PARIS: Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has come to Paris to support Ukrainian athletes at the Olympics amid war at home.
On Monday, he visited the Ukrainian House in Paris and from there he watched the fencing competition in which Ukrainian Olga Kharlan won the bronze medal in women’s individual saber, marking the first medal for Ukraine at the 2024 Olympics.
“My personal wish was, and I probably knew, that Olga is one of those people who would bring a medal for Ukraine,” Usyk told the Associated Press minutes after Ukrainian fencer won the medal.
Usyk expressed hope that there would be more medals as the competitions continue. He emphasized that the presence of the Ukrainian team is significant, considering the daily missile strikes, damaged sports infrastructure, and Russian occupation of regions that were home to many athletes.
“We are at war. But our athletes still came,” he said. “They are fighting.”
On both of his arms, he has tattoos of the Olympic rings. One of them is labeled “London 2012,” where he won the gold medal in the heavyweight category.
“We support all our Olympians who are here in Paris representing our country,” he said. “The more awards for us, the better.”
One of Ukraine’s most prominent athletes is the boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who lost his gold-medal final in Tokyo and is now back to fight for it again at the 2024 Olympics.
“He has unfinished business that he has set for himself, which is the Olympic gold,” Usyk said. “Alex is striving for it."