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Our 'foreign legion' of wrestlers
Matthew Beard, Evening Standard25.01.08
"It doesn't matter if he's Ukrainian or what the hell he is. If he's got a British passport he can compete for Britain", Malcolm Morley, chairman of British Wrestling
Yana Stadnik, 21, from Khmelnitsky, Ukraine: 2005 European junior champion. Last competed internationally for Ukraine in July 2006. A relative lightweight, she wrestles in the under-48 kilo category.
Olga Butkevich, 22, from Zaporozhye, Ukraine: 2006 European junior champion in the under-63 kilo category
Miroslav Dykan, 25, from Lviv, Ukraine: Came to Britain as a sparring partner in 2003, has married an English woman and lives in Bolton. He is ranked eighth in Europe's 63-kilo category and is several times Ukranian national champion. He is aiming for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then London in 2012.
Krasomir Krastonov, 25, from Sofia, Bulgaria: Bulgarian number two in the 55-kilo category hopes his contract as a sparring partner will be renewed by British Wrestling this year. Unlike the Ukrainians, he does not need a visa as Bulgaria belongs to the European Union. He competes at club level in Germany.
Viorel Etko, 30, originally from Moldova: A member of the British national squad, based in Glasgow. He holds a UK passport having lived in Britain for around 10 years.
Oleg Druzhynets, from Ukraine: Sparring partner with the 2012 British team.
Anatolei Sergei: Former world number two and coach to the Ukranian women's national team which produced a gold medallist in Athens in 2004.
Nicolai Kornyeyev: Chief coach of the British national team and formerly a coach at the Dynamo Kiev sports club. Came to Britain to coach wrestlers for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and has stayed in the city.
