In the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Ukraine, there exists a poignant memorial, showcased along a designated wall, that honors the names of athletes and coaches at various competitive levels who have lost their lives during Russia’s ongoing invasion. This memorial was revealed in May, featuring around 500 names, and tragically, as the nation’s forces continue to defend against incessant assaults, that number is likely to rise until a resolution is finally reached.
For those athletes representing Ukraine at the Paris 2024 Olympics, they are deemed fortunate, though one might question whether anyone from a nation enduring such atrocities can truly be considered lucky. The reality is that each athlete bears a weight on their shoulders that few of their competitors can comprehend. The Olympics is a unique opportunity to challenge oneself and pursue one’s dreams, yet this summer, they must strive for that while also embodying the resilience of a nation fighting for survival, providing a moment of respite for those risking everything back home.
Moreover, each of these athletes has a personal story to share, as none of their lives have remained untouched by the ongoing conflict. On Friday, five members of Ukraine’s team, which is the smallest delegation they have ever sent to the Games with 140 participants, joined the national Olympic committee president, Vadym Huttsait, to discuss the remarkable individual and collective journey that has brought them to this competitive stage.
Among them was Olha Kharlan, the fencer who gained media attention last year when she was disqualified from the world championships for refusing to shake hands with her Russian opponent. Kharlan can compete now because of an intervention from IOC president Thomas Bach, yet she constantly worries about her family back in Mykolaiv.
It was the 18-year-old diver Oleksiy Sereda, also hailing from Mykolaiv and famed for becoming the youngest-ever European 10m champion in 2019, who emotionally articulated the burden he carries. “Preparing has been very stressful for me,” he stated. “Listening to the air raid alarms repeatedly and having to hide in the basement. I’m anxious about both my training and my family.”
“My father serves in the military. I wish I could call him, but I often can’t reach him; he’s always occupied, and it makes competing difficult because I worry for him. He’s 53. Before the war, he and my mother had a furniture business in Ukraine. But everything shifted for me, for him, for all of us. He must fulfill his duties, and I must focus on mine.”
Speaking in Kyiv two months ago, the acting sports minister of Ukraine, Matviy Bidnyi, recognized that all of their representatives will participate under immense mental strain. “Psychological preparedness is a crucial factor for our athletes,” he remarked. “We are all under constant pressure. We’ve adapted to this reality, but it has significantly impacted us, and it should be taken seriously.”
Bidnyi shared his own experience of the haunting impact of sirens, missiles, and the persistent threat of peril. “You can’t truly understand it until you’ve experienced it yourself,” he reflected. “When I first traveled during the war, to the Invictus Games in Germany last year, the sound of a plane landing drove me to instinctively drop to the ground.”
The mental scars will remain vivid when Andriy Protsenko, a high jumper, begins his event on August 7. Protsenko had managed reasonable training conditions until the invasion, during which he spent 40 days under occupation near Kherson. He utilized makeshift equipment to maintain his fitness; eventually, he managed to escape and, less than five months later, achieved a remarkable bronze medal at the world championships in Eugene.
It is no surprise, then, that Ukraine’s slogan for Paris 2024 is “Will to win.” While a robust medal count may not be the primary goal, securing spots on the podium will provide a meaningful platform for representation, and many Ukrainians should be seen standing on those stages. Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the world champion high jumper and new record holder, promises to be an electrifying contender. Mykhailo Romanchuk, a freestyle swimmer who was present with Kharlan, Sereda, and others, won two bronze medals in Tokyo and may well exceed that achievement this time. His wife, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, appears well-positioned to perform strongly in the triple jump.
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The team includes many others, such as the talented Sereda, who should be in contention. This delegation has spread across Europe over the past two and a half years, with many leaving Ukraine to start anew abroad. Over 500 of the country’s sports venues have been either destroyed or damaged due to the conflict, including the “Meteor” swimming pool in Dnipro where the well-regarded backstroke competitor Oleksandr Zheltyakov continued his training right up until the Games.
Russian and Belarusian athletes, 31 of whom are set to compete under a neutral flag, will be disregarded if they cross paths with Ukrainian representatives in the Olympic Village or anywhere else. “To us, they don’t exist,” Huttsait asserts. “We don’t greet them, we don’t acknowledge them, we don’t even glance in their direction.” The swimming pool remains one of the few venues where direct athletic encounters are feasible.
Inside the Ukrainian quarters in Paris, drawings and notes from children lighten the atmosphere while reminding the athletes of the significant influence they can have on a generation that is experiencing profound losses. “This Olympics will be much more challenging,” says Sereda, who competed in Tokyo at the age of 15. “I carry not just my responsibility but also to my parents, my family, and my country.” Ukraine is present, and their determination is unmistakable.
