Belarus names 50 for Beijing Athletics

(BEIJING, July 28) -- Belarus named its largest squad ever for Olympic athletics, with 50 members going to compete in Beijing. The team is aiming for five medals.

Olympic 100m champion Yuliya Nesterenko, 2000 Shot Put champion Yanina Korolchik-Pravalinskaya, and three-time World Hammer Throw champion Ivan Tikhon form the backbone of the squad. Also notable is the Sydney Olympics Discus Throw champion Ellina Zvereva, who will turn 48 this November.

National team coach Anatoly Baduev commented that "the majority of the team are young athletes aiming at the 2012 Olympic Games."

"This time we are expecting medals from hammer thrower Ivan Tsikhan, shot putters Nadzeya Ostapchuk and Natallia Mikhnevich, Natalia's husband Andrei Mikhnevich, the 2003 World Shot Put champion, and also World Race Walk silver medallist Rita Turova," Baduev said.

"We hope women's hammer thrower Aksana Miankova and Decathlete Andrei Krauchanka will also show good results."