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The European Youth Triathlon Championships Festival in Banyoles and the European Junior Triathlon Cup in Bled took place recently across European venues. Both events significantly impacted the Europe Triathlon Junior Ranking NFs standings.

The European Cup in Bled, Slovenia, on the supersprint distance, contributed points to both the individual men’s and women’s junior rankings, which in turn influenced the overall standings of the national federation rankings. Meanwhile, the youth mixed relay at the European Championships in Banyoles marked the final team event of the season, also adding points to the national federation ranking.

Ukraine was represented in Bled by Yeva Soroka, who finished 23rd and successfully defended her ninth position in the Women’s Junior Rankings.

In Banyoles, Spain, the competition spanned three days. On Friday, athletes competed in semifinals, with qualification spots up for grabs for Finals A and B. Representing Ukraine were Zakhar Tsivkovskyi, Arsen Adamov, Fedir Bezlepkin, Illia Honcharuk, Dana Soroka, and Maria Ivashchenko.

Following the semifinals, Zakhar Tsivkovskyi, Fedor Bezlepkin, and Dana Soroka earned the right to compete in Final B. In the final, Fedir and Dana finished in 23rd place, while Zakhar crossed the line in 25th.

On the third day, 27 teams participated in the mixed relay. Fedir Bezlepkin started the first leg, followed by Dana Soroka and Zakhar Tsivkovskyi, with Maria Ivashchenko completing the race in 20th place. The team earned points for the national federation standings, in which Ukraine currently ranks 14th.

The final day of summer in Turkey saw the European Triathlon Cup held on the standard distance. Competing among Europe’s top triathletes were Ukraine’s Daryna Moskalenko, Ivan Shevchenko and Vitalii Vorontsov.

Vorontsov completed the swim and began the bike leg within the chase pack. As is typical for the Ukrainian athlete, he showcased his strong running abilities, working alongside Romania’s Sebastian Pascal to catch the leading competitors.

Ahead of the upcoming European Championship on the standard distance, Vorontsov remains within the top 200 of the world rankings. Moskalenko finished in the second dozen in Istanbul and is also gearing up for the continental championships.

Today, August 24th, the European Triathlon Junior Cup took place in Latvia, featuring a sprint distance. Vladyslav Mykytenko, Arsen Adamov, and Yurii Tiuitiunnyk, along with the Soroka sisters, represented Ukraine. The boys competed for points in the junior ranking, while the girls challenged the leaders.

Among the women, 12 athletes emerged as leaders and attempted to form a group during the bike leg. However, after a series of attacks at the front, only four athletes remained in the leading group: Estonian Liis Kapten, Ukrainian Dana Soroka, Czech Edita Pozlerova, and Swiss Francesca Zenklusen. The quartet arrived at the transition zone, with only Beate Jansone from Latvia trailing by ten seconds.

Liis Kapten took the lead in the running leg, while Dana Soroka and Edita Pozlerova pulled away from Francesca Zenklusen.. Liis Kapten secured the victory. The Czech athlete finished second, and Dana Soroka crossed the finish line in third place.

Among the former leaders, Beate Jansone caught up with Francesca Zenklusen., but it was Eva Soroka who finished fourth! Eva had fallen behind 11 leaders in the swim, caught up with two of them during the bike leg, and entered the transition zone in tenth place, trailing the leader by 1 minute and 49 seconds. In the run, Eva was unmatched. She completed the 5 kilometers in 16 minutes and 36 seconds, a time comparable to the world-class elite women in the fight for podium positions. Eva caught up with her rivals on the course and finished fourth!

In the rankings, Dana Soroka moved up to third place, while Eva is now in fourth! Earlier this year, Eva led the ranking but was forced to miss part of the season due to injury. She is now returning to the top of the rankings, with only Fanni Szalai and Liis Kapten ahead.

In the Turope Triathlon Junior Rankings NFs standings, Ukraine has climbed into the top ten and is back in eighth place.

In Townsville, Australia, from August 15 to 25, the World Triathlon Multisport Championship is taking place, which includes duathlon, cross triathlon, cross duathlon, aquathlon, long-distance triathlon, and aquabike. Our country was represented in the aquathlon by Maryna Kyryk, who took to the starting line.

This time, the aquathlon had a new format, starting with a 2.5-kilometer running segment. Next, the athletes completed a 1-kilometer swimming segment and finished the competition with a final running segment. Out of 15 participants, the first running segment left only seven among the leaders, including Maryna. The competition continued in the water, where no one could match the Ukrainian athlete. Kyryk held a 20-second advantage over two rivals. The other women from the leading group after the first segment in the water fell behind and continued to compete for points in the world ranking.

The Australian competitors, Claire Spicknall and Kiara Mooney, could not challenge the leader in the final 2.5 kilometers of the running segment. Maryna Kyryk crossed the finish line first. Claire finished half a minute behind the world aquathlon champion, and Kiara took the bronze medal in the world championship.

“The sun was great,” Maryna said at the finish. “I am very happy. I didn’t expect that before the race as it’s the first time I’ve done this format – run-swim-run – so before the race I really was excited and didn’t know what to expect, but I liked it. I did my best and I’m really happy I won.”

Victory in the world championship brings 400 points to the World Triathlon Aquathlon Rankings. 300 points are awarded for winning a continental championship and 100 points to the national champion. Maryna Kyryk, the 2022 Ukrainian triathlon (aquathlon) champion, finished fifth at the 2022 European Championship and second last year. This season, the Ukrainian athlete placed ninth at the European Championship and claimed victory at the world championship. Maryna Kyryk has the maximum number of scoring events from last season and two events from this year’s competitions, totaling 759 points. The Ukrainian athlete moves into the lead in the World Triathlon Aquathlon Rankings!

Last year, Mayna finished fifth in the world aquathlon ranking, and in 2022, the Ukrainian athlete was third in the World Triathlon Aquathlon Rankings.

From August 9th to 11th, Turkey hosted the most prestigious triathlon event in Europe! The competition format was a semifinal/final. Ukraine fielded full teams in both relays: Maryna Kyryk, Daryna Moskalenko, Vitalii Vorontsov, Oleksii Astafiev Kulish, and Ivan Shevchenko for the elite; and Eva Soroka, Dana Soroka, Yurii Tiuitiunnyk, Fedir Bezlepkin, and Illia Honcharuk for the juniors. The event was also attended by Bogdan Mykhalus, President of the Ukrainian Triathlon Federation.

The first day saw the semifinals, where athletes vied for spots in Final A and Final B. The semifinals kicked off with the juniors. In the first women’s semifinal, Dana Soroka finished 13th, earning a spot in Final B. Eva Soroka competed in the third semifinal, securing eighth place, which qualified her for Final A.
Next up were the junior men. Illia Honcharuk finished 22nd in the first semifinal. Yurii Tiuitiunnyk placed 19th in the second race, with Fedir Bezlepkin coming in 23rd. All three were contenders for Final B, with Yurii successfully qualifying. Despite a strong effort, Fedir finished with the 62nd best time, missing the final by just four seconds, placing him as an alternate.
The first day of competition concluded with the elite semifinals. The women started the adult program, with Maryna Kyryk and Daryna Moskalenko competing in the third semifinal. Marina finished 15th, while Daryna came in 21st. Maryna advanced to Final B, while Daryna, with a 62nd place result, remained an alternate pending withdrawals.
In the men’s semifinals, Ivan Shevchenko finished 28th in the first race. Oleksii Astafiev Kulish took 22nd in the second, and Vitalii Vorontsov placed 11th in the third. Vitalii narrowly missed the cut for Final A by just 11 seconds but secured a spot in Final B, with Oleksii listed as an alternate.

Day two began with Final B for the juniors. Dana Soroka finished ninth, placing 39th overall in the European Championships. Yurii Tiuitiunnyk finished 28th in Final B, securing a 58th place finish overall.
In Final A, Eva Soroka faced off against top competition. Fanni Szalai and Manon Laporte broke away, with the Hungarian taking the win. Eva battled her way through the chase pack during the run, finishing a commendable 10th in Final A and earning 10th place overall in the European Championships.
In the junior rankings, the Soroka sisters both finished in the top 10. Dana ranked eighth, earning maximum points (5), while Eva returned to the top 10, securing ninth place.
In the elite women’s Final B, Maryna Kyryk and Daryna Moskalenko represented Ukraine. Three athletes withdrew from the final, and Daryna, racing with the lead pack, finished eighth, securing 38th place overall in the European Championships and marking her debut in the world rankings. Marina was forced to withdraw during the bike segment. Both athletes are preparing for the mixed relay.
Only one athlete withdrew from the men’s Final B. The swim segment split the field into two groups, with Vitalii Vorontsov finishing in the chase pack, placing 24th overall. Vitalii ranked 54th in the European Championships. Both Vitalii and Oleksii are preparing for the mixed relay.

The third day of competition began with the juniors, followed by the elite in the mixed relay. Last year, Ukrainian teams earned points in the world rankings in this discipline. Both the elite and junior teams scored points. The junior team was assigned the 15th starting number, and the elite team the 14th, based on last year’s results.
Fedir Bezlepkin led off the relay, passing the baton to Dana Soroka in the chase pack. Dana then handed off to Yurii Tiuitiunnyk, with Eva Soroka anchoring the team to a 15th place finish among juniors.
In the national federation rankings, Ukraine boasts three top junior men (Fedir Bezlepkin, Yurii T Tiuitiunnyk, and Illia Honcharuk) and three top junior women (Dana Soroka, Eva Soroka, and Sofiia Bondarenko), with their points contributing to the federation rankings alongside the relay results. Essential points come from the Junior European Championships, the Youth Championships, and the three best results from the European Cup. Ukrainian athletes have scored points in Izvorani and Chișinău. Following the European Championships in Balıkesir, Ukraine ranks 11th.

Among the elite, Vitalii Vorontsov started first. The men’s teams formed a lead group of 13, with Ukraine among them. Darina Moskalenko took over next, handing off to Oleksii Astafiev Kulish. During his segment, the lead group broke up, leaving four teams in the front. The Ukrainians held on in the chase pack, with Maryna Kyryk finishing the relay, bringing Ukraine to 14th place.
Both teams earned points in the World Triathlon Mixed Relay Rankings.

The European Triathlon Junior Cup in the supersprint distance and mixed-relay saw a significant presence from Ukraine. Among the experienced participants were several debutants on the international stage – Maksym Nesvat, Maksym Usanin, Markiyan Harmatiy, Kyrylo Levytskyi, Daryna Horb, and Anna Korotyayeva. In total, 12 Ukrainian men and 5 women took to the start line for the European Cup Chisinau.

Illia Honcharuk and Vladyslav Mykytenko finished in the Top 20, earning their first points in the Europe Triathlon Junior Ranking, which already includes four Ukrainians. The scores of the top three representatives from each nation contribute to the National Federation Rankings. Fedir Bezlepkin, Illia Honcharuk, and Yurii Tiuitiunnyk form the leading trio, with Vladyslav Mykytenko as the fourth Ukrainian in the Rankings.

In the women’s category, Ukrainian Dana Soroka emerged as a leader from the swim and maintained her position in the cycling. During the run, the national team reserve member posted the fastest time in the race. Dana clinched her first international victory, leaving Spain’s Cristina Jimenez-Orta Guerrero behind.

Last year, at the European Youth Championships, Cristina finished seventh in the “A” final, while Dana competed in the “B” final. At the season’s start, the Spaniard was on the podium in Quarteira and Melilla, while the Ukrainian was battling for junior ranking points in the same races. Cristina took a break from competitions until Chișinău, while Dana finished in the top ten in Olsztyn and Izvorani. In Moldova, Soroka outpaced Jimenez-Orta Guerrero, earning 400 points in the Junior Ranking. Both leaders will continue their season in Balıkesir, where the Junior European Championships are scheduled.

In the Women’s Europe Triathlon Junior Ranking, Dana Soroka climbed to sixth place. This marks her fourth scoring start out of five possible (the best three results count toward the final sum). Sofiia Bondarenko also secured her third set of points in the rankings, finishing tenth. After Chisinau, Ukraine now has three participants in the rankings, whose combined points contribute to the National Federation Standings.

In the mixed-relay, eight teams from five countries, including two from Ukraine, took to the start. Yurii Tiuitiunnyk, Dana Soroka, Fedsr Bezlepkin, and Sofiia Bondarenko formed the first team, while Illia Honcharuk, Daryna Horb, Zakhar Tsivkovskyi, and Anna Korotyayeva comprised the second team.
Yurii Tiuitiunnyk and Dana Soroka delivered the best results among Ukrainians in the relay! Yuriy handed off the baton alongside the leading trio, while Dana caught up with the Bulgarians, moving the team into third position. Fedшr Bezlepkin continued the relay and passed the baton to Sofiшa Bondarenko, who, unfortunately, did not finish due to a fall in the cycling segment, resulting in an injury.

The second team finished the race. In the final, the Ukrainians placed fifth, with Illia Honcharuk, Daryna Horb, Zakhar Tsyvkivskyi, and Anna Korotyayeva adding 292 points to the NFs Rankings.

Ukraine concluded the European Cup in Chisinau with a combined total of three men and three women in the individual rankings, along with relay points from Izvorani and Chisinau. Ukraine re-entered the top ten, finishing eighth among 32 European countries.

The Ukrainian Triathlon Federation expresses sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and our sponsor, TM “Ministry of Doors”, for their unwavering support of the junior team, from providing racing suits to purchasing bicycles.

Dear Leadership of the World Triathlon,

We are writing to you with profound anger and disappointment regarding the continued inclusion of Russian athletes in international competitions. It is appalling that we have yet to receive a response to our previous correspondence on this grave matter.

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought immense suffering and destruction, most recently exemplified by a terror attack on a children’s hospital. This heinous act, targeting the most vulnerable and innocent members of society, has shocked and horrified the world. Amid such barbarity, it is utterly incomprehensible that athletes affiliated with the Russian military are allowed to compete in international events. This is not only a disgrace but also a direct slap in the face to the values of humanity and justice.

Diana Isakova, a lieutenant in the Russian army, was permitted to compete and even win a bronze medal at the World Triathlon Cup in Tiszaujvaros; Denis Kolobrodov is a sergeant in the Russian army; Ilya Prasolov, a lieutenant in the Russian army, as well as Grigory Antipov and Georgiy Klimenko, also participated in this competition. These individuals, who are active members of the military and actively supporting invasion responsible for heinous acts in Ukraine, should have no place in events that are meant to celebrate peace, unity, and fair competition.

Allowing these Russian military personnel to participate in international competitions is tantamount to endorsing the Russian government’s brutal aggression. This blatant disregard for the suffering in Ukraine is deplorable, especially when so many European nations are standing firmly against this invasion. It is beyond comprehension how the World Triathlon can condone such participation, undermining the solidarity shown by the global community in support of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and democracy.

The recent bombing of the biggest children’s hospital is a particularly egregious example of the war crimes being committed by Russian forces. This attack killed and injured innocent children and medical staff, causing untold grief and trauma. The hospital, a supposed sanctuary of healing, was turned into a scene of carnage. This appalling act highlights the ruthless nature of the Russian military, making it even more unacceptable that their athletes are allowed to compete internationally as if they were representatives of a peaceful nation.

The inclusion of such athletes, who are members of the Russian military and actively supporting the war, is not just an oversight; it is a moral failing of the highest order. It sends a message that the international sporting community is willing to turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed by the Russian military. This is a betrayal of the very principles that sports are supposed to embody: respect, integrity, and solidarity.

We demand that the World Triathlon Executive Board immediately ban Russian athletes with military affiliations from participating in international competitions. The integrity of sport and the principles it stands for must be upheld. This issue cannot be ignored, and action must be taken now to rectify this egregious wrong.

Furthermore, we insist on being informed if the stance on Russian athletes has changed, and if so, we demand that this be communicated to us in writing. The continued allowance of Russian military personnel in international competitions is not only deplorable but disgusting.

We expect a prompt and decisive response to this urgent matter. The world is watching, and it is imperative that the World Triathlon aligns itself with justice and humanity.

Sincerely,

Bogdan Mykhalus
President of the Ukrainian Triathlon Federation

Protest Against the Inclusion of Russian Military Personnel in Competitions