With their nation under siege, Ukrainian athletes shine at Paris Olympics

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PARIS — As Russia's invading army grinds forward in eastern Ukraine, carving a path of destruction, Ukrainian athletes say they're using the Summer Games in Paris to show their country's strength and resilience.

“It is all about winning medals for our country, for Ukraine, for our defenders," said Yaroslava Mahuchikh, from Dnipro, Ukraine, after winning Olympic gold in the women's high jump final.

"Thanks to them, we have the opportunity to be here, to protect our titles and to protect our country on track and to show the best of us all," she said.

Ukrainians competing in the Paris Games have already won two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.

It's an astonishing performance given the savage fighting on the front lines and regular Russian rocket attacks that strike across Ukraine.

Mykhaylo Kokhan, also from Dnipro, won bronze in the hammer throw Sunday, a day when Ukrainians scored three of their Olympic medals.

“What a great night for Ukraine, for Ukrainian people, for our team," Kokhan said. "Our people finally have happy time, they can cheer us, and they can celebrate this with us. Not to think about the war for one day.”

Olympic medals a symbol of hope in wartime

A survey by the British government concluded that nearly five hundred Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Another 4,000 Ukrainian athletes are unable to compete in sport because they're taking part in the war effort.

"With only 140 athletes from Ukraine competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, this marks the smallest representation ever in Ukraine’s summer Olympic history," the British statement said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in desperate need of good news as the war drags on, has trumpeted the medal victories for his country. "We are very proud!" Zelensky posted on social media. "Ukrainians know how to be strong and how to win."

Ukrainians back home say they're watching. Alla Kostyuk, an English teacher, said he went to a big-screen broadcast of the competition in a park in Kyiv. "It was very cool. The children watched, we watched. It was such a unity of Ukrainians," he said.

"It really takes my breath away when I see Ukrainian flags on big screens," said Svitlana Sapunovska, who studies architecture. "The whole world still sees Ukraine, sees that we are very strong."

Russia's Olympic role collapses

Russian athletes, meanwhile, have almost no presence here in Paris. While some ethnic Russians have won Olympic medals competing for other nations, no competitors representing Moscow have won gold, silver or bronze.

The flying of the Russian flag and the playing of Russia's national anthem are banned at these Summer Games, in part because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Russian athletes who publicly supported the war were denied eligibility by the International Olympic committee.

That outcome represents a stunning humiliation for President Vladimir Putin, who once made Russian involvement in the Olympic Games a national priority. A decade ago, his regime spent billions to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Ukrainian Svetlana Sapunovska said it's proper that Russians are pariahs at the Olympics: "It is karma that they do not achieve anything."

Mykhaylo Kokhan, the bronze medal-winner in hammer throw, said victories in Paris for Ukraine are sweet, but he added that celebrations will be different this year. Before the war, Kokhan had a reputation for partying after big wins.

"Not this time, not during this tough time for Ukraine," he said. "I'll answer to the messages [of congratulations] which I received, and that’s it.”

NPR producer Polina Lytvynova contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine.