphasis on sport and physical education and Ukraine was left with hundreds of stadiums, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and other athletic facilities after the collapse of the Soviet Union.[2]
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[edit] Football
The strongest and highest-level league is the Ukrainian Premier League, which is also known as the Vyscha Liha (Top league). The second-ranking league the Persha Liha or the Ukrainian First League. The next league down is the Second League or Druha Liha, which is divided into two groups, East(B) and West(A) according to their location. The fourth-level league is Amateur Level.
At the end of each season the two lowest-ranking teams in the Vyscha Liha are relegated to the Persha Liha, while the two top teams of the Persha Liha are promoted to the Vyscha Liha. The two lowest-ranking Persha Liha teams are relegated to the Druha Liha, while the top two teams in the Druha Liha League are promoted to the Persha Liha. Teams receive three points if they win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Each team plays each other twice.
Teams from all leagues can participate in the Ukrainian Cup. The winners of the Ukrainian Championship and the Ukrainian Cup take part in the Ukrainian Super Cup.
Andriy Shevchenko is a famous Ukrainian footballer, who is considered a national hero in Ukraine.[1]
Ukraine will be host to the UEFA European Football Championship in 2012, together with Poland.
[edit] Boxing
Ukraine is noted for its famous heavyweight boxers - Wladimir and Vitali Klitchsko which have won world champion's title many times, and currently hold the WBC, WBO, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine titles between them.[1][3]
[edit] Ice hockey
Ukraine has a ice hockey league, the Professional Hockey League. Their most notable team is Sokil Kyiv. Their national hockey team has competed in several World Championships and the Olympics.
[edit] Rugby union
[edit] Basketball
Ukraine also has a known basketball league.The teams are strong enough to make it into the Eurocup basketball championship. The top Ukrainian League is called the Ukrainian Basketball Super League. The next top league is called the Vyscha Liha. The next strongest league is called the Persha Liha.
[edit] Cricket
The Ukraine Cricket Association exists to promote the game of cricket in Ukraine.There are a lot of cricket clubs in Ukraine at this time: Kiev Cricket Club, Kharkiv Cricket Club, Crimea Cricket Club, Vinnytsya Cricket Club, Ternopil Cricket Club, Donetsk Cricket Club and Luhansk Cricket.
[edit] Women's Artistic Gymnastics
Ukraine has had several successful female gymnasts, including but not limited to: Lilia Podkopayeva, Tatyana Gutsu, Larisa Latynina, Viktoria Karpenko and more recently Anastasia Koval, Alina Kozich, and Iryna Krasnianska.
Ukraine sent a full team to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the team members were Valentyna Holenkova, Anastasia Koval, Alina Kozich, Iryna Krasnianska, Dariya Zgoba, and Maryna Proskurina. As a team they placed 11th in qualifications and did not qualify for the team final. Anastasia Koval and Dariya Zgoba both qualified for the uneven bars final, placing 5th and 8th respectively.
Ukrainian gymnasts enjoyed success at the 2009 European Championships in Milan, Italy. They qualified at least one gymnast to each of the apparatus finals, and garned a gold and bronze medal in the finals.[4] Notable accomplishments at the European Championships:
- Yana Demyanchuk, 2009 European Championships Gold Medalist on Beam; also 12th place in the All-Around competition.
- Anna Kalashnyk, 2009 European Championships Bronze Medalist on Vault
[edit] Men's Artistic Gymnastics
Oleksandr Vorobiov enjoyed success at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, becoming the bronze medalist on the still rings.
Recently the male gymnasts of Ukraine have enjoyed success at the 2009 European Championships:
- Oleksandr Vorobiov, 2009 European Championships Silver Medalist on Still Rings
- Nikolay Kuksenkov, 2009 European Championships Bronze Medalist on High Bar
[edit] Rhythmic Gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is considered one of the most popular sports ever in Ukraine. Many Ukrainian rhythmic gymnasts such as Anna Bessonova, Natalia Godunko, Olena Vitrychenko and Olexandra Tymoshenko are among the top rhythmic gymnasts in the world. There are many clubs all over Ukraine. The most famous and strongest rhythmic gymnastics training school in Ukraine is the Deriugina School in Kiev, run by Albina Deriugina and her daughter Irina Deriugina.
[edit] Olympic Games
Ukraine is a regular participant in both summer and winter Olympic Games and is successful on the international arena. The country's top achievement at the Olympics to date was at the 1996 Summer Olympics, when they came 9th.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Ukrainian gymnast Lilia Podkopayeva won the All Around title in the Women's Gymnastics competition.
[edit] References
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