Ukrainian freestyle skier Oleksandr Abramenko has won Ukraine’s first gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.
Abramenko, 29, beat the competition in the high-flying aerials event in men’s freestyle skiing on Feb. 18.
The Ukrainian skier got a score of 128.51. Chinese skier Jia Zongyang won silver and Russian Ilia Burov won bronze. Jia’s score came up less than half a point short of gold, 128.05.
Abramenko and Jia both attempted the same jump in the finals: a back full, double full. Abramenko, who was third in line in the six-man final, nailed his jump and celebrated when his score appeared by running around with the Ukrainian flag.
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Abramenko celebrates after the men’s aerials final during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Park in South Korea on Feb. 18. (AFP)
This is Ukraine’s third-ever gold medal at the Winter Olympics; Abramenko became the first Ukrainian man to win a medal of any variety in the Winter Olympics.
This is Abramenko’s the fourth time competing in the Winter Olympics. He had never previously finished higher than sixth.
Specializing in aerials (flips and twists in the air), the athlete won the Aerials World Cup in 2016 and took sixth place at the Olympics in Sochi four years ago.
Ukrainian skier Oleksandr Abramenko competes to win the men’s aerials final during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea on Feb. 18. (AFP)
The 2018 Winter Olympics has marked Abramenko’s return to the sport after a severe injury. While practicing on water in summer 2016, he injured his knee ligaments, preventing him from competing in 2017.
