Olympic Games approaching their equator: preview on August 3.

On the eighth day of the 2024 Olympic Games, 11 Ukrainian athletes will compete in 7 sports: athletics, shooting, slalom canoeing, artistic gymnastics, fencing, swimming, and cycling. 

The last event for Ukraine in fencing will be the performance of the women's sabre team consisting of Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, and Yulia Bakastova. The silver medalists of the 2024 European Championship are determined to fight for medals, as they narrowly missed out on the podium at the last world championship. However, first our sabre fencers need to overcome the resistance of the unbeatable Italy, with whom fencing is always challenging. 

The final in the men's floor exercise for Ukrainian gymnast Ilya Kovtun will be his third on major tournaments in this discipline: he managed to qualify for the top eight in two consecutive European Championships, where he finished 5th and 6th. In the qualification, Ilya showed the fourth result on this apparatus, and performed his floor exercises well in the all-around final, receiving a score of 14.7. To win a medal, he needs to repeat or even improve this performance, as he will face tough competition from reigning world champion Jack Jermaine and reigning Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat. 

Oleg Vernyayev, who has not won medals at major competitions in still rings for a long Time, will also compete. The last medal for the Ukrainian gymnast on this apparatus was at the 2019 European Games (where he won the silver). However, Oleg has a high difficulty level on the rings and aims to win a medal after missing out on the previous Olympics. In the final of this year's European Championship, Oleg showed a high base score of 6.7, but he failed to confirm it with a good performance, while at the Olympics his difficulty level remains at 6.6. His competitors have slightly easier routines, which they execute better than the Ukrainian, but if Oleg manages to conquer the apparatus and control his nerves, he can compete for medals. 

In the evening session, high results will be expected from the track and field athlete Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk. The Ukrainian competing in the triple jump has collected medals from all the most important competitions in the last 2 seasons, and the only medal left for her is the Olympic one. With the absence of the world record-holder Yulimar Rojas, the competition remains tense. The main competitors will be representatives from Cuba Liadagmis Povea and Leyanis Perez Hernandez, Dominican jumper Thea LaFond, and other jumpers. 

Anatolii Budiak, a participant in previous Olympic Games, will compete in the group race in cycling. Finishing on a challenging track will already be the best result for the Ukrainian cyclist at this level, as he could not finish the races in Tokyo.

Victoria Us, the European Games 2023 champion in canoe cross, will participate in the first round. She will try to challenge the Spanish Maylen Churaut and the Australians Noemi Fox, who were in the top eight at the last World Championship in London. The top 2 from each heat will advance to the next stage of the new discipline of slalom canoeing, while the rest will have to participate in the consolation round.

The qualifications that will take place today will also be important: in the 1500 meters freestyle swimming, Mykhailo Romanchuk will have a chance to redeem himself for the unsuccessful performance in the 800 meters and try to make it to the top eight. Also, the only representative of Ukraine in shooting at this Olympics, Iryna Malovichko, who stopped 1 accurate shot away from the final in 2021, as well as placed fourth in World Cup stages, will start fighting for the medals.

Schedule of Ukrainians on August 3

10:00. Shooting, women. Skeet. Qualification, first day. Iryna Malovichko

12:00. Cycling, men. Road, group race. Final. Anatolii Budiak

12:30. Swimming, men. 1500 meters freestyle. Qualification. Mykhailo Romanchuk

14:00. Fencing, women. Sabre. Team first. 1/4 final. Team Ukraine (Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, Yulia Bakastova) - Team Italy

16:30. Artistic gymnastics, men. Floor exercises. Final. Ilya Kovtun

16:30. Canoeing, women. Canoe cross. First round. Viktoria Us

18:16. Artistic gymnastics, men. Still rings. Final. Oleg Vernyayev

21:20. Athletics, women. Triple jump. Final. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk

If they advance to the next rounds

17:10. Fencing, women. Sabre. Team first. Final block. Team Ukraine (Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, Yulia Bakastova)

It is worth mentioning that the Olympic Games will be broadcast in Ukraine on regional channels of Suspilne, Suspilne Sport channel, and Megogo resource. Competition results are also available on the official website of the Olympic Games.

By the way, Oleksandr