Ukrainian athlete and MP Zhan Beleniuk dominates in Greco-Roman wrestling, advancing to Olympic quarterfinals
Zhan Beleniuk. Photo: AP Photo / Aaron Favila
Ukrainian athlete Zhan Beleniuk, a Greco-Roman wrestler, defeated his opponent in the 1/8 finals, winning a place in the quarterfinals.
The broadcast of the fight evidence this.
Beleniuk beat China's Haitao Qian with a score of 7-1.
In the quarter-finals, he'll be going up against Nursultan Tursynov, a competitor from Kazakhstan.
It should be mentioned that on August 7, at the Olympic Games in Paris, representatives of the Ukrainian national team will compete in 7 disciplines: in total, athletes from different parts of the world will compete for two dozen sets of awards.
One of them is Zhan Beleniuk, who participated in the qualifying round for the quarterfinals in Greco-Roman wrestling.
In his interview with "Champion", Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler Zhan Beleniuk revealed that the Paris Olympics would mark the end of his competitive career.
"I am an active athlete, but I will most likely retire in a week. At the same time, I work in the Ukrainian parliament, so I definitely have something to do now," the Tokyo 2020 champion said.
After the Games in Paris, Beleniuk wants to focus entirely on his political career.
"We want the end of the war on Ukrainian terms. Restore our economy. Return millions of Ukrainians home because the second is connected with the third. We want to receive security guarantees from our partners. Suppose there is such an enemy as the Russian Federation in the neighborhood, which will constantly try to kill you. In that case, only serious security guarantees will allow us to count on a normal, stable life in our country," the wrestler added.
33-year-old Zhan Beleniuk is a three-time European champion and a two-time world champion. He won silver at the 2016 Olympics and gold at the 2020 Games. The athlete is a People's Deputy of Ukraine.
For reference:
On July 26, the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games was held in the capital of France, Paris, officially kicking off the biggest sports event in the world. This year, for the first time, the celebrations were held not at the stadium but on the water. The 2024 Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11.
- On July 29, saber fencer Olha Kharlan brought Ukraine the first medal of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris — she won the "bronze" medal of the individual saber fencing tournament.
- On August 1, Serhii Kulish won silver in rifle shooting from three positions at 50 m, giving Ukraine its second award of the 2024 Games.
- On August 2, boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak succeeded by advancing to the semi-finals of the 2024 Olympics, which secured him a medal. He competed against Brazilian fighter Wanderley de Souza Pereira and ultimately won by a unanimous decision by the judges in favor of the Ukrainian.
- On August 3, in the finals of the 2024 Olympics, Ukraine won a gold medal in saber fencing in the women's team. For the first time, the Ukrainian national anthem was played during the winners' award ceremony at the 2024 Olympics.
- Ukrainian track and field star Yaroslava Mahuchikh achieved gold in high jump on August 4, earning the top spot in the final at the 2024 Olympic Games. Additionally, fellow Ukrainian jumper Iryna Gerashchenko snagged a bronze medal.
- On August 4, Ukrainian hammer thrower Mykhailo Kokhan became the bronze medalist of the 2024 Olympic Games. His best result is 79.39 m.
- On August 5, Ukrainian gymnast Illia Kovtun won a silver medal in the parallel bars competition at the 2024 Olympics.
