Biathlete Borkovsky secures Ukraine's first gold at 2025 Winter World University Games
Photo: Champion.com.ua
Ukraine clinched its first gold at the 2025 Winter World University Games in Turin. Biathlete Bohdan Borkovsky, a student at Sumy State University, claimed victory in the men's 15 km short individual race.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports and Suspilne Sport reported that.
As noted, Ukraine was represented in the men's individual by five biathletes:
- the current bronze medalist in the single mixed relay, Stepan Kinash,
- the champion of Ukraine in the sprint, Bohdan Borkovsky,
- Roman Borovyk,
- Serhii Suprun,
- Vladyslav Chykhar.
Photo: Facebook / Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine
How was the men's short individual race for Ukrainian athletes?
- Bohdan Borkovsky emerged as the champion of the individual race with a time of 38:40.9 (0+0+1+2). He shot flawlessly in the first two rounds but made one mistake in the second prone position. During the final standing shoot, he missed two targets, incurring a penalty of one and a half minutes. Despite these setbacks, the biathlete secured a first-place finish.
- Serhii Suprun came close to securing a podium finish, landing just one step away. He shot flawlessly in both prone positions but incurred a 45-second penalty at each of the standing shooting ranges. Consequently, Suprun finished in fourth place.
- Vladyslav Chykhar completed the top five. He received a 45-second penalty at each of the first two shooting ranges, managed a clean round in the prone position, but made one error during the final standing shoot.
- Another Ukrainian, Roman Borovyk, made it into the top 20. He missed once on the first prone shoot and then failed to hit two targets during the standing shoot. At the last two shooting ranges, he incurred a 45-second penalty, ultimately finishing in 16th place.
- Stepan Kinash hit all his targets on the first prone shoot, but made one error at each of the next two shooting ranges. During the final shoot, he missed two targets, resulting in a 20th place finish in the overall standings.
Photo: Facebook / Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine
Patrik Kuuttinen from Finland won the silver medal, losing 25.5 seconds to the winner, and Petr Hak from the Czech Republic won the bronze (+29.2).
For reference:
For the first time, the Ukrainian luge team clinched a World Cup medal, earning bronze in the mixed relay at the Sigulda stage in Latvia.
Ukrainian freediver Kateryna Sadurska set her second world record by diving to a depth of 84 meters without fins, all while holding her breath. That's equivalent to a quarter of the height of the Eiffel Tower.
