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Ukraine has won eight medals so far at the Paris Olympics. Each has been celebrated in the war-torn country as a symbol of resilience and defiance.
Aug. 8, 2024, 8:15 a.m. ET
Yevhen Litvinov was brushing his teeth on Thursday morning when his phone started buzzing — a friend had sent him a YouTube video showing the victory of the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak at the Paris Olympics overnight.
He hit play and watched Mr. Khyzhniak delivering punch after punch to his opponent, Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan. As the final bell rang and Mr. Khyzhniak’s hand was raised, Mr. Litvinov said he was lifted by a surge of pride.
“Pride for the nation, for our athletes,” said Mr. Litvinov, a 48-year-old resident of Kyiv. “It’s not our first gold medal at the Olympics, but it’s definitely inspiring.”
For many Ukrainians, the medals won by their compatriots at this year’s Olympic Games have been rare good news in an otherwise somber period. Since the beginning of the year, Russian troops have steadily gained ground in Ukraine, dampening the public mood.
As a result, each of Ukraine’s eight medals so far has been hailed in the war-torn country as a symbol of resilience and defiance, with citizens and government officials alike celebrating each victory with effusive social media posts. Aware that people back home are counting on them, Ukrainian athletes in Paris have also seized the moment to highlight their country’s cause to the world.
“I wanted the whole world to hear our national anthem, to stand up for it, to see our flag,” Olga Kharlan, a fencer, told the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform after she and her Ukrainian teammates won the gold medal in women’s team saber fencing on Saturday.
