By winning bronze in the individual sabre event on Monday at the Paris Olympics, Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan won her country’s first medal. “It may be bronze, but for me, it’s worth gold. You have no idea how hard it is to prepare, to have confidence, to be focused on the competition when your home is under attack,” she said, visibly moved.
At the same time last year, the athlete refused to shake the hand of her Russian opponent Anna Smirnova, during a fight at the fencing world championships in Milan. She was disqualified for her gesture, then reinstated the following day. The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, had nevertheless guaranteed her a place in Paris if she did not manage to qualify. A year later, she is here and she has exceeded all expectations. “I hope that this medal will bring joy and hope to my country,” she said at a press conference following her victory.
For Ukrainian athletes and representatives, the Olympics are a platform to show the rest of the world their reality, that of practicing their sport in a country at war.
The day after this first medal, the public relations officer of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Serhii Bykov, said he was proud of the fencer’s performance, but considered that the Games were above all a window of visibility to expose the situation in the country. “We want to show the rest of the world how we lived, how we prepared for the Games despite the difficulties,” he explained.
More than a sporting event
Located in the Parc de la Villette, the Maison de l’Ukraine is a place to tell the story of the 140 athletes who made their way to Paris, despite the Russian invasion. They were barely more numerous in Tokyo, with 155 representatives, while their country was still living in a semblance of peace. It is still the smallest Ukrainian delegation in the history of the Olympic Games.
The temporary installation features photos of various athletes and their stories, as well as real seats from Kharkiv’s Sonyachny Stadium, which were damaged by the bombing. “More than 500 sports facilities were destroyed by Russia. About the same number of athletes were killed,” says Serhii Bykov. And that’s not counting the 3,000 or so athletes and coaches who went to the front to defend their country rather than an Olympic title.
Those who have made it to Paris have sometimes had to train in bombed-out facilities or even take shelter from raids during their training. Serhii Bykov points to a barbell used by Andriy Protsenko, just after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. “He never stopped training.” Protsenko will compete in the high jump next week.
The PR official reminds that despite the frenzy of the Olympic Games, Ukraine needs international support more than ever. “You can’t imagine what it’s like to wake up in the morning and not even be able to make a coffee because you have no electricity,” says Mr. Serhii Bykov, adding in passing that some swimmers have to practice in icy water in winter because the pools can no longer be heated. “When they hear the alarms, they have to get out of the pool and go to shelter… All this in wet clothes,” he relates.
The Ukrainians had no specific performance goals heading into the Games, other than to show the world that “you should never give up,” as fencer Olga Kharlan said Monday. “Our desire to be here is bigger than just winning medals,” Bykov added.
Ukraine was pleased with the International Olympic Committee’s decision to have Russian athletes compete under a neutral banner. “This is a great demonstration of support from the international community,” Bykov said. Fifteen athletes from Russia have accepted the invitation, the newspaper reported. ReleaseOthers preferred to compete for another country.
This report was financed with the support of the Transat International Journalism Fund-The duty.