Returned to Ukraine with gold. How the wife and son met the 'Poltava Tank' Khizhnyak.

Oleksandr Khizhnyak returned to Kyiv after winning the 2024 Olympic Games. The boxer won the "gold" and the title of Olympic champion in Paris.

According to Suspilne, relatives, friends, and fans who supported the Olympic champion met the athlete at the Kyiv train station. Among those greeting the Poltava resident were his wife and young son.

Oleksandr Khizhnyak became the fourth Ukrainian to win a gold medal in boxing at the Olympic Games. The last Time "gold" was won was in 2012 by Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk.

The 29-year-old Khizhnyak was born and lives in Poltava. He has the nickname "Poltava Tank" due to his fighting style. The boxer is trained by his father, Oleksandr Khizhnyak Sr.

Recall, in the 1/8 finals, Khizhnyak defeated a boxer from Bakhmut, who now represents Hungary.

In the 1/4 finals, the Ukrainian boxer confidently defeated Brazilian Wanderley Pereira.

In the 1/2 final match, the Poltava resident won a tough fight against Cuban Arlen Lopez Cardona. In the first round, the Ukrainian had the advantage, but for some reason, the judges gave the win to the Cuban. Nevertheless, Khizhnyak continued to fight at a very high level and secured an overall victory.

In the final, the Poltava resident defeated Kazakhstan’s Nurbek Oralbay. The fight was quite challenging for Oleksandr. Before the last round, the score was tied on the judges' scorecards. However, Khizhnyak confidently won the third round and claimed the Olympic gold.

Recall, Khizhnyak is a silver medalist of the Tokyo Olympics. Back in 2021, the Ukrainian completely outplayed his Brazilian opponent Hebert Souza in the final. He led in the score after two rounds – all judges gave him the advantage. The Poltava resident went to finish off the Brazilian in the third round. Instead, he encountered a not very strong but knockout left punch. Khizhnyak fell for a second, quickly got up, but the referee did not allow the fight to continue.

Recall, the Summer Olympic Games are being held in the capital of France, Paris, and 16 other cities across the European part of France, as well as in Tahiti – an island within the French overseas country and overseas collectivity of French Polynesia. These Olympic Games will see the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic sport and are expected to be the last Olympic Games held under IOC President Thomas Bach's leadership.

The 2024 Games are the first to have an equal number of male and female athletes. The Games are expected to cost 8.3 billion euros.

The opening ceremony began at 19:30 on July 26, 2024. This was the second time in history that the opening of the Olympic Games took place outside of a stadium (the first was the opening ceremony of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games).

The Parade of Nations took place as part of a boat parade along the Seine from the Austerlitz Bridge to the Pont d'Iéna, with the official protocol held at Place du Trocadéro on a temporary "mini-stadium." The 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) parade route showcased the cultural elements of the ceremony and views of Paris landmarks.

The director of the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games was Thomas Jolly.

Olympics-2024. Medal count