Learn which Ukrainian athletes to look out for at the Beijing 2008
dividual rhythmic gymnast, born in 1984 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her father is the famous Dynamo Kyiv football player Vladimir Bessonov and her mother, Viktoria, was a two time world champion group rhythmic gymnast. Bessonova is the number one rhythmic gymnast in Ukraine and won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2007, Anna became world champion at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship in Patras, Greece winning the all-around gold medal. In 2008, Anna also won an all-around gold at the LA Lights, Derugina Cup and Miss Valentine Competitions as well as the all-around silver at the European Championship in Torino, Italy.
Yuriy Nikitin is a men’s trampoline individual gymnast, born in 1978 in Kherson, Ukraine. He graduated from the Kherson Pedagogical University. He won the gold medal and became world champion at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Yuriy Bilonoh is a shot putter, born in 1974 in Sumy, Ukraine, and now lives in Odesa. He is a lieutenant colonel of the state border guards of Ukraine. At the 2000 Olympics he finished fifth. In 2002 he was European champion. He won the gold medal and became world champion at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Lyudmyla Blonska, previously Shevchuk, is a Ukrainian heptathlete, born in 1977 in Simferopol, Ukraine. She finished thirteenth at the 2002 Athletics Championships, won the gold medal at the 2005 Universiade and finished fifth at the 2006 European Championships. She also competed at the 2000 Olympics. In the pentathlon she won the gold medal at the 2006 World Indoor Championships. Her personal best heptathlon score is 6,832 points, a Ukrainian record, achieved in August 2007 in Osaka, Japan where she won the silver medal.
Valeriy Honcharov is a gymnast, born in 1977 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. He was the gold medal winner in the men’s parallel bars at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Oleh Lisohor is a Ukrainian swimmer, born in 1979 in Brovary, Kyiv oblast, Ukraine. Lisohor is the current world record holder in the 50 meters breaststroke, short course, with 26.17 seconds. The record was made in Berlin in 2006, when Lisohor beat his own 50 m breaststroke record in 2002 of 26.20 seconds. Lisohor also holds the long course record, with 27.18 in 2002, and became World Champion 2001 in that distance. He is a six-time World Champion and 18-fold Champion of Europe.
Ibragim Aldatov is catch-style sportsman, born in 1983 in Beslan, North Ossetia, Russia. He became world champion at the 2006 China Olympics and won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championship.
Serhiy Bubka, President of National Olympic Committee, is a retired Ukrainian pole vaulter, born in 1963 in Luhansk, Ukraine. Repeatedly voted the world’s best athlete, Bubka won six consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympic gold and broke the world record for men’s pole vaulting 35 times (17 outdoor and 18 indoor records). He was the first and only to clear 6.10 meters. He holds the current outdoor world record of 6.14 meters, set in 1994 in Italy and the current indoor world record of 6.15 meters, set in 1993 in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Iryna Melnik-Merleni is a women’s freestyle wrestling athlete, born in 1982 in Minitskoye, Ukraine. She was a three-time world champion entering the 2004 Athens Games where she took gold. She was runner-up at both the 2005 and 2007 Worlds. Melnik-Merleni won the gold-medal at the 2003 World Championships in New York. In 2001, she defeated Canada’s Carol Huyhn in the final, and in 2000, she beat Inga Karamtshakova of Russia and took the gold. Melnik-Merleni is also a former junior and cadet world champion.
Alyona Bondarenko is a Ukrainian tennis player, born in 1984 in Kryvy Rih, Ukraine. She has a younger sister, Kateryna Bondarenko, who also plays on the Tour. Alyona Bondarenko won the 2008 Australian Open women’s doubles tournament with sister Kateryna, beating Victoria Azarenka and Shahar Pe’er in the finals.
Yaroslav Popovych is a cyclist with the UCI Pro Tour Silence-Lotto, born in 1980 in Drohobych, Ukraine. He was considered one of the most promising cyclists while riding in junior and under-23 races after catching 35 victories in 2000 and 2001. He won the under-23 Men’s road race in the 2001 UCI Road World Championships after finishing second the previous year. He also won the Paris-Roubaix edition for under-23 riders. Popovych turned pro in 2002 by joining the Belgian team Landbouwkrediet-Colnago and delivered some strong showings, most notably in the Giro d’Italia where he finished third in 2003 and fifth in 2004.
Anna Khlistunova was a bronze medalist in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke at the XII FINA World Championships in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. She’s Europe’s continental champion.
Rodion Luka and Heorhiy Leonchuk are Ukrainian sailors. They are 2005 World Champions and Athens Silver Medalists.
Olga Kharlan is the world silver medalist at the 2006 European Seniors Fencing Championship in Turkey.
Olga Korobka is a bronze medalist of the World Weightlifting Championships in 2006 and 2007 years and champion of the European Weightlifting Championships in 2007 and 2008. Born in 1985 in Chernihivska oblast, Ukraine.
