Legendary Olympic coach Victor Kovalenko: Victory must be earned

To become an Olympic champion, one must not only be prepared to win but also earn it, said Olympic coach and world-renowned “Medal Maker” Victor Kovalenko in an interview for the UWC’s #TheLastOlympics campaign, marking the lead-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The #TheLastOlympics campaign, featuring Kovalenko, draws global attention to the rise of authoritarian regimes and the threat to free democratic states with a clear message: if we do not support Ukraine today, this Olympics may be the last, and the Olympic flame could be overshadowed by the flames of the next world war.

“To become an Olympic champion, you have to be ready in many areas to win. But also you have to deserve to be the winner because life will give a reward for all of your sacrifice. And only if you are a good person in this life, and you deserve this one as a person,” Kovalenko says.

“If I knew that Paris would be our last Olympic Games for a while, my message would be the same. We are here to win. Let’s do our best to win.”

After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Victor Kovalenko made his stance clear in a comment to The Guardian, condemning Russia’s aggression. He also shared how, after the collapse of the USSR, he was faced with the choice of competing for Ukraine or Russia. Without hesitation, the coach chose Ukraine.

Victor Kovalenko is a long-time holder of the honorary title of Honored Coach of Ukraine and was also Vice President of the Sailing Federation of Ukraine. “My really big pleasure was to represent Ukraine in 1996. I was with the Ukrainian men’s 470 team, Yevhen Braslavets and Ihor Matviienko, and also with the Ukrainian women’s 470 team, Ruslana Taran and Olena Pakholchyk. We obtained an Olympic gold for the men and an Olympic bronze medal for the women. It were the fantastic games. We just gave the opportunity for all the world to discover Ukraine because everyone was asking us, ‘Oh, Ukraine? What is this country? Where is it? We never heard about it’. And I said, “Yes, this is the former USSR republic, but now we are independent, and we have just shown the world our power,” Kovalenko said in an interview with the UWC.

Prominent Ukrainian sailing coach and yachtsman Viсtor Kovalenko is known for his achievements at the Olympic Games. He has coached teams at the 1998, 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Games. Under Kovalenko’s guidance, the Australian team alone won 12 sets of Olympic medals of various kinds. Currently, he trains new coaches, passing on his extensive experience in the sport.