Updated: Shortly after posting, we were contacted by several people in and around Division II swimming who said that multiple programs have been contacted by Chekanovych about transferring. At least one email that we saw also included a note that her step-father is seeking a new job coaching job. She has been granted a release by Simon Fraser.
Update #2: We heard back from Simon Fraser’s Information Director, who confirmed that Kononenko’s contract wasn’t renewed, and that Chekanovych had been granted a release by the university.
Simon Fraser University, the first Canadian school to compete at the Division II level, has parted ways with assistant coach Dmitriy Kononenko. A request for comment on the nature of the departure (firing, resignation) went unresponded to.
Simon Fraser is a Division II program, and the reason why this is especially notable is that Kononenko is the step-father and personal coach for Mariya Chekanyovych, who was the Division II NCAA Champion in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes as a freshman last season.
The Clan, as the team is known, placed 9th in the women’s meet at their debutant Division II Championship thanks primarily to the high-scoring Chekanovych. She was 9th in the 200 IM and won both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, including the shorter in a new Division II record of 1:01.50. She was also a huge relay contributor.
It was widely believed at the time, though nobody has said it out loud, that Chekanovych and Kononenko were sort of a package deal at Simon Fraser, with Chekanovych desiring to continue training with her step father while also chasing her national and international level goals in long course. Thus far, Chekanovych is still listed on the roster at Simon Fraser. (SEE UPDATE ABOVE.)
Our Canadian sources tell us that she has left the team, for now, and is swimming with the HYAC club in BC, though it’s believed that she’s still training with her Kononenko.
He is my coach and she is sometimes too
He is my coach and she is too!!!!!!
Yet two years later, not any success news from the swimmer nor the coach.
Wondering if there is any come back!!?? or her swimming career is simply over….
Excuse everyone for your rude comments and insults without knowing anything about my life or me in general. Rather then rumoring behind my back to entertain your lives focus on your family and something productive.
Everyone is too quick to judge and make assumptions, please assess yourselves first on how much of an achiever and “average” person you are before criticizing me. Never have I demanded in my emails for Dmitriy to transfer with me or ask for him to get hired. That is LIES. Many swimmers followed after him, he was a huge contribution to SFU and SFA it is not a secret. Multiple swimmers came to SFU because of him I am not the only one. There… Read more »
Alex, it seems like you are a close family to know all details. In championship there is no attitude. You do sport not for the ring or recognition.
By the way she was recognized not long time ago by sfu in Hilton burnaby with such a ceremony. She has too much expectation for being an average swimmer. She started a bad reputation, it could kill her career in swimming.
She is taking the division 2 championship as granted to find her step father a new job. Also the package together got too greedy after the DII championship past March. Besides she is very on and off in swimming can’t count on her.
Lots of fuss for a swimmer ranked 70th in the 100 Breast and 80th in the 200 Breast in this season’s College Rankings. Bombed out at the Canadian World Trials in April after promising results at the Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii last summer. Perhaps a change of scenery will be good but US college swimming is a team sport so why the entitlement attitude when is comes to her coach/step daddy?
It may be strange, but I’ve seen the emails. She essentially demands her step-father be a part of the coaching staff as part of the terms of her transfer.
If she wants to follow her long-term coach, she can do so without swimming collegiality or attempting to take other programs hostage.