My Biography

It all started in Minsk on November 9, 1977 when I was born. All my life has always been connected with sport, excluding the period of my babyhood, of course. My father, Vladimir Ivanovich Dashinskij, was working as a trainer on high-board diving. Naturally, it made an impact on me – I was spending much time in gym and swimming-pool.

However, I started to train seriously (it was high-board diving of course) only after I turned six years old. To tell you the truth, the brightest impression of my childhood is all about swimming-pool – it was freezing and …boring. All swimming-pools are extremely boring.

In 1988, when I was 11 years old, the situation in Belarus changed drastically: freestyle started to develop and my father was invited as a trainer in this kind of sport. I left swimming-pool together with my father and, frankly speaking, I never felt sorry about it.

Speaking about freestyle, it was love at first sight: fresh air, beautiful nature, spaciousness…Honestly, at first it seemed scary to jump, but not for me – I was used to it. If I have to do it, there is no way back!

By 1994 I was ready to participate in international competitions. And World Championship for Juniors was my first trial. It was my first experience but it wasn’t bad at all: just on the contrary, I took bronze.

However, when I grew up, it took time for me before I won my first medal. In 1995/96 I participated in World Cup Series but I didn’t even dream of podium: my program was not that complicated as of my opponents. Still it was great experience for me.

I would say that my first breakthrough happened in 1997/98. I consider this season to be a crucial moment in my sport career. I managed to cope with a new program. It was more complicated in comparison with the previous one. And I could go for winning a prize. So it happened at one of World Cup Series: I became a podium man.

After that I took part in Winter Olympic Games in Nagano. There was nothing special about me – just an ordinary young promising athlete. Other athletes, more popular and more experienced, were getting ready for medals. I didn’t even feel nervous before jumping…And everything turned out perfect: in fact, there were no mistakes in my jumping. I won bronze. It’s impossible to express what I felt at that moment! Besides, I got more assured in myself. I understood that I am able not only to participate but also to win at a high level.

The season of 1998/99 right away brought me two victories at World Cup Series. It gave me a chance to finish World Cup Series on the second place.

It was long time ago. I all the time participate in World Cup Series and world championships. When I was getting ready for the Olympic Games in Salt-Lake City, I got a serious trauma (sheer bad luck!) just before the beginning of the Olympic Games. I took part in the Games, but as a result I was able to take only 7th place. It wasn’t something I was striving for.

In 2006 I represented Belarus at Winter Olympic Games in Turin and I won a silver Olympic medal. It was in Turin when I felt extremely nervous – after all I felt completely devastated…By the way, in spite of my medal, I had an unpleasant feeling. I don’t think that the athlete who took gold performed better than me!

In 2006 I won World Cup Series and was acknowledged as the Best Athlete of the Year in Belarus. And one more happy event happened to me that year – I got married.

That’s it for now. Everything else is in plans.