Ukrainian canoeists Liudmyla Luzan and Anastasiia Rybachok won a silver medal in the 500-meter double sculls at the Olympic finals on Aug. 9.
This is Ukraine's 11th medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Having resumed canoeing together in the 2024 season, the tandem of Luzan, 27, and Rybachok, 26, approached the Paris Games as reigning Olympic vice-champions.
In the finals, Ukrainian canoeists competed with the reigning Olympic champions, Chinese Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya, the world vice-champions in the 500-meter dash from Spain, Antia Jacome and Maria Cabrera, and representatives of the second-highest ranked country in canoeing - Hungary's Agnes Anna Kiss and Bianca Nagy, among other duos.
The Ukrainian team finished with a time of 1:54.30, bested only by China, which set a new Olympic record with 1:52.1. Canada's Sloane MacKenzie and Katie Vincent took bronze with 1:54.36.
This is Luzan's third Olympic medal in her career and the second one for Rybachok. Together, the Ukrainian athletes became Olympic silver medal winners in 500-meter double sculls for the second time in a row.
Ukraine is currently 15th in the Games' overall ranking, with three golden medals, four silver medals, and four bronze ones.
Gold medals were secured by Ukrainian fencers Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Yuliia Bakastova, and Olena Kravatska in the saber team competition, as well as by high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh and boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who competed in the 80 kg weight category.
Elsa Court
