Paralympics: Despite Challenges in War-Torn Home, Ukraine Still Shining in the Pool
Seven days of swimming competition had transpired at the Paris Paralympics, and the country atop the medal standings continued to astound.
It was not China, with its massive population, that has collected the most medals at the Paris La Defense Arena through Wednesday’s competition. It was not the United States. It is not some old European power like Italy or Great Britain.
No, the most medals won through seven days of the Paris Paralympics had been taken home by Ukraine. The country with a population smaller than California’s, with a population about half that of China’s Hebei province, that has for the last two and a half years fought against an invasion from Russia. Long a power in Paralympic swimming, Ukraine has sustained its excellence despite the massive challenges befalling the nation.
“All I can say is that everyone in the Ukrainian team is working with all they have got,” said Yurii Shenhur, winner of the men’s S7 100 backstroke. “Maybe that is the key. I am really thankful for the last couple of years that we got a place where we can train because the war, it’s hard.”
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Through the eighth day of competition on Thursday, Ukraine fell a spot to second in the overall medal table behind China, which leads with 38 medals. Next is Ukraine’s 34, followed by Italy with 29. Great Britain leads in golds with 16, one up on China, with Ukraine on seven, tied for fourth. (It should be noted that 35 medals have been won by Neutral Paralympic Athletes, which do not count toward any nations in the table.)
The war with Russia, begun in February 2022, has exacted a cost on sports as it has in every other aspect of Ukrainian life. Reporting from The New York Times shows that some 500 high-level Ukrainian athletes have died in the fighting, from a population of more than 3,000 sporting figures who’ve taken up arms. The dead include civilian athletes killed in airstrikes or other attacks.
Many more are coming back from the front lines with injuries and disabilities. Those spared from fighting to instead represent their country on the battlefield of international sport have dealt with financial shortfalls, shortages of resources, damage to training facilities, inability to live and train in their usual homes and many other challenges.
Yet the nation’s para swimmers have persevered.
“I wasn’t able to train in Ukraine,” said Oleksandr Komarov after winning bronze in the men’s 200 freestyle S5. “It was a very tough experience for me, but I have a good result here so I’m happy with that.
It was a difficult way. I’m from Mariupol and I was in Mariupol when Russia bombed my town. It was terrible, but I was able to win this medal here today. I trained without my coach. He’s in Ukraine and I speak with him only by phone. It was very hard, but I have a good result and I think tomorrow will be better.”
Ukraine as a nation won three gold and 12 total medals at the Paris Olympics last month, down from 19 (though just one gold) in Tokyo and in London in 2012. (It was an increase from the 11 won in Rio in 2016.) Ukrainian swimmers didn’t return a single medal from the pool at the Paris Olympics.
But the Paralympians have had an outstanding return. It hasn’t come from nowhere – Ukraine accumulated 14 golds, 18 silvers and 11 bronze in swimming at the Tokyo Paralympics. It placed fourth in gold medals and third in total medals, outpacing Italy and the U.S. Ukraine had finished second in the swimming table in Rio in 2016 with 25 golds and 74 total medals, trailing only China.
The Ukrainian men, who won 31 medals in Tokyo, have again led the way. Andrii Trusov has four medals, with a gold and three silvers, after five in Tokyo. Yaroslav Denysenko, who competed in Rio but not Tokyo, has two gold and a bronze. Komarov and Danylo Chufarov have three medals each, as do female swimmers Iryna Poida and Anna Hontar. Anna Stetsenko leads the women with a gold and four total medals.
Ukraine is still thriving without its biggest star of the Tokyo games, Maksym Krypak, who won five gold and six total medals there.
That tragedy isn’t in the past tense, either. Denysenko hails from Poltava, site of a Russian airstrike that just this week killed as many as 55 people.
“In the back of my mind was the tragedy in Ukraine that happened a few days ago in my hometown, where I was swimming for the last eight months,” he said after winning gold in the 100 freestyle S12. “Lots of casualties, lots of people died. It was constantly in the back of my mind and I was not sleeping well. I wasn’t able to do anything but my best, give not less than 100%. I think I made an effort of more than 100%. It was very hard to put these thoughts away and just swim, but I managed to do it.”
Many swimmers have been displaced. Some have had to go abroad, like Komarov, who is training and living with his family in Austria. Others, like Chufarov, raised in Mariupol in the east of the country, haven’t been home since the start of the war, unable to return to some of the bloodiest sites.
“I trained well at home but we have war now and we had to just train when we could,” Trusov said after winning silver in the 200 IM SM7, a sentiment that many reciprocated. “I really did all I could in my power.”
Where only three swimmers from Belarus and one from Russia competed as Neutral Olympic Athletes in Paris, the NPA squad for Paralympians is much more voluminous. It includes a five-time gold medalist in Ihar Boki and many other swimmers who’ve made the podium, which has created difficult moments for the Ukrainians.
“It was difficult mentally and physically, because I think they are not neutral,” said Komarov, of sharing a podium with Kirill Pulver after winning the 100 free S5.
The Ukrainians aren’t alone in Paris in describing their emotions about swimming for something greater than themselves. But given the circumstances, that sentiment seems to be driving them in a more poignant and effective way than most.
“It’s an incredible feeling, especially because of our preparation for the competitions,” Trusov said. “Because of the war in Ukraine, it’s not always possible to swim or to go to training. We are nervous about our parents, our neighbors and our friends in Ukraine because every day we are reading horrible news. But it’s a fantastic feeling because it was the hardest medal for me and the medal I wished for the most.”
“We have a hard time dealing with regular life,” Denysenko said. “I’m not just speaking about training. Electricity shortages, rockets, drones – every minute you could die from the terrorist attack from our neighbor. It was rough, but we managed it.
“We are Ukrainians, we are strong in spirit. We need to do our jobs and keep fighting.”