Pupils of the specialised children and youth sports school of Olympic reserve in cycling “Medyk” from Drohobych performed successfully at the Ukrainian Track Championships among junior men and women, which took place in Lviv from 29 July to 2 August. The young athletes won seven awards and secured representation at world level.
Drohobych cyclists demonstrated a high level of preparation and strong team cohesion, proudly representing the city at the national competition. As a result, the team claimed 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Artur Stetsiv became one of the main triumphs of the tournament. He took:
- 1st place in the bunch race;
- 1st place in the team race;
- 2nd place in the omnium (a multi-discipline event with points aggregated);
- 3rd place in the elimination bunch race.
Another series of medals for the team’s collection was added by Anastasiia Saturova. She took:
- 1st place in the team race;
- 2nd place in the bunch race;
- 3rd place in the elimination race.
An important outcome of the performance was that Artur Stetsiv also earned the right to compete at the upcoming UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
The Drohobych City Council notes that these achievements were made possible thanks to the systematic work of the coaching staff and the school’s management. In particular, they highlight the contribution of the director of the specialised children and youth sports school of Olympic reserve “Medyk”, Pavlo Popovych, who continues the traditions of Drohobych’s cycling school. He is the father of the well-known cyclist Yaroslav Popovych, who in 2005 became the best young rider of the Tour de France and took third place at the Giro d’Italia in 2003.
The work of the senior junior coach, Volodymyr Savchyn, is also recognised; he is responsible for preparing the athletes for national-level starts and for nurturing the pupils’ belief in their own abilities.
Separate thanks were expressed to the parents of the medallists — Marian and Svitlana Stetsiv, as well as Yurii and Oksana Saturov — for supporting their children’s sporting choice and their readiness for the considerable demands associated with the training process. The report stresses that the young cyclists are currently covering road distances of up to 120 km in the heat without getting off their bikes.
The young athletes are wished good health, new personal bests and further victories, and to Artur Stetsiv — a successful performance and a winning finish at the World Championships.