Leanid Karneyenka
Encyclopedia
Leanid Karneyenka is a Belarus
ian cross country skier who has competed since 2005. He became the first Belarusian to win a medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
by winning a silver medal in the men's 15 km. This he achieved at the 2007 World Championships without any prior World Cup
experience and with a previous best of 16th from the World Junior Championships in 2006. On the FIS distance ranking, he was placed 647th. However, the low ranking gave him an early start position in the 15 km free style, which helped as the late starters had to go through snowy tracks while Karneyenka avoided the snow. Karneyenka was described as "completely unknown" by several media sources, and the feat described as "sensational".
At the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, he finished 51st in the individual sprint event and 63rd in the 15 km event.
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian cross country skier who has competed since 2005. He became the first Belarusian to win a medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
by winning a silver medal in the men's 15 km. This he achieved at the 2007 World Championships without any prior World Cup
FIS Cross-Country World Cup
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation since 1981. The competition was arranged unofficially between 1973 and 1981, although it received provisional recognition on the 31...
experience and with a previous best of 16th from the World Junior Championships in 2006. On the FIS distance ranking, he was placed 647th. However, the low ranking gave him an early start position in the 15 km free style, which helped as the late starters had to go through snowy tracks while Karneyenka avoided the snow. Karneyenka was described as "completely unknown" by several media sources, and the feat described as "sensational".
At the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, he finished 51st in the individual sprint event and 63rd in the 15 km event.