HOCKEY
Ukraine’s women debut and qualify
Ukraine’s women’s ice hockey team qualified for the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship after finishing in first place in Division II Group B in its first appearance at the tournament during the qualifying round on January 13-18 in Cape Town, South Africa. The team won all four of its matches (3-1 against South Africa, 5-1 against Bulgaria, 4-1 against Belgium and 5-2 against Hong Kong), with 17 goals for and five against, with 12 points. Ukraine’s goalkeeper, Viktoriia Tkachenko was rated the top net minder and named “Best Goalkeeper,” with a 91.67 percent save rate. Forwards Ielyzaveta Riabkina (two goals, six assists for eight points; third place in assists), Vladyslava Skahchuk (four goals, three assists for seven points) and Olena Tkachuk (three goals, three assists for six points) were recognized as leading scorers. The first-place finish in the group promoted the team to qualify for Group B of the tournament in 2020, with dates and locations to be announced.
TENNIS
Yastremska wins Thailand Open
Dayana Yastremska won the WTA Thailand Open in Hua Hin, Thailand, on February 3, showcasing her disciplined and focused playing. In the final, Yastremska, 18, came back from a 2-6 loss in the second set, after a 6-2 win in the first set, to win a tightly fought final set 7-6 (3) against Ajla Tomljanvic of Australia, forcing Tomjanovic to double-fault in the final set tie-break and a cross-court backhand by Yastremska won the title. This was Yastremska’s second WTA Tour title and it moved her to No. 34 in the WTA rankings, breaking the top-40 for the first time in her career.
Tsurenko in No. 24 spot after Brisbane
Lesia Tsurenko, 29, finished as runner-up at the 2019 Brisbane International tennis tournament on January 6 at the Queensland Tennis Center, after losing 6-4, 5-7, 2-6 against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the final. The tournament is a WTA Premier category tournament. Tsurenko is ranked No. 24 by the WTA.
Svitolina makes it to quarterfinal
For the second straight year, Elina Svitolina, 24, advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Australian Open in Melbourne after a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 win on January 21 against Madison Keys of the U.S.A. It was the first time Svitolina won against Keys, having played twice previously. “I have been working on [my mindset] for the past two years, trying different things, different techniques, and trying to find what works for me,” she told WTA Tennis. In the quarterfinal, Svitolina, ranked No. 7, lost 4-6, 1-6 against Naomi Osaka of Japan, ranked No. 4 (Osaka, ranked No.1, won the tournament after defeating Serena Williams in the final). This was the Ukrainian’s seventh appearance at the Grand Slam tournament, which concluded on January 27.
JUDO
Khachatrian, Berezhnyi medal in Portugal
Hevorh Khachatrian (66 kg) won silver and Dmytro Berezhnyi (90 kg) won bronze at the men’s European Judo Open in Odivelas, Portugal, on February 2-3. Ukraine fielded a team of 10 athletes, and the competition attracted 222 athletes from 34 countries. Khachatrian won the semifinal against Adrian Labrado Fernandez of Spain, but lost the final against Kilian Le Blouch of France. In the fight for bronze, Berezhnyi defeated Ourousmag Kagkeyev of France.
Skora wins silver at European Open
Maria Skora (57 kg) won silver after losing to Sappho Coban of Germany in the final at the women’s European Open in Sofia, Bulgaria, on February 2-3. Ukraine fielded a team of four athletes and the competition attracted 163 athletes from 28 countries.
Ukraine wins five medals in Tel Aviv
Ukraine won four silver medals and one bronze at the Tel Aviv Grand Prix on January 24-26. Bogdan Iadov (66kg) won the semifinal against Sardor Nurillaev of Uzbekistan and lost in the final against Manuel Lombardo of Italy; Yakiv Khammo (+100 kg) won the semifinal against Bekmurod Oltiboev of Uzbekistan, and lost the final against Or Sasson of Israel; Maryna Cherniak (48 kg) won the semifinal against Eva Csernoviczki of Hungary and lost the final against Shira Rishony of Israel; and Yelyzaveta Kalanina (+78 kg) won the semifinal against Ivana Sutalo of Croatia and lost the final against Iryna Kindzerska of Azerbaijan. Artem Khomula (73 kg) won the third-place match against Behruzi Khojazoda of Tajikistan. The tournament attracted 373 athletes from 53 countries.
ROWING
Harbaruk golden at indoor championship
Kateryna Harbaruk won gold (7:11.7 seconds) in the junior women’s U-18 category at the European Indoor Rowing Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 26. Valentyna Zheludkova won silver (7:24.1 seconds) in the junior women’s U-19 race. Races were held on ergometers (rowing machines) simulating a 2,000-meter course. Both rowers represented Ukraine I club at the tournament that attracted 700 athletes from 27 countries.
FENCING
Panteleyeva, Nikishin medal in Qatar
Kseniya Panteleyeva won silver in women’s épée and Bohdan Nikishin won bronze in men’s épée at` the Qatar Grand Prix in Doha on January 25. In the semifinal, Panteleyeva won 15-12 against Violetta Kolobova of Russia, and lost 11-15 in the final against Julia Beljajeva of Estonia. Nikishin tied with Jacob Hoyle for bronze, after Nikishin lost 9-15 in the semifinal against Yulen Pereira of Spain.
CYCLING
Cyclists win multiple medals in Hong Kong
Olena Starikova and Lyubov Basova won silver in the women’s team sprint (33.430 seconds) at the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup VI in Hong Kong on January 25-27. Starikova won silver in the women’s sprint and Basova won bronze in the women’s Keirin at the fifth stage of the World Cup on January 18-20 in Cambridge, New Zealand. After six stages, Starikova topped the tables in women’s sprint (2,100 points) and the women’s 500-meter time trial (500 points), Ukraine finished in second place in the team sprint standings (1,980 points), and Hanna Solovey won second place in the points race with 450. In the men’s division, Vitaliy Hryniv won in first place (1,280 points) in the scratch race after six stages of the World Cup. In the final standings, Ukraine won two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Other stages of the tournament, which began in 2018, were held in France, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.
BIATHLON
Two golds for Bekh at junior championship
Ekaterina Bekh won two gold medals at the Junior World Championships on January 27 through February 2 in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia. In the 7.5-kilometer sprint, Bekh finished with a time of 21:03.6 seconds (12.1 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor), with no penalties, and she won gold in the women’s 10-kilometer pursuit (31:23.8 seconds), 9.1 seconds ahead of her competition, with two misses in shooting.
ATHLETICS
Gold, silver, bronze medals at Elite Meeting
Sprinter Hrystyna Stuy won gold in the women’s 60-meter race (7.32 seconds) at the Meeting Elite de Mondeville in Mondeville, France, on February 2. Orysya Demyanyuk won silver in the women’s 1,500-meter race (4:18.41 seconds) and Hanna Chukovtsova won bronze in the women’s 60-meter hurdles (8.17 seconds). This was the 16th edition of the meeting and featured men’s and women’s 60-meters, 60-meter hurdles, women’s 400-meters, women’s 1,500-meters, women’s long jump, men’s 60-meter wheelchair/disabled race, men’s 800-meters, men’s 3,000-meters, and men’s pole-vault.
SOCCER
Shakhtar returns to Kharkiv
On January 14 it was announced that UEFA has again permitted Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk to return to its usual Kharkiv stadium for European matches after Ukraine’s martial law was lifted. Shakhtar was forced to relocate to Kyiv once martial law was introduced in several regions for 30 days after Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels on November 25, 2018. Once martial law was lifted, Shakhtar was notified by UEFA it can host its February 14 Europa League match against German club Eintracht Frankfurt in Kharkiv. Shakhtar has been playing its home games in Kharkiv since 2014 due to its home city of Donetsk being under the control of Russian-backed separatists.
Rakitsky signs with Zenit St. Petersburg
Shakhtar Donetsk defender Yaroslav Rakitsky signed a contract for three and a half years with FC Zenit St. Petersburg, with an annual salary of 2.5 million euros. Shakhtar will receive 10 million euros for the transfer and a bonus of 2 million euros. Rakitsky has played for Shakhtar since 2009, having scored one goal in 16 matches played. Rakitsky’s transfer sparked outrage among Ukraine’s soccer fans, who called for Rakitsky to never play for Ukraine’s national team (56 percent according to an Internet poll by the Tribuna.com news portal) for having signed with a rival club from Russia – an aggressor against Ukraine. Zenit’s press service declined an interview request from Current Time, and a reporter for RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice of America was barred from a Zenit press conference on January 30 on the grounds that he didn’t represent professional sports media. Zenit is sponsored by Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas monopoly, and the move, according to many soccer fans on Twitter, confirmed Rakitsky’s “true colors.”
Shakhtar players seek Ukraine citizenship
Another Shakhtar forward, Junior Moraes, who has played for Shakhtar since 2012, says he is ready to receive Ukrainian citizenship and offer his services to Ukraine’s men’s national team, under the direction of coach Andriy Shevchenko. This season, he has appeared in 25 matches, scoring 18 goals and nine assists. Fellow Brazilian, Ismaliy, who also seeks Ukrainian citizenship and to play for Ukraine’s national team, could fill gaps in the team, as forward Artem Besyedin is out for three months following an operation, and forward Roman Yaremchuk is out with an injury as well.
BOXING
Gvozdyk set for voluntary title defense
Light heavyweight WBC champion Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (16-0, 13 KO) is set to fight in a voluntary title defense (and his first title defense) against Doudou Ngumbu (38-8, 14 KO) of France on March 30 at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. WBA light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne (23-0, 16 KO) of the U.S.A. was named the mandatory challenger for Gvozdyk’s title, but their meeting date is to be determined since the Ukrainian accepted the voluntary title defense before Browne became the mandatory challenger after Browne unanimously won his January 19 fight for the vacant WBA title against Badou Jack (22-2-3, 13 KO) of Sweden.
Lomachenko to fight IBF champ Commey
Lightweight WBA and WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KO) is set to fight on April 12 in Los Angeles against IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KO) of Ghana after Commey won a second-round TKO against Isa Chaniev (13-2, 6 KO) of Russia on February 2 at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. The Lomachenko fight was announced by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who said Commey and Chaniev signed a contract for the winner of the fight to face Lomachenko.