Victor Kovalenko

Background

Victor Kovalenko was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine – then part of the Soviet Union—in August, 1950.

Education

That year he put racing aside to complete his education at the Nikolaev State Pedagogical Institute where he graduated with majors in Sport and Sport Science.

Career

Six of those medals are Gold. He learned to sail at the local "Meteor Club" when he was 12 years old. He began sailing 470s while at Nikolaev.

He considers that 16-foot Olympic class dinghy the most difficult and most satisfying boat to sail.

A track athlete who ran the 400 meters, Mission Kovalenko was a coach before becoming an elementary school teacher. Kovalenko’s competitive career ended in 1984 when Russia boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics.

After his team was disbanded, he turned part-time coaching into a full-time career. In 1983, it was announced that in 1988 women would be welcome to sail in the Olympics for the first time.

The 470 was named as the first women's class.

lieutenant fell to Kovelenko, a junior coach for Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, to work with an inexperienced women's team of which little was expected. In four years, he coached former rower Larisa Moskalenko and her crew, Iryna Chunykhovska to an Olympic podium finish (Bronze medal). In 1991, after the Soviet Union was dissolved, Kovalenko began coaching both men’s and women's teams for Ukraine.

The 1996 Games in Atlanta were a huge success for the newly independent country’s first Olympics.

Ukrainians brought home 9 Gold medals, 2 medals of them in sailing (Gold and Bronze). But political upheaval within the country resulted in lack of support for the sailing team

When Kovalenko was recruited by Australia, he accepted. He moved to Sydney in 1997.

His début as Australia’s coach (2000 Olympic Games, Sydney) resulted in Gold medals for both the men’s and women's teams.

Belcher and Kovalenko have now been working together 16 years. nine Olympic medals (6 of them Gold) in 8 Olympic Games.

Achievements

• Nine Olympic medals (6 of them Gold) in 8 Olympic Games winner, 17 world championships two ISAF Rolex Sailors of the Year (Ruslana Taran, 470, 1997. Mathew Belcher, 470, 2013) winner, 11 European championships winner, 118 world class regattas Australian Coach of the year 2008, 2012 OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) (2012) Four medals from Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics and Ukrainian governments Member, Australian Sports Hall of Fame Member, 470 class Hall of Fame Member, ISAF Coach’s Commission Vice-President, International Coaches Association Honorary Member, Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, Royal Tasmania Yacht Club, Sandringham Yacht Club, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Middle Harbor Yacht Club Ambassador, Australia Day 2000, 2013.

Membership

He became a member of Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics National sailing team in 1973, sailing Flying Dutchmen and Dragons.