Olympic champions Krivko and Alimbekova recall how they participated in the EYOF

The European Youth Olympic Festival is the first Olympic event in lives of many young athletes. For some, it remains the only one, but the careers of individual athletes develop in a different way. While in Sarajevo the XIV winter EYOF is taking place, we talked with the participants of the previous forums. Irina Krivko and Dinara Alimbekova did not win any awards at that time, but this did not prevent them from becoming Olympic champions in the future.

We contacted the biathletes and recorded their histories of participation in the winter EYOF.

Dinara Alimbekova

I participated in the winter EYOF in 2013 it took place in Romanian Brasov. I remember one of the main impressions – the abundance of sports. When all the time competing among biathletes, you forget about existence of other athletes. However, if see around here figure skating and hockey, and curling. I learned that there are skiers in Belarus! It can be said, that in Romania I opened my personal boundaries and the sport began to be perceived wider.

Of course, you can compare the winter EYOF and the Olympic Games, but better not to do it. Nevertheless, the festival is almost children’s competition, and you go to an Olympics with serious thoughts; you demand a lot from yourself. However, these forums have a common feature – they give festival atmosphere. Moreover, my best result was the 7^th place in the individual race.

In Romania, I gained some experience. Before this trip, I participated in the junior world championship. That means chased with the same rivals, but in other circumstances. Therefore, the sports component of the EYOF was no different from ordinary starts. But outside the track was a real holiday. Out of competitive life impressed me.

I wish our participants to show everything what they can. I also wish to enjoy the holiday. Do not afraid performances, just do your job well - and everything will work out.

Irina Krivko

In the winter EYOF I participated 10 years ago – in 2009, the festival was held in Upper Silesia (Poland). Memories of that trip were only the positive. The festival was very similar to the real Games: we had a real send-off, and some young people from other sports competed nearby. Figure skating, hockey, skiing- we were all together. The opening and closing ceremony were done for us; we lived in the Olympic Village, it so impressed. We were still children, so it surprised and fascinated doubly.

I remember that at that festival, the medals did not win exactly, and the best place was, it seems, the sixth place. Ten years ago, it was impossible to predict which participants would succeed in the future, but the future world championship medalist Monika Hojnisz from Poland and the bronze medalist of the Olympic Games in Sochi Eva Puskarcikova from the Czech Republic performed with me in Poland. The composition of the people I remember is bad, but the Lithuanian Thomas Kaukenas performed at the festival.

International competitions are always an important experience. It should definitely get if you want to grow and develop. It is important to compete in your own country, but it is even more important to go abroad and see what you can in comparison with other athletes. So in this sense, the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival is a very important start.
I wish the participants to realize themselves fully and show what they can. Perhaps I wish to try to go beyond the boundaries of the possible. If something does not work out, do not be discouraged, but try to extract the maximum of experience, which does not happen much. The main thing is not to give up, develop and work on.

Photo: Dinara Alimbekova personal archive, NOC Belarus