Editor’s Note: The 17 FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Championships take place from July 14-30 in Budapest, Hungary. The events can be watched live from the official website here and here.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — The 2017 World Aquatics Championships kicked off with a rollicking party in Budapest on July 14 as Ukraine’s finest aquatic athletes look to bring home some hardware this summer.
The biennial 17-day event will see 2,500 athletes from over 90 countries compete in 200 events in six water-based sports in the biggest aquatics gathering since last summer’s Rio Olympics. In addition to such Olympic staples as swimming, diving, and water polo, athletes will also compete in non-Olympic events such as high diving, open water Swimming and the new mixed duet event in synchronized swimming.
Moving on from Rio 2016
After failing to medal in any aquatic events at last Summer Olympics, Ukrainian athletes have turned in encouraging performances at European Championships this season. Ukrainian divers, led by Olympic bronze medalist Illya Kvasha, won 10 medals – including three gold – at the European Diving Championships in Kyiv in June on their way to being named the top team. Ukraine’s synchronized swimmers, which narrowly missed out on two bronze medals in Rio last summer, recently won the fifth leg of the FINA World Series. As one of the favorites to medal in the event, veterans like Anna Voloshyna and Ksenia Sidorenko are hoping to capitalize on the opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to the solo competitions,” Voloshyna told the Kyiv Post. “This is the only program that I still have no medals from the World Championships!”
Budapest sights on display
Water sports are a major attraction in Hungary and the country was eager to jump in to host the event when Guadalajara, Mexico – the original host – backed out citing cost. With Hungary’s hopes of hosting the Olympics dashed by political discord, this event will be the showcase for the sparkling new 15,000-seat Danube Arena. Organizers are putting the beauty of Budapest on full display for the expected 350,000 visitors by hosting events in iconic locations, including synchronized swimming in temporary pools in the UNESCO-recognised Heroes Square, high diving near Castle Hill across from the spectacular Hungarian Parliament, and open water swimming in the popular Lake Balaton. Medals or not, our Ukrainian athletes are sure to return with some incredible memories.
Here is a primer to know who and when to watch as our Ukrainian athletes go for gold!
Swimming
Dates: July 23-30
Athletes to watch: Andriy Hovorov, Daryna Zevina, Serhiy Frolov
The crown jewel of any aquatics world championships, swimmers make up nearly half the athletes in Budapest. With men and women each competing in 20 different events and together in the mixed relay, swimming also counts for over half the medals. Ukraine will be led by Olympians Andriy Hovorov and Daryna Zevina. Hovorov won gold in the 50m butterfly at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships by setting a national record and then set another national record in the 50m freestyle on his way to finishing fifth in Rio. Zevina is a Youth Olympic Games champion in the 100m backstroke and finished ninth in Rio in the 200m backstroke.
Diving
Dates: July 14-22
Athletes to watch: Illya Kvasha, Hanna Pysmenka, Maksym Dolhov & Oleksandr Horshkovozov
After taking the top spot at the European Diving Championships in Kyiv in June, Ukrainian divers have upped their expectations in Budapest. Keep your eye on Kvasha, who led the way with a gold (1m springboard) and two silvers (3m springboard, 3 meter synchronized springboard). He finished sixth in the 3m springboard at the Rio Olympics. Other 2017 European Champions include Oympian Hanna Pysmenka (3m springboard) and Maskym Dolhov and Oleksandr Horshkovozov (10m synchro platform). Both Kvasha and Horshkovozov have silver medals from the 2015 World Championships.
Synchronized Swimming
Dates: July 14-22
Athletes to watch: Anna Voloshyna, Ksenia Sydorenko, Yelyzaveta Yakhno
There has been quite a turnover from the team that narrowly missed out on bronze medals in both the technical (by 0.331 points) and free (0.267 points) events in Rio last summer. Only three members remain from that team Voloshyna, Sydorenko, and Anastasiya Savchuk. The trio has won scores of World and European Championship medals and competed at several Olympic Games. Voloshyna is the heart and soul of the team and will compete in seven events in Budapest, including the solo and duet programs. She is teamed with talented newcomer Yelyzaveta Yakhno, a Junior World Championship medalist in the solo and duet events, in a new duet program. A World Championship medal would be some solace for the bitter 4th-place finishes in Rio, but the veterans will have to keep the juniors’ nerves in check.
“The World Championship is the most difficult start in an athlete’s career,” says Voloshyna. “Ksenia and I have been supporting our new team members through training. But these are very talented girls! They have repeatedly won medals at the Junior World and European Championships.”
Water Polo
Dates: July 16-29
Athletes to watch: No Ukrainian athletes
While Ukraine may not be competing in the water polo tournaments, that doesn’t mean you should tune out. As host nation Hungary’s national sport, be sure to check out the tournament any time the home side is playing.
Open Water Swimming
Dates: July 15-22
Athletes to watch: Ihor Snitko, Ihor Chervynskyy, Maryna Kyryk
Ukraine has a veteran open water swimming squad in Hungary led by former Olympians ‘the dueling Ihors’ – Snitko and Chervynskyy. The 38-year-old Snitko competed in both the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games and won silver (1500m) at the 1997 European Championships, while the 35-year-old Chervynskyy competed at the 2000 and 2004 games and won silver (1500m) and bronze (800m) at the 2003 World Championships. They will compete in the 5 km and 10 km events. Chervynskyy finished 24th in the 5 km and 25th in the 10 km races at the 2015 World Championships.
High Diving
Dates: July 28-30
Athletes to watch: Oleksiy Pryhorov
This death-defying sport sees divers jump from 27m (men) or 20m (women) and reach speeds of over 90 km/h. Ukraine’s lone representative is Oleksiy Pryhorov, a diver far more accomplished at lower heights. As Kvasha’s former diving partner in the 3m spring synchro event, Pryhorov claimed the 2008 Olympic bronze medal and the 2010 World Championship gold. This will mark his first World Championship high dive event.
Lee Reaney is the Editor of Lviv Today and a member of the International Sports Press Association. He is the first Western journalist to receive Olympic accreditiation from the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.
