Belarus’ performance at the Olympic Games in Beijing will be the best over the whole history of the country’s participation in the Games as an independent state, Minister of Sport and Tourism Alexander Grigorov said at an official farewell ceremony of the Belarusian sports delegation to Beijing on July 18. He reminded the athletes that Belarus’ best result was in Sydney: a total of 17 medals, three of them were gold. The Belarusian delegation in Beijing will be the most representatives over the whole history of the country’s participation in the Games. It includes 182 athletes in 26 sports, 25 of them are merited masters of sport. All in all, sixty Belarusians have become Olympic champions (including the Soviet period). Gymnast Vitaly Scherbo won six gold medals, Nelly Kim five, fencers Viktor Sidyak and Elena Belova and also gymnast Olga Korbut picked up four titles each, wrestler Alexander Medved, fencer Tatiana Samusenko and gymnast Boginskaya three each.