World Para Dance Championship – without Russian dancers
At this moment World Para Dance Championship in Belgium is almost over. World Wheelchair Dance Sport Championship – for the first time without Russian team. For the first time we can’t see Russian flag over the dancefloor. We were not allowed to participate. At the last World Wheelchair Dance Sport Championship in 2015 in Italy Russian team was the absolute leader in the medal standings, won the dancers from 22 countries and brought to Russia 5 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 6 bronze medals. But this year we can’t to defend our title.
We punished? But the punishment is, if you are guilty. But if we are not guilty, why we are not present at the championship? I am Senior coach of the National wheelchair dance team of Russia Elena Lozko, I have no the answer to this question.
I start to dance in 1997. In those difficult times, when many people did not believe, that it is possible to dance in the wheelchair, to take part in the competitions and championships!
I was able to prove that this kind of sport has the future, and our National team of Russia became the great example of the limitless possibilities of man in the art of dance. Since 1997 Russian wheelchair dancers participated in all European and World Championships, where they demonstrated new elements and programs always, and I think that this was the development of the sport in general.
Wheelchair Dance Sport Federation in Russia made a proposal for inclusion new disciplines such “Duo”, “Single”, “Freestyle” in the program of European and World Championships.
First official competitions in the new disciplines were in World Wheelchair Dance Sport Cup and Continents Cup in Russia. Exactly Russian coaches and specialists made a huge contribution to the development of our sport in the world, giving the opportunity to many dancers to join this sport, to try themselves in new kinds. I am very pleased that today all this disciplines were presented in the 2017 World Championship.
I believe to the sport friendship and I think, that two days all participants of World Para Dance Championship recalled Russian wheelchair dancers, whose participation would increase the sport intensity on the dancefloor of the world championship.
I really hope, that all participants of World Para Dance Championship got a real pleasure from performances at such prestigious competitions, and best of them received the joy of the winners triumph.
But it was the first World Championship in 17 years, which was not involved my team.
And I have nothing more to say.
World champion 2000,
President of Wheelchair Dance Sport Federation in Russia,
Honored coach of Russia
Elena Lozko.