| Heptathlon star overcomes tragedy to seek gold medal |
KIEV The 2008 Olympic heptathlon champion Nataliya Dobrynska, the main rival to British star Jessica Ennis, is making her quest for gold in London just months after the tragic death from cancer of her husband and coach.
On March 9, the 30-year-old Dobrynska danced for joy in the floodlights of Istanbul arena, celebrating her world indoor title and a new world indoor pentathlon record which made her the first woman ever to score over 5,000 points.
But just 15 days later, her husband Dmitry Polyakov, who was also her personal coach, died of an aggravating cancer at the age of 47.
“He suffered from a sarcoma for almost the last two years,” Dobrynska told Ukrainian media ahead of her departure.
“He didn’t want anybody to know about his illness except the people closest to him and we kept it secret. He was a strong man and didn’t want to be an object of anyone’s pity.”
“I want to dedicate my last win at the world championships in Istanbul to him, my husband, my best friend, my coach. He was happy with my victory there and only felt a regret that he couldn’t lead me into the London Games.”
Dobrynska said that despite her husband’s death she has carried out intense preparations for the 2012 Olympics.
“I will do everything that depends on me to win a medal in London,” she said. “It will be the best possible tribute to the memory of my husband.”
Dobrynska was born in 1982 in the small Ukrainian town of Brovary in the Kiev region to a strong sporting family.
Her mother, who now works as a journalist, was a local star in women’s arm-wrestling, while her father worked as an administrator in disabled sports.
Dobrynska started her athletics training at the age of six under the watchful eye of her elder sister Viktoria, who specialised in high jump and brought her younger sister Nataliya onto the track and field training arena.
Her skills and working ability stood out rapidly, lifting Dobrynska into the Ukrainian athletics elite. The USA Massachusetts university invited her to study, offering her a grant but Dobrynska decided to stay and study at home.
Dobrynska earned med-als at world athletics championships in 2004 and 2005 but failed to win any serious title before her long-term partner Polyakov started training her early in 2007.
Agence France-Presse
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