OREANDA-NEWS. August 24, 2009. The Ukrainian water ski open tournament, Ukraine Open 2009 is taking place in Dnepropetrovsk, reported the press-centre of PrivatBank.

The event of such level and scale is held in Dnepropetrovsk and perhaps in Ukraine for the first time. Water-skiers from USA, Canada, New Zealand, the Great Britain, France, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Russia and Byelorussia - about 60 sportsmen - are going to take part in the open championship. There will be stars of water ski sport occupying the leading positions in the world rating. Among them: Jaret Llewellyn (Canada), Scot Ellis (USA), Kyle Eade (New Zealand), Nikolas Lefiorestier (France), Alex Lauretano (USA), all water skiers nightmare - Freddy Krueger (USA) and others. Juniors will take part in competition along with them. The tournament will be held in three categories: trick effects (figure-skiing), slalom and jumping (springboard).

Cuno Richard, the Chairman of the World Water Ski Federation, will be the main judge on the championship. Besides, qualified judges from Italy, Belarus, Slovakia, France, and Austria will judge the competitions. Marina Omel'yanchik, 26-year-old figure water skiing champion, whose record stayed unbeaten till last year, will comment the championship.

Tournament organizers stress that Ukraine OPEN is a claim for further holding of the world water ski championships in Ukraine. “We are sure that such an interesting sport event as the Ukraine OPEN tournament will open a new page in development of this sport in our country, return Dnepropetrovsk the status of Ukrainian “water ski capital” it deserves and become a great sport holiday for the Dnepropetrovsk citizens and city's guests”, - says Andrey Mihailichenko, the Director of Sentosa Water Ski Club .- “The recipe of success is a “star cast” of participants and judges, excellent technical base of Sentosa Club, that organized the championship, and also enthusiasm of Dnepropetrovsk leading water-skiers who initiated this championship. We are sure in success and are planning to organize European juvenile water ski Championship in Dnepropetrovsk next year.