Sailing Sailing master named AIS Coach of the Year
04 Feb 2009
The Australian Sports Commission named AIS Sailing Head Coach, Victor Kovalenko, the 2008 Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Coach of the Year, at a ceremony held in Canberra.
Kovalenko coached the Australian men’s and women’s sailing teams to win two gold medals in the 470 class at last year’s Olympic Games.
He was the only 470-class coach to have two crews compete in Beijing.
‘First of all I would like to say thank you to my wife Tatiana,’ Kovalenko said. ‘We have been together now for 36 years and I thank her for support and understanding of my Olympic campaign.
‘Second, to my athletes: thank you, you trust me. You follow me and you forgive my mistakes.’
AIS Director, Professor Peter Fricker, commended Kovalenko’s remarkable achievement and his commitment to the AIS and to Australian sailing.
‘Victor deserves much of the credit for the tremendous results achieved by the Australian sailing team,’ said Professor Fricker.
‘His leadership, professionalism and enthusiasm have seen Australian sailing advance in leaps and bounds.
‘For Victor to win the AIS Coach of the Year award, surrounded by such talent, is a reflection of his outstanding coaching ability.’
Other finalists for the award included Iryna Dvoskina (Paralympic Track and Field), Brent Vallance (Track and Field), Michael Fletcher (Sailing) and Vince Raleigh (Swimming).
The major winners at the 2008 AIS Awards were:
- AIS Athlete of the Year: Heath Francis (Track and Field) and Ken Wallace (Flatwater Canoe)
- AIS Junior Athlete of the Year: Evan O’Hanlon (Track and Field)
- AIS Coach of the Year: Victor Kovalenko (Sailing)
- AIS Program of the Year: Australian/AIS Sailing.
