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Ukrainian Paralympic athletes have taken Beijing by storm and have risen to near the top of the leaderboard while competing with heavy hearts as their home country is invaded by Russia.
Heading into Tuesday’s events, Ukraine had a total of eight medals – tied with the U.S. and Germany. However, the team was behind Canada, which had 12, and China, which led the way with 25, including seven gold medals. Ukraine is tied with Canada with four gold medals each.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a reverberating effect on the sports world, and the Paralympic Games were no different. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Games.
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Left to right, Silver medalist Oleksandr Kazik of the Ukraine, alongside his guide Serhii Kucheriavyi, gold medalist Vitalii Lukianenko of the Ukraine, alongside his guide Boys Babar (left of center), and bronze medalist Dmytro Suiarko of the Ukraine, alongside his guide Oleksandr Nikonovych, pose together for a group photo after their domination in the Men's Sprint Vision Impaired Para Biathlon at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre. Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, Zhangjiakou, China, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (Thomas Lovelock/OIS via AP)
Ukrainian Paralympic Committee President Valeriy Sushkevych told reporters last week that it took more than four days for the team to get to Beijing.
"It's a miracle that we're here. … A part of our team was already abroad. A part of our team was in Ukraine. All the necessary equipment was in Ukraine. … We had to unite all those parts," he said, via Reuters.
"It is 25 years I am president of the national paralympic committee of the Ukraine. And never was it so difficult, so heavy to come to the Paralympic Games."
Sushkevych added that it may not be so easy going back home – especially if the fighting continues and escalates.
"Going back home is not simple. I hope the international community takes a real step during the Paralympics to stop this war," he said.
While there’s chaos back home, Ukrainian Paralympic athletes have found some success on the playing field. Read below for a look at the athletes who have racked up medals so far.
Oleksandr Kazik
Oleksandr Kazik of Team Ukraine and his guide Serhii Kucheruavyi compete in the Men's Sprint Vision Impaired Para Biathlon during Day One of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre on March 05, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Oleksandr Kazik won his first medal of the 2022 Paralympics in the biathlon 6-kilometer visually impaired race. He finished in second place in between his Ukrainian teammates Vitaliy Lukyanenko and Dmytro Suiarko. Kazik had won two medals in the 2018 Games – one in 12.5-kilometer visually impaired and the 15-kilometer visually impaired.
Liudmyla Liashenko
Liudmyla Liashenko of Team Ukraine competes in the Women's Sprint Standing Paralympic Para Biathlon during Day One of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre on March 05, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Liudmyla Liashenko took home a silver medal in the women’s biathlon 6-kilometer standing event. She finished just behind China’s Yuije Guo and ahead of Yuije’s teammate Zhiqing Zhao. It is Liashenko’s second career medal. She won bronze in the same event in Pyeongchang in 2018.
Vitaliy Lukyanenko
Silver medalist Oleksandr Kazik of Ukraine and his guide Sergiy Kucheryaviy, gold medalist Vitaliy Luk'yanenko of Ukraine and his guide Ivan Marchyshak, and bronze medalist Anthony Chalencon of France and his guide Simon Valverde celebrate during the medal ceremony for Men's 15 km Visually Impaired Biathlon on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games on March 17, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Vitaliy Lukyanenko picked up a gold medal for Ukraine. He won the men’s biathlon 6-kilomoeter visually impaired, finishing just ahead of Kazik and Suiarko in the event.
Lukayanenko is a decorated Ukrainian para-athlete. He came into the Paralympics with six gold medals to his name already dating back to the 2006 Games in Torino.
Taras Rad
Taras Rad of Team Ukraine competes in the Para Cross-Country Skiing during day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at on March 06, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images for International Paralympic Committee)
Taras Rad came through with a silver medal in the men’s biathlon 6-kilometer sitting. The 22-year-old won his second Paralympic medal with his first coming in the 2018 Paralympics. Rad finished behind China’s Liu Zixu and Liu’s teammate Liu Mengtao.
Oksana Shyshkova
Oksana Shyshkova of Team Ukraine competes in the Para Cross-Country Skiing Women's Long Distance Classical Technique Vision Impaired at Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre during day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics on March 07, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Oksana Shyshkova picked up two gold medals in the first in the first few days of the Games. Shyshkova won in the women’s biathlon 6-kilometer visually impaired and the women’s cross-country skiing 15-kilometer classical, visually impaired.
She beat out Germany’s Linn Kazmaier and Leonie Maria Walter in both categories.
Dmytro Suiarko
Ukraines Dmytro Suiarko grabs his poles from his guide in the mens sprint vision impaired biathlon event on March 5, 2022, at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre, during the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. (LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
Dmytro Suiarko added to Ukraine’s medal count with a bronze in the men’s biathlon 6-kilometer visually impaired. He finished behind teammates Lukyanenko and Kazik.
Grygorii Vovchynskyi
Gold medalist Grygorii Vovchynskyi of Team Ukraine poses during the Para Biathlon Men's Sprint Standing medal ceremony on day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Zhangjiakou Medals Plaza on March 6, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province of China. (Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images)
Grygorii Vovchynskyi won a gold medal in the men’s biathlon 6-kilometer standing. Vovchynskyi beat out Germany’s Marco Maier and Canada’s Mark Arendz. It was the first Paralympic gold medal of his career after having won silvers and bronzes in the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics.
American Paralympian shows support for Ukraine
Gold medalist Oksana Masters of Team United States poses during the Para Biathlon Women's Sprint Sitting medal ceremony on day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Zhangjiakou Medals Plaza on March 6, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province of China. (Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images)
Oksana Masters, who was born in Ukraine and later adopted by an American, competes in the Paralympics for Team USA.
After winning a gold medal on Sunday in the 6-kilometer sitting para biathlon, she wrote on Instagram she felt "so much pride" seeing the Ukrainian flag at the Games.
"It has been difficult to find my passion and desire to compete at these Games amid the war my home country of Ukraine is enduring. I feel selfish, helpless, and guilty for being here," she wrote. "However, I have always been so proud to be Ukrainian, felt so much pride at the sight of the Ukrainian flag, and now more than ever, I am the proudest to say I am Ukrainian. My mom always said my Ukrainian heart made me resilient; it made me a fighter.
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"As the Winter Paralympic Games begin, I am reminded how sport has always had the power to unite the world. I will be racing for more than just my own goals, more than a spot on the podium. Every pole stroke, I will be racing for the families and kids in Ukraine with disabilities. While the Ukrainian people are fighting for their homes and peace, I want to make every start line and finish line mean something much bigger than a race or a result. I want to help make sure no child is forgotten. I know how it felt to be a child in Ukraine with disabilities where the resource for medical help was slim to non-existent - more now in the midst of a war."
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