Smolensk athletes represented our region at the Olympics honorably

At the closing ceremony of the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 10 young people from Smolensk region sang the Russian national anthem in the children's consolidated choir. The fact that Smolensk region is a musical region, the homeland of the Russian classical music founder Mikhail Glinka, imposed on our children a special responsibility.

Audition of the candidates to the choir was held for the 12 - 14 years old students of children's art schools and music schools of all the districts of the region. As a result, 10 people were selected: three from Smolensk - Snezhana Razzhivaykina, Evgenia Korzhakova, Alla Petrova, two from Vyazma - Grigory Pavlov and Dmitry Selivanov, two from Gagarin - Matvey Eremenko and Yan Kaskevich, as well as Ekaterina Platonova from Elnya, Ksenia Tveryanovich from Desnogorsk and Ekaterina Ovchinnikova from Yartsevo.

Watching the major sporting event of the year, Smolensk residents could particularly enjoy the performance of the student of the Smolensk State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism Ruslan Zakharov. Competing in the final relay in short track, he won the gold medal. On February, 21 our team consisting of Victor An, Semen Elistratov, Vladimir Grigoriev and Ruslan Zakharov excelled in the men's relay, leaving behind the national teams of USA and China in the race of 5000 meters.

Smolensk region was also represented at the Olympics in Sochi by the folk group "Slavyane", which on February, 16 opened the presentation of the region in the Olympic Park, and by volunteers from Smolensk region helping to organize the Games.