Olympic profile: Anastasiya Merkushyna
It is safe to say one’s family has a strong influence in life, helping determine one’s opinions, interests, hobbies, educational pursuits and career choices. For Anastasiya Merkushyna, it was a simple decision to follow in her parents’ footsteps and pursue biathlon, continuing the family tradition. Her mother, Iryna, was a professional biathlete and her father, Oleh, a biathlon coach. Sometimes children of talented athlete parents tend not to match their elders’ achievements. But by age 21, Merkushyna had already topped her mother in medals and awards.
The young Ukrainian won her first international medal at age 16 in the relay at the Youth Juniors World Championships. Her trophy case filled up rapidly since then, with Merkushyna earning a total of 16 career medals (five gold, four silver and seven bronze), 13 of which were in junior/youth competitions (European and World). Exactly half have been individual triumphs, while the other eight were team events. Her inclusion on Ukraine’s team for the first IBU Cup in 2010, at age 15, was an early indication of her potential talents.
Ukraine’s athletes sign the Truce Wall with messages of peace.
Merkushyna firmly believes her success is due to her parents/coaches. Her well-known coach/father and 2003 IBU World Champion silver medalist mother took their daughter to camps and competitions from the time of her birth in 1995. Her mother retired from competition in 2004, ending a 12-year career and devoting her time to coaching.
Working with parents has pros and cons. Sometimes the coaching continues even at home. The young Merkushyna started to ski when her peers were just starting to walk. Her very first contest, a cross competition with shooting, was a solo affair because no one else was entered in the event.
The 23-year-old is quite serious, very responsible and a reasonable person. For a young adult, she has exhibited solid decision-making skills. In challenging moments she recalls the words of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine President, the legendary Sergey Bubka. “As long as you have at least one more attempt, you have not lost!”
At the PyeongChang-2018 opening ceremony.
Merkushyna lists her best qualities as stubbornness, persistence and the ability to finish what she started. She worries and prefers to start in the first group to ease her nerves. Her favorite competition is the team relay. She never lacks motivation, always striving to correct her mistakes and always wants to win.
At times the results don’t reflect an athlete’s preparation or ability, so Merkushyna realizes it is important to “reboot” and readjust for the next competition. Her hobbies include reading fantasy books, cooking and shopping. Family is always a phone call away. She motivates herself by dangling a sweet treat as a reward for a satisfying performance.
Merkushyna believes biathlon is not only about medals, it is a lifestyle. She recognizes the value of hard work, and graduated high school at 15, then matriculated at the Ternopil National Economic University at the Faculty of International Business and Management.
She is an independent soul who once made a list of goals and travelled to Norway to observe how a biathlon legend trained. Ole Einar Bjorndalen made a strong impression on her with some personal tips and shooting advice. That special moment has been with her ever since. She’s hoping that motivation will spur her to achieve her number one career goal: an Olympic medal.
Flag-bearer profile: Olena Pidhrushna
Born January 9, 1987, in Legnica, Poland, Olena Pidhrushna spent her childhood in Velyka Berezovytsia, near Ternopil, The family relocated because her father was a career military officer. She graduated from Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University in physical training and sports, and is pursuing a Ph.D. at Lviv State University of Physical Culture. Her coaches are Uros Velepec, Ihor Pocynok and Oleg Bunt. Merkushyna was appointed deputy minister of Youth and Sports in Ukraine and has been married to Oleksiy Kayda since 2013. Kayda was a member of the Verkhovna Rada, Svoboda party, and the two divorced in 2016. She took 2014 off from sports in an unsuccessful attempt to have a child.
Serhiy Bubka in the Olympic Torch Relay.
Career achievements: Pidhrushna won two bronze medals at her first international competition (European Youth Olympic Winter Festival) in 2005; was a member of winning relay team in World Cup – Oberhof, Germany, 2009 (gold medal); since then she has earned additional 16 relay podiums in World Cups, including four gold, 10 silver (two mixed) and two bronze (one mixed). She has won eight individual podiums in World Cup events, including two gold, two silver and four bronze, competing in sprint, pursuit and individual competitions. Together with Yuliya Dzhyma, and Valya and Vita Semerenko, she won a gold medal in the women’s relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In World Championship competitions, Pidhrushna has won four medals (one gold, two silver, one bronze) with her highlight being a hat-trick showing at the 2013 Biathlon Worlds, where she won gold in the sprint, silver in the women’s relay and bronze in pursuit. For these achievements she was named Ukraine’s best sportswoman of 2013. She ended the 2012-2013 season ranked eighth in the World Cup general classification and achieved her top World Cup ranking of No. 7 after the 2015-2016 season.
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Ukraine at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games opening ceremony.