Ukrainian gold medal-winning boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak gave a military salute to the crowd gathered to celebrate his return to the war-torn country. Olympic Games in Paris.
As he stepped off the special Olympic Express train at Kiev’s central station, Khyzhniak, 29, greeted fans, friends and family. The athlete from Poltava is also a serviceman with the Ukrainian Border Guard Service.
He is the first gold medalist at the 2024 Olympics to take the prize back to his home country.
“I truly dedicate this award to every Ukrainian, to everyone who helped and supported me, who stood by my side and encouraged me all over the world,” Khyzhniak said upon his arrival on Saturday.
Yevgeny Maloletka / AP
In the men’s middleweight category, Khyzhniak defeated Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan. Ukraine also won gold medals in the women’s team fencing and women’s high jump.
13-year-old Volodymyr Honchar, a star-crazed fan, was taken by his mother to the Kiev train station to welcome his idol and get his boxing glove signed by the Olympic champion.
“His victory will improve the mood of all Ukrainians, make us all feel good and make us all stronger,” Honchar told The Associated Press.
Yevgeny Maloletka / AP
The Khyzhniak victory and other Ukrainian victories in Paris have lifted the spirits of many Ukrainians in the 2 1/2-year war against Russia. Troops have been locked in deadly combat along the 620-mile border.
Khyzhniak’s home region of Poltava is just 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Russia and is an area constantly targeted by Russian airstrikes.
“Every time during the match or during the preparation for the match I saw on my phone that an air raid siren had been declared in the Poltava region, I was naturally worried about Ukraine,” Khyzhniak said. “I was worried about my family and I hoped that our army would protect us all.”
