KYIV – Ukrainian Olympian and two-time European champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko has died on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine at age 30, the Ukrainian Weightlifting Federation (UWF) said on May 6.
Pielieshenko ranked fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the men’s 85kg category and won gold at the sport’s European championships in 2016 and 2017. He was banned after failing a drug test in 2018.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you that the heart of merited master of sports of Ukraine... Oleksandr Pielieshenko has stopped beating today,” the UWF said in a Facebook post.
“We express our sincere condolences to the family and everyone who knew Oleksandr.”
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine also paid tribute to the weightlifter, saying he had joined the armed forces in the early days of the invasion, in February 2022.
“War takes the best of us... heroes do not die,” said weightlifting coach and UWF board member Viktor Slobodianiuk.
In other Olympic news, Tom Daley is set to become the first British diver to compete at five Summer Games after being named in the team for Paris, British media reported on May 7.
The 29-year-old, who stepped away from the sport following the Tokyo Olympics but returned in 2023, is set to defend his gold in the men’s 10m synchronised platform event.
Daley will be diving with teammate Noah Williams, with the pair winning silver at the world championships in Doha in February and World Cup gold in Berlin in March.
“There is a fantastic mix of youth and experience within the squad, and I am delighted to welcome Olympic champions Jack (Laugher) and Tom back,” Team GB’s chef de mission Mark England said.
“Congratulations to Tom in particular who becomes the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games – a remarkable achievement.”
Daley first competed at the Olympics as a 14-year-old in Beijing 2008 and won individual bronze medals at London and Tokyo, as well as 10m synchronised bronze in Rio 2016.
The three other pairs are Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen (women’s 3m synchronised), Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson (women’s 10m synchronised) and Anthony Harding and Laugher (men’s 3m synchronised).
The divers for the individual events will be decided after the May 23-26 Aquatics GB Diving Championships. REUTERS
