Sport
From the 1952 Helsinki Games until the end of the Soviet era, Belarus competed in the Olympic Games as part of the Soviet Olympic squad. During the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Belarus competed as part of the Unified Team. The nation's athletes competed in an Olympic Games as Belarusians for the first time during the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Belarus has won a total of 52 Olympic medals; 6 gold, 17 silver and 29 bronze. The first Olympic medal for the Soviet Union was won by Belarusian Mikhail Krivonosov at the 1956 Summer Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia. Belarus's National Olympic Committee has been headed by President Lukashenko since 1997; he is the only head of state in the world to hold this position.
Receiving heavy sponsorship from the President himself, ice hockey is the nation's most popular sport. Team Belarus finished a surprising fourth in overall competition at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Belarusian players have become common place in the NHL and international competitions.
In January 2012, Victoria Azarenka from Belarus became a grand slam champion, winning the Australian Open Championship defeating Maria Sharapova in the final to become the women's #1 ranked player in the world. Reference: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/queen-victoria-takes-the-throne-determined-to-court-further-success-20120129-1qo2l.html
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Belarus