While Ukraine consistently punches above its weight in the boxing world, it is also scoring successes in other kinds of sport.
In the country’s 27th year of independence, Ukraine participated in the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, the Invictus Games in Canada, and a host of other tournaments and championships.
The Kyiv Post picked out some of the most outstanding sports achievements of the country since last Independence Day.
Vitali Klitschko enters International Boxing Hall of Fame
Outstanding boxer Vitali Klitschko, who currently serves as the mayor of Kyiv, became the first Ukrainian to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Based in the United States, the hall honors boxers and other contributors to the sport of all times from all over the world.
Klitschko, who also goes by the boxing nickname of Dr. Ironfist, won 45 out of 47 bouts in his career. Famous for his multiple knockouts, the three-time world heavyweight champion has taken his place among the best boxers of all time — Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, George Foreman and others. There are two more Ukrainians honored in the hall of fame, — Louis Kaplan, known as Kid Kaplan, and Benny Bass. Both athletes were born in Kyiv, moved to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and pursued successful boxing careers.
Oleksandr Usyk becomes undisputed boxing champion
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who has so far won all of his 15 professional bouts, also made history this year. Ranked first in the rating of the best cruiserweight boxers by the U.S. magazine “The Ring,” Usyk proved he was worthy of the honor in a recent fight with Russian boxer Murat Gassiev on July 21. Landing over 200 punches over the 12 rounds, the judges declared Usyk the winner. As a result, Ukrainian athlete retained the WBC and WBO cruiserweight titles, and won the WBA, IBF, The Ring and lineal cruiserweight titles. This made Usyk the first boxer in history to hold four major world championships at cruiserweight and made him the first undisputed champion from Ukraine. He also set a record by winning the undisputed championship in his 15th professional fight.
Swimmer Andriy Govorov sets world record
A two-times European champion, swimmer Andriy Govorov not only won another trophy but also set a world record this year. The Ukrainian athlete became the fastest men’s 50-meter butterfly swimmer in history, as he competed in the finals of the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, Italy on July 1.
Govorov left British swimmer Benjamin Proud and his Dutch rival Mathys Goosen in his wake, touching the wall in 22.27 seconds. The athlete shattered the previous record, held by Spanish swimmer Rafael Muñoz, by 0.16 seconds. The previous record was set in a national competition back in 2009.
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Abramenko competes in the men’s aerials qualification event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Phoenix Park in Pyeongchang on Feb. 17. (AFP)
Vasyl Lomachenko wins world boxing titles in three divisions
Exceptionally fast and accurate, boxer Vasyl Lomachenko, also known as Hi-Tech, has set yet another record. Two-time Olympic gold medalist became the first boxer to win the world titles of three divisions in 12 bouts. After knocking out Venezuelan Jorge Linares in the 10th round on May 12, Lomachenko became the World Boxing Association lightweight champion. He now holds three all-time records for winning the featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight titles in the fewest number of professional fights — he achieved the first world title in his third fight, became a two-weight champion in the seventh bout, and gained the third title in his twelfth fight.
Oleksandr Abramenko wins gold at Winter Olympics
Freestyle skier Oleksandr Abramenko was Ukraine’s hero at the Winter Olympic Games held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February — the athlete contributed the one and only gold medal to the country’s medals haul. Specializing in aerials (flips and twists in the air), Abramenko gained a score of 128.51, edging out Chinese skier Jia Zongyang and Russia’s Ilia Burov. The Ukrainian performed a back full, double full jump and celebrated his victory by running around holding the country’s flag. Abramenko was also the first Ukrainian man to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, and his victory brought Ukraine only its third gold medal at the Winter Olympics of all time.
Dayana Yastremska is youngest of 100 best female tennis players
Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, 18, has become the youngest athlete to be ranked among the 100 best female tennis players. After her outstanding performance during the summer competitions — Yastremska won the International Tennis Federation tournament in Rome and was a runner-up at the Ilkley Trophy in England — the athlete shot up in the ratings of the Women’s Tennis Association. It was a big step for the tennis player, as she was ranked 189 last year and 342 two years ago. Yastremska is also the first athlete born in the 2000s to be ranked by the WTA.
