Ukrainian sports officials are constantly accentuating the fact that our country is not strong in winter sports, so the journalists decided to find out under what conditions the future Olympians are preparing. This time in the focus of attention was a discipline, such as jumping from a springboard, says the subject of TSN. 19:30.
10-year-old Denis Pilipchuk continues the family tradition and plans to become the fourth stribuin in the family. "I want to become a professional, go to the championships everyones, to the competitions," he says.. This is one of the most extreme Olympic sports. The world's largest jumps can reach almost 200 meters in height, the skier on them accelerates sometimes to more than 100 km / h, then repels and flies like a bird. Judges assess the technique of flight and the range of landing.
In Ukraine there are only three schools of jumpers - in Verkhovyna, Vorokhta and in Kremenets. In the latter there are just three jumps, with unpretentious rooms and rusty constructions, but local coaches assure that these conditions are the best of those that exist in the state. Synthetic coating, which is jumped, recently updated thanks to Polish benefactors, but the equipment is constantly in short supply. The school, which has more than a hundred students, last year had enough money for a dozen pairs of skis. The standard set of jumper with a springboard consists of a special helmet, glasses, overalls, which should add aerodynamics and protection, special fastenings and skis not similar to any others - they are longer and wider than mountain or cross-country. The cost of the new kit is about 2 thousand euros.
Coaches, even if they are used, remain coaches, so they have to earn extra money. "I unloaded the cars, took pictures, drove passengers at night, to find more money for that sport," admits Vasily Migashchuk, who trains children in Vorokhta, Ivano-Frankivsk region. In 2017, from the regional budget, the school received money only for staff salaries. "No more for the costs, nor for the equipment, nor for repairs, nor for stationery, nor for anything," admits Maria Barbenichuk, accountant. The premises of the school and the springboards belonged to the society of trade unions, and now they are privately owned. The complex also includes ski lifts and a recreation center. In the latter, the new owners made repairs, but at school the time seemed to freeze in the late 1980s. The co-owner of the base assures that he has already developed a plan together with the regional authorities, how to put everything in order, that's why the repair will begin in the spring.
It is in Vorokhta that the biggest springboard in the country is in 90 meters. But he survives the last years, if not carry out major repairs. Ukrainian athletes of the highest level can not train on it, that's why they go abroad at public expense. "For today it will be cheaper for us to travel to Poland or Slovakia than to build such jumps," explained the first vice-president of the ski federation Vladimir Malezhik.
At one time, even the capital had its own springboard - it towered above the stadium "Olympic". Dismantled it in 2004, at that time it was obsolete and dangerous. No one is going to restore it, but other options are possible. Although it costs from 5 million euros for reconstruction to 50 million euros for a new modern facility - and this is too expensive for either the state or local communities. Therefore, they continue to jump from what is, even if with a risk to their health.
TSN correspondent Svyatoslav Grinchuk.