Raman Piatrushenka

Raman Piatrushenka

Beijing K-4 1000 m team on a 2010 Belarusian stamp: Abalmasau, Piatrushenka (2nd left), Litvinchuk and Makhneu
Personal information
Born	25 December 1980 (1980-12-25) (age 36) Kalinkavičy, Belarus
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	91 kg (201 lb)
Sport
Sport	Canoe sprint
Club	SK FPB Mazyr
Coached by	Vladimir Shantarovich
Medal record Representing  Belarus Olympic Games 2008 Beijing K-4 1000 m 2012 London K-2 200 m 2004 Athens K-2 500 m 2008 Beijing K-2 500 m World Championships 2005 Zagreb K-4 500 m 2007 Duisburg K-2 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-2 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-2 500 m 2009 Dartmouth K-4 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-4 1000 m 2010 Poznań K-2 500 m 2002 Seville K-4 500 m 2003 Gainesville K-2 500 m 2007 Duisburg K-2 500 m 2010 Poznań K-4 1000 m 2013 Duisburg K–2 500 m 2005 Zagreb K-4 200 m 2006 Szeged K-4 1000 m 2011 Szeged K-2 200 m 2014 Moscow K-2 500 m European Championships 2011 Belgrade K-2 500 m 2011 Belgrade K-2 200 m 2012 Zagreb K-2 500 m 2014 Brandenburg K-2 500 m

Raman Ivanavich Piatrushenka or Roman Petrushenko (Belarusian: Раман Іванавіч Пятрушэнка; born 25 December 1980) is a Belarusian sprint canoeist who has competed since 2000. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won four medals with one gold (K-4 1000 m: 2008), one silver (K-2 200m: 2012) and two bronzes (K-2 500 m: 2004, 2008).

Piatrushenka's first success on the international stage came at the 2000 European under-23 Championships in Boulogne, France as a member of the Belarus K-4 crew which won both the 500 m and 1000 m gold medals.

One by one, the members of the under-23 crew were being promoted to the Belarus senior boat. In 2001 however, Piatrushenka destroyed a field of more experienced paddlers to become Belarus K-1 national champion. Now wishing to concentrate on the K-1, he initially refused to join the senior K-4 crew as the coaches had planned.

At the 2001 European championships in Milan he was persuaded to enter the K-4 races, winning his first senior medals – the 500 m and 1000 m bronze. In the K-1 1000m however, he could only finish 17th.

At the 2002 European under-23 Championships in Zagreb he won the K-1 1000 m gold medal, as well as retaining both K-4 titles. Having rejoined the senior K-4 crew on a permanent basis he won his first world championship medal, the K-4 1000 m silver, in Seville. Senior K-1 races were proving harder though and he again failed to reach any major finals in 2002.

Realising he was not yet ready to challenge for senior K-1 medals he instead teamed up with Vadzim Makhneu to compete in K-2 races. The partnership was an instant success. On their first World Cup outing in Szeged in May 2003 they beat a world-class field including Germans Rauhe and Wieskötter over 500 m. At the 2003 World Championships in Gainesville, USA, they claimed the silver medal.