SOCCER
Shakhtar advances to Round of 16
Shakhtar Donetsk advances to the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 against Wolfsburg, Germany, with matches scheduled for March 12 (Germany) and 19 (Ukraine), following the draw in Nyon, Switzerland, on February 28. Shakhtar won against Benfica in the Round of 32, having won 2-1 in the first-leg on February 20, and tied 3-3 with the Portuguese club on February 27. A goal aggregate of 5-4 Shakhtar earned its spot in the next round.
YOUTH OLYMPICS
Four medals at Youth Olympics
Ukraine’s junior hockey teams won gold and silver at the third Winter Youth Olympic Games on January 9-22 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 3×3 boys’ “green” team won gold, and the “red” team won silver. Volodymyr Troshkin was named player of the tournament and Denis Pasko was named vice-champion. Green won against red in the final 10-4. Ukraine’s figure skaters Sofiia Nesterova and Artem Darenskyi won bronze medals in National Olympic Committee mixed pairs skating (Team Vision, 18 points), finishing in seventh place overall. Freestyle skier Orest Kovalenko won bronze in the big air competition, with a final score of 179.5 points.
DEAFLYMPICS
Ukraine third in medal standings
Ukraine finished in third place in the medal standings with 11 medals (four gold, four silver and three bronze) at the 2019 Winter Deaflympics on December 12-21 in Valtellina-Valchiavenna, Italy. The competition included events in Alpine skiing, snowboard, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, chess and curling. Dmytro Mazhaiev and Andriy Andriyishyn won gold (13:24.0 seconds) and silver (13:24.1 seconds), respectively, in the men’s individual 5-kilometer cross-country skiing race. Mazhaiev also won gold in the men’s 10-kilometer cross-country skiing race (26:37.9 seconds) and Yelizaveta Nopriienko won bronze in the women’s 5-kilometer cross-country skiing race (15:47.4 seconds). Mazhaiev won gold (39:10.8 seconds) in the men’s 6.6-kilometer pursuit and Rusian Denysenko (39:56.8 seconds) won bronze in the same event. In the women’s 3.3-kilometer pursuit and Nopriienko won bronze (26:02.0 seconds). Ukraine, represented by Anastasiia Lavryk and Volodymyr Pyshniak, won silver in the team sprint free (17:21.0 seconds). Pavlo Mandziuk won silver in the men’s sprint classic (2:44.50 seconds). Ukraine’s women’s chess team won gold and Tatiana Baklanova won silver in the women’s blitz chess tournament. Ukraine’s men’s curling team stayed alive until it lost 6-8 against South Korea in the 14th round; the women’s team lost 6-11 against Canada in the sixth round. Snowboarders competed in the giant slalom, but did not medal.
SNOOKER
Boyko wins silver medal at Worlds
Yulian Boyko won silver at the world snooker championships (WSF Open) in Malta on January 4-17. In the semifinal, Boyko won 4-1 against Ross Miur of Scotland, and in the final, Boyko lost 3-5 against Ashleigh Hahilli of England.
ATHLETICS
Two golds at World Athletics Indoor Tour
High jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh won gold on February 15 in Glasgow with a height of 1.93 meters as part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour. This season, Mahuchikh’s jump included 2.02 meters in Karlsruhe, Germany. Long jumper Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk won gold in Glasgow on February 15 and Lievin, France, on February 19, both times jumping 6.90 meters. She had her best jump this season in Torino, Italy, (6.96 meters).
Four medals for Ukraine in Karslruhe
Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk won gold in the women’s long jump (6.92 meters) at the IAAF Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, on January 31 through February 2. High jumpers Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Yuliya Levchenko won gold and silver, respectively, in the women’s high jump (2.02 meters and 1.99 meters). In the men’s long jump, Vladyslav Mazur won silver (7.84 meters).
Mahuchikh sets record at U-20 meet
Yaroslava Mahuchikh won gold in high jump at the U-20 Demianiuk Memorial on January 18 in Lviv. Her third attempted jump of 2.01 meters, set a world U-20 record. In the men’s high jump, Oleh Doroshchuk won gold with 2.21 meters.
JUDO
One silver, three bronze int Warsaw
Karo Manrandian (66 kg) won silver at the European Judo Open in Warsaw on February 29 through March 1. In the final, Maradian lost against Carmine Maria Di Loreto of Italy, and in the semifinal, the Ukrainian won against Thomas Macrez of France. Artem Bubyr (81 kg), Anton Savytskiy (100 kg) and Anna Surova (52 kg) won bronze medals. The tournament attracted 407 athletes from 40 countries; and Ukraine was represented by 42 male and seven female athletes.
Nhabali wins silver in Dusseldorf
Quedjau Nhabali (90 kg) won silver at the Grand Slam in Dusseldorf, Germany, on February 21-23. In the final, the Ukrainian won against Davlat Bobonov of Uzbekistan in just under one minute (0.59 seconds). Ukraine was represented by six athletes (four men, two women) at the tournament that attracted 659 athletes from 115 countries.
Tsurkan wins silver at cadet European Cup
Igor Tsurkan (66 kg) won silver at the Cadet European Judo Cup in Follonica, Italy, on February 7-9. Tsurkan lost the final against Nikolai Tsvetkov of Russia, but won the semifinal against Maxime Glatier of France. The tournament attracted 485 athletes from 25 countries.
Bilodid wins Grand Slam in Paris
Daria Bilodid (48 kg) won gold against Wakana Koga of Japan in the final at the Grand Slam in Paris. Georgii Zantaraia (66 kg) won bronze against Bogdan Iadov of Ukraine in the third-place match. Ukraine was represented by 11 athletes (six men and five women). The tournament attracted 680 athletes from 115 countries.
Khachatrian wins silver in Sofia
Hevorh Khachatrian (73 kg) won silver in the European Judo Open in Sofia, Bulgaria, on January 31 through February 2. The Ukrainian won the semifinal against Mickael Dubois of France, but lost the final against Salvador Cases Roca of Spain.
Khammo wins bronze in Tel-Aviv
Yakiv Khammo (+100 kg) won bronze at the Grand Prix Tel Aviv 2020 on January 24-26. In the bronze medal match, Khammo defeated Stephan Hegyi of Austria. The event, with 83 countries represented, had 545 competitors.
KARATE
Terliuha wins gold in Dubai
Anzhelika Terliuha (55 kg) won gold at the Premier League in Dubai on February 15. With the win, Terliuha qualifies for a spot at the Summer Tokyo Olympic Games. During the tournament, she won against competitors from Chile, China, Poland, Turkey and Egypt.
Terliuha wins silver in Paris
Anzhelika Terliuha won silver in the girls 55-kg kumite division at the Karate1 Premier League championship in Paris. Terliuha won the semifinal against Hulmira Ussenova, and in the final she lost against Anna Chernyshovyi of Russia. Terliuha was named athlete of the month for January by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and her coach also received the same recognition in the coach’s category.
POWERLIFTING
Ukraine medals at World Cup
Dmytro Chumack (109 kg) won gold at the World Cup of weightlifting in Rome on January 31 through February 2. He lifted a total of 405 kg, (180 kg in the snatch, and 225 kg in the clean and jerk). Iryna Dekha won gold in the women’s 76-kg division with 106 kg in the snatch and 130 kg in the clean and jerk. Silver medalists were Kamila Konotop (55 kg; 90 kg in the snatch and 106 kg in the clean and jerk) and Anastasiya Lysenko (87 kg; 124 kg in the snatch and 142 kg in the clean and jerk).
CURLING
Ukraine opens its first curling rink
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and its president, Serhiy Bubka, officially opened the first specialized curling arena in Ukraine on February 5 in Kyiv. Also participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony was Oleksiy Perevezetsev, president of the Ukrainian Curling Federation, who is a member of the NOC executive committee. Mr. Bubka said the rink will solve several issues at once: Ukrainian athletes will have good training conditions, the country will be able to host prestigious curling tournaments, and average citizens will have an opportunity to try their hand at the sport. Mr. Bubka also ceremoniously threw the first stone to inaugurate the rink. Mr. Perevezentsev thanked the NOC of Ukraine for its support and assistance in making this arena available to Ukraine’s athletes.
BASKETBALL
Mykhailiuk a rising star in Detroit
In a season filled with many losses (players lost to injury and games lost without those players), the trade for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk by Detroit has emerged as a clear win. On track to be one of the Pistons’ core pieces as far as shooting accuracy, creating plays off the dribble and running pick and rolls, the very coachable Ukrainian was named to the World Team for the NBA’s All-Star weekend Rising Stars Challenge. Through games of February 5, the second-year pro has seen action in 46 games with a 43.3 percent field goal percentage, 42.5 percent three-point percentage, 85.2 percent at free throw and 8.9 points per game. In January, when he saw more playing time due to the team’s injuries, he averaged 13-plus points in 29 minutes per game. Mykhailiuk is a different player these days than he was even a couple of months ago, mostly at the defensive end. More minutes mean more confidence, which translates into a stronger comfort level and greater productivity.
WRESTLING
Novikov wins gold at European championships
Semen Novikov (87 kg) won gold in the Greco-Roman final against Victor Lawrence of Hungary at the European Wrestling Championships on February 10-16 in Rome. Ukraine won 13 medals – two gold, three silver and eight bronze. Lunur Temirov (63 kg) and Mykola Kuchmii (63 kg) won bronze medals in Greco-Roman, and Erik Arushanian (65 kg) and Vasyl Mykhailov (79 kg) won bronze in freestyle. In women’s freestyle, Yuliya Tkach (62 kg) won gold; Solomiia Vynnyk (55 kg) and Alina Akobiia (55 kg) won silver medals; and Anhelina Lysak (59 kg), Iryna Koliadenko (65 kg), Alla Cherkasova (68 kg) and Alina Berezhna (72 kg) won bronze. Ukraine’s women’s team finished in second place in the team standings with 155 points.
SKYDIVING
Ukrainians set record in group jump
Four Ukrainian skydivers Illya Balashov (Kharkiv), Maryna Mchedleshvili (Kyiv), Oleksandr Pieliekhov (Kharkiv) and Yaroslav Shtyker (Kharkiv) set a new record in group parachute acrobatics on February 13-14 by the International Aviation Federation. The record-setting jump had 130 parachutists from 28 countries in a new “large format in group parachute acrobatics in free fall.”
BALLROOM DANCING
Ukraine pairs win gold and silver in Lviv
Serhiy Yefremov and Viktoriya Antoniuk won gold in the Latin-American program and Andriy Zinchenko and Kateryna Baisarova won silver in the European program at the European Championship of Sports Dancing in Lviv on February 14-17. Based on the Ukrainian team members’ performance, it is expected that they will advance to world competitions and higher levels of competition.
SPORTS MINISTRY
Levchuk to head new State Sports Agency
President of the Ukrainian Karate Federation Serhiy Levchuk was appointed head of the State Sports Agency. The State Sports Agency will implement policies of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, including preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, sports reform, construction of modern sports infrastructure and others.
BIATHLON
Gold, silver and bronze in Belarus
Valj Semerenko, Yuliia Dzhima, Artem Pryma and Dmytro Pidruchniy won gold in the mixed relay (1:11:32.1 seconds) at the European Championships in Minsk-Raubichi, Belarus, on February 26-27. Olena Pidhrushna won silver in the women’s super sprint final (16:34.6 seconds), and Pidrruchniy won bronze in the men’s super sprint final (14:13.3 seconds). Anastasiya Merkushyna and Ruslan Tkalenko won bronze in the single mixed relay (47:24.0 seconds).
SHOOTING
Second-place in standings at Euros
Ukraine finished in second place in the medal standings (seven gold, five silver and five bronze medals) with a total of 17 at the European Shooting Championship 10-meter (rifle, pistol and running target) on February 23 through March 2 in Wroclaw, Poland. The event is hosted by the European Shooting Confederation. Gold medalists were Galina Avramenko (women’s 10-meter running target mixed), Hlib Kihitov (junior men’s 10-meter air pistol), Kristina Hilevych (junior women’s 10-meter running target), Marharyta Tarkanii (junior women’s 10-meter running target mixed), Viktoriya Rybovalova, Avramenko and Valentyna Honcharova (women’s 10-meter running target), Denys Babliuk, Danylo Danilenko, Andrii Drachuk (junior men’s 10-meter running target), and Babliuk, Danilenko, Drachuk (junior men’s 10-meter running target). Silver medalists included Oleh Tsarkov (10-meter air rifle), Rybovalova (10-meter running target mixed), Babliuk (junior men’s 10-meter running target mixed), Avramenko, Rybovalova, Honcharova (women’s team 10-meter running target), and Avramenko and Ihor Kizyma (mixed team 10-meter running target). Bronze medalists were: Rybovalova (women’s 10-meter running target), Babliuk (junior men’s 10-meter running target), Marharyta Tarkanii (junior women’s 10-meter running target), Anastasiia Zhuchenko (junior women’s 10-meter running target mixed) and Rybovalova-Danilenko (mixed team 10-meter running target).
FREESTYLE SKIING
Mokhnatska wins gold in Almaty
Nadia Mokhnoatska won gold in freestyle skiing at the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on February 27-28. This was Mokhnatska’s first medal in her freestyle pro career.
HOCKEY
Hawryluk joins Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators claimed forward Jayce Hawryluk off waivers from the Florida Panthers on February 17. The 24-year-old had one goal and two assists in 15 games with the Panthers this season. In six games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds he tallied one assist. Senators G.M. Pierre Dorion described the young Ukrainian as “a highly competitive two-way forward whose addition we’re looking forward to seeing in our line-up. He’s an energetic, puck-pursuit-type player who should mesh well with our current roster.” In his first six games with his new club, Jayce notched three assists.
Injury forces Brodziak to retire
His body of work was extremely impressive as a seventh-round draft pick playing over 900 NHL games until a damaged piece of that body told Kyle Brodziak it was time to retire. A disc degeneration caused him to fail his camp physical and step away from the game at age 35. He hurt his back at an Edmonton Oilers morning skate on April 1, 2019, when shooting pucks. The back never recovered, not even with a summer of rest. Brodziak will be paid his $1.15 million salary in 2019-2020, which eases the pain for his wife and three children. Edmonton put him on injured reserve, then long-term injury status for salary cap reasons. He skated in his first NHL game on October 15, 2005, in Calgary and played his final NHL game on March 30, 2019. In 2005-2019 he totaled 917 games, 129 goals, 167 assists, 296 points and 462 penalty minutes. In 57 playoff games he added 5-17-22-16.
Red Wings select Timashov
The Detroit Red Wings claimed Dmytro Timashov off waivers from Toronto on February 24 and finally got him in their line-up the following Saturday. Timashov had remained in Toronto because of immigration issues and was able to make his debut in Ottawa on February 29, a 4-3 Detroit loss. The Red Wings are intrigued by what the Ukrainian forward, 23, could add to their line-up. In 39 games with the Leafs, Timashov had four goals, five assists (nine points) and a +1 rating. He is a 5-foot-10, 192-pound left wing who played on the fourth line. He will get a bigger opportunity in Detroit, where his skills could have room to flourish. He had 49 points (14 goals) in 72 games for the AHL Marlies last season, then added 10 points (four goals) in 13 playoff games. He is strong on his skates, brings physicality, but also has good hands and can create plays. Timashov wanted out of Toronto with the lack of playing time and opportunities, so a fresh start with Detroit may kick start his production. He is a restricted free agent this summer who will get a long look in Detroit where roster spots are available for the taking.
Bellows scores in NHL debut
When he realized he was putting too much pressure on himself and was able to alter his mindset entering his second pro year, Kieffer Bellows went back to moving his feet, utilizing his deft puck awareness and winning battles in small places. Bridgeport’s leading scorer (16 goals, 24 points) received a call-up from the parent New York Islanders and debuted on February 4. He proceeded to tally his first NHL point on a secondary assist on Derick Brassard’s game-tying goal in the second period. Kieffer logged some nine minutes of ice time on 13 shifts while playing on Brassard’s third forward line. In his second game, Bellows recorded the first two goals of his NHL career – including the game-winner – to propel his Islanders to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings on February 6. His first was a second-period shot off a pass from Anthony Beauvillier to bring the Isles to within a goal (3-2), his second when Kings goalie Jonathan Quick got caught too far out of the net. At an odd angle to the right of the goal, the rookie threw it on net and the puck trickled in as the decisive marker. The Islanders offense was in need of a boost and the club believes the 21-year-old Bellows’ scoring capability can provide a necessary jolt as the team makes its playoff push. Two goals and three points in his first two NHL games was a most solid start.
Pelech lost for rest of the season
The New York Islanders lost the services of stalwart defenseman Adam Pelech for at least the remainder of the regular season when he suffered an Achilles’ tendon injury during pre-game warm-ups on January 2. The Ukrainian was seeing regular duty on the team’s top defense pairing with Ryan Pulock. Prognosis for recovery was approximately four months, which could mean no availability until a potential third playoff round. Pelech, 25, had one goal and nine points in 38 games this season.
Pysyk steps up with hat-trick
Coming into the game against Toronto on February 3 Florida Panther Mark Pysyk had scored three goals as a defenseman. Shifted to forward because of injuries, Pysyk scored twice in the third period to complete the first hat trick of his NHL career and help the Panthers to a 5-3 victory. He opened the scoring by taking a pass from Mike Matheson and sending a quick one-timer past Frederik Andersen from in close for a 1-0 lead in the first period. Down 3-1 after three consecutive Maple Leafs’ tallies, Florida came back with three goals in a row of its own, starting with a second Pysyk goal at 2:20 of the third period. Mike Hoffman had the game-winner at 10:13 and Pysyk finished off his hat trick with an empty-net marker with under a minute left. Florida’s fourth line, comprising Ukrainians Pysyk and Jayce Hawryluk plus Denis Malgin, came up big with Pysyk spending a lot of time in front of the opposition’s net. United as a line for the first time all season, the trio brought a ton of energy to the ice while combining for four points, five hits and three takeaways. Enjoying a spike in his offensive numbers since the transition from defense to forward, Pysyk set a career high in goals with seven (four as a forward). The 28-year-old dual threat had scored nine points (5G, 4A) in his last 11 games.
Pateryn back on Wild defense
After undergoing bilateral core muscle repair surgery on October 1, 2019, Greg Pateryn’s season finally got going on January 12 in a 4-1 loss to Vancouver. Pateryn suffered through a couple of setbacks in his return from surgery, which had an initial timeline of six weeks. He was forced to watch the first 44 games of 2019-2020, feeling frustrated while itching to take advantage of his opportunity to get back on the ice. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound veteran of 248 NHL games is a classic defensive defenseman with the size and willingness to engage in combat in front of the net. His return to the line-up saw him receive 12.5 minutes of ice time with four hits, one blocked shot and an even plus/minus.
Tkachuk plays in All-Star Game
Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames was the team’s lone representative at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis on January 25. This was Tkachuk’s first time playing in the All-Star Game, and it was recognition of his evolution from notorious pest to complete player. In his fourth season with Calgary, he was named an alternate captain at the start of the 2018-2019 season, and showed how a few years’ experience in the league has refined his skill set. He cut his penalty minutes from 105 in his rookie year to 61 the following year and now is at 34 in the 2019-2020 season. In 29 games this season, Tkachuk has tallied 15 goals and 23 assists, and tied for the team lead in points with 38.
Makar sets franchise scoring record
Cale Makar, in his 40th game of the 2019-2020 season, broke the franchise record for goals scored by a rookie defenseman when he recorded his 11th of the season, breaking a 2-2 tie for the Colorado Avalanche and helping the club to a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on January 18. The 21-year-old moved past John-Michael Liles (10 goals in 79 games in the 2003-2004 season) for the first in goals by a rookie defenseman in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. The Avalanche have 34 matches remaining in the season. Makar tied the record against the Detroit Redwings on January 20 to tie the franchise record (Bruce Bell’s 37 points in 1984-1985), and Makar was eight points shy of breaking Bell’s franchise record for most assists by a first-year blueliner (31 assists, 1984-1985).
U-20 team wins bronze
Ukraine’s U-20 men’s team won bronze in the International Ice Hockey Federation Division 1, Group B world championships in Kyiv on December 18. Ukraine won 7-3 against Estonia, won 2-1 against Italy on December 17, lost 1-3 against France on December 15, won 3-0 against Poland on December 14 and lost 1-5 against Hungary on December 12. Artur Ohandzhanian was awarded the best goalkeeper of the tournament with a 90.98 percentage of saves per game average, allowing an average of 2.37 goals per game. Ukraine finished with a record of 3-2 after five matches played, with 14 goals for and 12 against. Hungary advanced to Division 1, Group A, and Italy was relegated to the lower division.