Ukraine at Paris 2024 Olympics: Top 10 Ukrainian sports stars to watch

142 Ukrainian athletes will compete representing Ukraine at Paris 2024 Olympics from July 26 to August 11. Among them are both rising stars and Olympic champions excelling in 26 out of 32 sports, including break dancing, which has its debut at the games.

Ukraine's Olympic team in Paris is the smallest in the country's entire history of participation due to the challenges Ukrainian sportspeople had to face because of Russia's full-scale war: many stadiums and training facilities were destroyed, and athletes were displaced, injured, or killed. Still, Ukrainian athletes are determined to represent their country, and their medal hopes and predictions are optimistic. 

According to Nielsen Media Research, which forecasts the most likely Olympic medal winners by country, Ukraine can secure at least 17 medals — two gold, five silver, and ten bronze — at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Rubryka presents the top 10 Ukrainian sports stars with confident prospects to reach high positions at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh has had many impressive accomplishments since she won her first gold medal at 15. She's won titles at every major world and European championship, including a Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medal. Now, Yaroslava has set her sights on her first Olympic gold, which she has an excellent chance of winning.

A few weeks ago, Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new world high jump record — 2.10 meters — at the Paris Diamond League. She broke Bulgarian champion Stefka Kostadinova's result of 2.09 meters, which no one could beat for 37 years. This exceptional feat has made the Ukrainian champion a top contender for a gold medal in the high jump at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Find out five exciting facts about Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh here.

Olha Kharlan is a dominant force in international saber fencing. She is a four-time Olympic medalist and six-time World and eight-time European champion in individual and team saber. From 2012 to 2021, she was named number one in the world's women's saber ranking three times and was inducted into the International Fencing Federation Hall of Fame in 2013.

When Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was just 17, she achieved gold as part of a fencing team at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in China. Now, she strives to earn her first Olympic gold medal in individual saber. Over the last 15 years, Olha has solidified herself as one of Ukraine's greatest fencers, and the experience and skills she gained during her career set her apart as a leading contender for the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Find out about other Ukrainian athletes as iconic as Olha Kharlan here.

Zhan Beleniuk, a Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler, has performed excellently during his 17-year career and achieved many world and European championship titles — nine gold, five silver, and eight bronze medals. Out of all 55 matches he has fought since 2015, he won 49 times in three different weight categories, making him one of the top wrestlers globally.

This year, Zhan, a two-time Olympic medalist with Rio-de-Janeiro 2016 Summer silver and Tokyo 2020 gold, wants to repeat his success in Paris. While the Ukrainian wrestler focused more on his political career as an MP since his last participation in the Olympic Games and didn't join the Olympic team in the past competition cycle, he is undoubtedly capable of competing for gold. The fact that Zhan Beleniuk won his Olympic gold with a shoulder injury proves how determined and skilled he is to retain his title. This makes him one of Ukraine's strongest medal prospects.

Since starting his career as a young athlete ten years ago, Mykhailo Romanchuk has become one of Ukraine's top freestyle swimmers. He has achieved many highs at the national, European, and global levels, winning two Olympic and four World Championship medals and multiple titles at the European Championships. Mykhailo also holds an Olympic record in the 800-meter freestyle, which he set at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The leading Ukrainian swimmer so far earned Olympic silver and bronze in 2021. Then, he didn't reach the gold in the 1500-meter freestyle in Tokyo, missing the top prize by a second. This time around, Mykhailo Romanchuk has an even stronger drive to achieve Olympic gold. With a substantial track record and excellent endurance and speed, he will be a tough competitor in the pool at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Olena Kostevych is a legendary, highly decorated Ukrainian shooter. At 19, she won a gold medal in 10-meter air pistol shooting at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, her debut Olympic competition. Since then, Olena has added many titles to her collection: four World and 13 European Championship medals and three bronze medals at the London 2012 Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Games. 

Even though Olena Kostevych has placed third in recent Olympic performances, she is still a top contender for the gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics in her sport. Olena's extensive experience and past successes at international competitions make her one of the favorites in air pistol events, both in the two individual types and in the mix, so her sixth participation in the Olympics may be where she brings gold home again.

Another Olympic medal contender is Ukrainian judo champion Daryna Bilodid. At 17, she made history as the youngest-ever judoka to win the World Championships in the lightest weight class. This medal earned her a reputation as invincible in her sport. As Daria grew older, she moved to the higher 57 kg weight category and secured a bronze medal in her first Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Daria Bilodid aims for gold in the Paris 2024 Olympics as part of this year's Ukrainian Olympic team. Even though she is no longer an undisputed leader in her weight class, her past achievements at world judo events, including a recent gold medal at the 2024 European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, show that she will be a strong medal candidate for Ukraine in the upcoming Olympics.

A rising star in Ukrainian diving, Oleksii Sereda, is expected to earn quite a few medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. At just 13, he made headlines by winning gold at the 2019 European Diving Championships, becoming the youngest European champion in springboard diving in history. Over the past three years, Oleksii has won four silver and bronze World Championship medals, another European Championship gold, and became a two-time champion of the 2023 European Games.

Oleksii Sereda will participate in the Olympics for the second time. During the Tokyo 2020 Games, a 15-year-old Ukrainian diver reached the finals but took only 6th place in 10-meter tower diving. This year, Oleksii's prodigious diving talent and recent accolades place him as a promising Olympic medal contender in individual and synchronized diving events with his partner, Kyrylo Boliukh.

Ukraine's top canoeist, Liudmyla Luzan, is a great medal prospect for her country in Paris. She has won multiple medals in canoe sprints at the World, European, and Olympic Championships, including four historic medals — two gold, one silver, and one bronze — at a single European Championship in Poznan, Poland, in 2021. Liudmyla was also an Olympic silver and bronze medalist in Tokyo the same year.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Ukrainian canoeist will strive for gold in individual events and the doubles with her partner, Anastasiia Rybachok. Liudmyla Luzan's technique and dedication to training, which has consistently produced her results on the international level, confirm she is a strong Olympic medal contender in Paris.

Illia Kovtun, a versatile and skilled gymnast, is also one of the Ukrainian athletes to watch at the Olympics. He first garnered attention as an undefeated junior gymnast who won five gold and one silver at the 2020 European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. At the senior level, during his participation at the 2021 Challenge Cup Slovenia, Illia performed a unique element on the parallel bars —- a backward swing to a handstand with a quarter turn to one bar — which was later named after the gymnast.

Illia Kovtun joined the 2024 Ukrainian Olympic team with a recent winning streak — three gold medals at the 2023 Gymnastics World Cup in Cairo and three gold medals at the 2024 European Championships in Rimini, Italy. Known for excelling across different apparatuses, Illia has confident chances for success in individual events and the all-around competition in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Oleh Kuznietsov, aka B-boy Kuzya, is a standout Ukrainian breakdancer. He will represent Ukraine at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Breaking is debuting this year. Kuzya gained recognition through his impressive performances at major international events, like the Red Bull BC One World Final, Outbreak Europe, and The Notorious IBE. Kuzya also won the 2016 World Breakdance Championship in Antwerp, Belgium, beating successful Japanese B-boy Issei.

Oleh also showed strong results at the 2023 BfG World Series in Kitakyushu, Japan, and the 2022 World Championship in Seoul, South Korea, finishing fourth, impressing the judges with his top-tier skills and creative moves. With Anna Ponamarenko, aka B-Girl Stefani, and Katia Pavlenko, known as B-Girl Kate, in the Ukrainian Olympic team, Kuzya is a strong Olympic medal contender in Paris.