International underwater sports competitions were held in Novopolotsk: Belarusian athletes won 26 medals.

 From February 28 to March 1, 2026 , the "Sadko" Palace of Water Sports in Novopolotsk hosted the official international competitions in aquathlon (underwater wrestling) and sport diving for the first time. This major sports event was organized by the DOSAAF public associations of Russia and Belarus, and the competitions were included in the calendar plan of international events in technical sports.

     Competition Participants

     The competitions brought together the strongest underwater athletes from Belarus and the Russian Federation. The geography of the participants was impressive: the Russian side was represented by teams from Kazan, Saint Petersburg, Saransk (Republic of Mordovia), as well as Tula, Leningrad, and Moscow regions. The Belarusian side was represented by teams from Minsk and Novopolotsk.

     Number of participants by discipline:

• Sport diving: 15 participants from the Republic of Belarus, 25 from the Russian Federation
• Aquathlon (underwater wrestling): 14 participants from Belarus, 46 from Russia

     Triumph of Belarusian Athletes

Following the exciting competitions, Belarusian athletes achieved a brilliant result, winning a total of 26 medals:

      Gold medals – 13;
      Silver medals – 5;
      Bronze medals – 8 

     Venue Features

     The choice of the Novopolotsk "Sadko" Palace of Water Sports for hosting the international competitions was not accidental. As Igor Zenin, Director of the Novopolotsk SDUSTS DOSAAF and Chief Secretary of the competitions, noted, the key factor was the required depth of the pool. Aquathlon requires a ring measuring 5×5 meters with a depth ranging from 3 to 6 meters. The parameters of the 50-meter "Sadko" pool, which features a depth exceeding 5 meters, perfectly meet these strict requirements.

     Star-Studded Lineup

     The participants included true stars of underwater sports, notably the pride of Novopolotsk and the whole of Belarus – Dmitry Gavrilov, Honored Master of Sports, World Games winner, and multiple World and European champion in sport diving. Thanks to his prestige and international connections, along with the support of his mentor – Honored Coach of Belarus Viktor Stremyakov, they succeeded in attracting leading Russian underwater athletes to participate.

     Significance of the Event

     Hosting these international competitions in Novopolotsk marked a milestone for the development of underwater sports in Belarus and for strengthening friendly athletic ties between Belarus and Russia. DOSAAF continues to actively develop technical and applied sports, fostering the right conditions for athletes to hone their skills and compete successfully on the international stage.

     Congratulations to the Belarusian athletes on their brilliant performance and medals won!