Thread by @IneBackIversen

🧵The best response to the bogus decision by the IOC @Olympics to ban the helmet of @heraskevych and silence the memory of Ukrainian athletes murdered by russia, is to see their faces, learn their names and share it with the world!

They want it gone, we’ll show it everywhere!🇺🇦

🕯️ Victoria Ivashko (9) - Judo

Victoria practiced judo had recently won her first awards in the sport. The last time Victoria went on a tatami was only a few days before she was killed when she participated in a competition in Kyiv.

Viktoria and her mother were both killed by russia June 1st 2023 when russia hit their home in Kyiv with missile.

🕯️Kateryna Diachenko (11) Gymnastics

Kateryna was a a rising star in gymnastics, but on the on the night of March 10, 2022 russia hit her home in Mariupol with an aerial bomb. Both her and her father was found dead under the rubble.

Her mother and brother were taken to the hospital, which russia later also destroyed by an airstrike. No one from Katerynas family survived.

🕯️ Yevhen Malyshev(19) - Biathlete

In the 2018/19 & 2019/20 seasons, Malyshev was a part of the junior national team of Ukraine.

He took part in the 2020 Youth Winter Olympic Games in Lausanne (Switzerland).

Yevhen was killed February 2022 by the russian invaders during the battles in Kharkiv, a month before what should have been his 20th birthday.

🕯️ Maria Lebid (15) - Dance

Maria had a passion for ballroom dancing & music. In her victorious school presidential election campaign, Maria wrote about herself:

“I’d like to tell you a little about myself: I’m 15 years old, I have a music education, and I’m passionate about learning English. My hobby is houseplant cultivation. I’m determined, friendly, and hardworking. I try to approach life with humor and positivity.”

Maria was killed January 14th 2023 when russia hit her home in a residential building in Dnipro with a missile.

🕯️ Dmytro Sharpar (25) Figure skater

Dmytro was a talented pair skater. He was a silver medalist at the Ukrainian Figure Skating Championship and finished in the top 10 in pairs at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, with his partner Anastasia Pobizhenko.

Sharpar was killed in combat near Bakhmut, in January 2023 while serving in the Ukrainian army, to protect his nation and his people.

🕯️ Pavlo Ishchenko - Strongman

Pavlo was a world and European champion as well as a four-time champion of Ukraine in strongman competitions & powerlifting.

He combined his competitive career with coaching activities.

Pavlo was killed October 2025 during a combat mission while defending his nation against the russian invaders.

🕯️ Kateryna «Miau» (Meow) Troian (32) - track & field

For Kateryna, sport was a source of strength and freedom, a space where her will was forged. She trained professionally in track and field under the renowned coach Iryna Pustovoit, alongside Ukrainian high-jump stars Yuliya Levchenko and Iryna Herashchenko.

The Track and field athlete turned elite FPV (First-Person View) drone operator was killed in action in June 5th 2025. She was recognized as a highly skilled defender who completed over 1,000 successful combat missions.

🕯️ Volodymyr Androshchuk (22) Track and Field

Androshchuk was a prominent decathlete who won the Ukrainian U20 Championship in 2019 and placed sixth at the 2020 European U20 Championship. He was considered a strong contender for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Following the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Androshchuk volunteered to defend his country and people, serving as a grenade launcher in the 95th Air Assault Brigade.

He was killed on January 25, 2023, near Bakhmut from shrapnel injuries.

🕯️ Oleksiy Khabarov (31) Rifle Shooter

Oleksy was a multiple-time national record holder and champion of Ukraine. He represented Ukraine in international competitions, including the ISSF World Cup & World Junior Championships (12th place in 2014, 10m air rifle).

In 2017, he defeated Serhiy Kulish, a future two-time Olympic medalist, at the national level.

In November 2024, he won a silver medal in the mixed rifle event at an international tournament in Romania.

Khabarov was killed in action on August 19, 2025, at the age of 31 while defending Ukraine against Russian aggression near Shakhove in the Donetsk region.

🕯️Daria Kurdel (20) Dancer

Daria was fond of several genres of sports, but had a particular passion for dancing which she won many international competitions for.

9th of July 2022 She was at training at with her father at a sports facility in Kharkiv when russia attacked the city with several missiles.

Daria was among those hit by the shrapnel, and died in the hospital from the severe injuries.

🕯️ Ivan Kononenko (42) Strongman

Ivan was an accomplished athlete, participating in many competitions and acting as a member of the team of the legendary Ukrainian strongman Vasyl Virastyuk. He was a prize-winner of the Ukraine Open 2006 Olimp Strongman.

Kononenko volunteered for the Territorial Defense of Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district on February 24, 2022 following russias full scale invasion of Ukraine.

He sustained a severe injury on November 10, 2022, and underwent nearly a year of rehabilitation, eventually creating his own recovery program. Despite medical advice, his commitment to defend his nation was a non negotiable and he returned to the front lines, signing a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In February 2025 Ivan was reported as missing and was later confirmed killed in action. A funeral service for him was held in Kyiv on December 9, 2025.

🕯️ Alina Perehudova (14) Weightlifter

She was a talented weightlifter, often referred to as an "Olympic hopeful"

Alina was murdered by russian shelling in Mariupol on March 29, 2022.

Both Alina, her mother & her uncle were killed in the attack, simply while they were waiting in line to get water.

🕯️ Maksym Halinichev (22) Boxer

Maksym was a prominent Ukrainian bantamweight boxer who sacrificed a promising athletic career to defend his country.

He was was considered one of Ukraine's top Olympic prospects with achievements such as;

• Gold Medalist of the 2017 European Youth Championships.
• Silver Medalist of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
• Silver Medalist of the 2021 European Under-22 Championships

In May 2022, Halinichev declined his spot in the European Boxing Championship to volunteer for the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade.

Maksym was killed defending the nation he loved from the russian invaders on March 10, 2023, while fighting in the village of Chervonopopivka, Luhansk region.

🕯️ Andriy Kutsenko (34) Cyclist

Andriy was a multi-time Ukrainian national track cycling champion. A Master of Sports of International Class, he was a member of the national team from 2006 to 2016.

He held national records in the 1 km time trial (1:02.935) and the team sprint.

At the start of russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kutsenko returned to Ukraine from Italy to volunteer for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served for over two years as a member of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade "Magura".

Andriy was killed in action during a combat mission in the Donetsk region on July 3, 2024.

🕯️ Oleksiy Loginov (23) Hockey

Oleksiy was a Ukrainian ice hockey goalkeeper Champion.

In 2015 he was a member of the Sokil hockey club, with which he won the bronze medal at the Ukrainian U17 Championship.

In 2017 he made his debut in the Ukrainian adult championship for the Ice Wolves from Kyiv.

After playing one match for the team, Oleksiy moved to Bilyi Bars, winning the 2018 Ukrainian Youth Championship (U20) with the team. In the adult national championship, he played two matches and won a bronze medal.

Oleksiy was killed while performing combat missions in the Severodonetsk district of Luhansk region in November 2023.

🕯️ Karyna Bakhur (17) Kickboxing

Karyna was regarded as one of Ukraine's most promising young athletes, often referred to as a "true Cossack" for her spirit and determination. 

She was a multiple-time Ukrainian champion and European champion (titles in 2023 and 2025) in both kickboxing and Cossack combat.

She earned medals at the 2023 World Championshipand the 2024 European Championship.

In 2025, she achieved the prestigious title of Master of Sport of Ukraine in kickboxing and Cossack combat, as well as the ISKA Master of Sport title.

At the time of her death, she was preparing to travel to Austria on November 19 to represent Ukraine at the World Cup. She was also a college student training to become a PE teacher and had already begun coaching young children. 

Katryna was murdered by the russians on the night of November 17–18, when russia launched four Iskander missiles at the city of Berestyn. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Her father, Vitalii Bakhur, who was also injured, reported that she may have shielded him with her body during the blast. Karyna succumbed to her wounds during surgery.

🕯️ Mykyta Volodymyrovych Kozubenko (31) Diver

Mykyta held the prestigious title of Master of Sports of Ukraine in diving.

He also worked as a diving coach since 2017 and held a second coaching category.

Mykyta was killed in action in June 2025 while defending Ukraine as a member of the National Guard.

🕯️ Roman Polishchuk Track & Field

Roman was a prominent figure in Ukrainian athletics, specifically in jumping disciplines. He was primarily known as a long jumper.

He was also a member of the Athletics Federation of Ukraine.

Following russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Polishchuk joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend his country from the russian invaders.

He was killed serving his nation in march 2023.

🕯️ Andrii Yaremenko, (25) Wrestler

Yaremenko was a distinguished athlete of national caliber. He was a multiple medalist of Ukrainian championships and cups in Greco-Roman wrestling.

He represented Ukraine at the 2015 World Cadet Championships in Sarajevo, where he placed 10th.

Andrii was killed in action, defending his country, on December 4, 2025, while serving as a drone operator.

🕯️Taras Shpuk (34) Invictus Games coach

Taras was a long-time coach, mentor, and coordinator for Ukrainian national teams at the Invictus Games and Warrior Games.

He was also a sports advocate and believed passionately in adaptive sports as a rehabilitation tool to help wounded soldiers return to full lives.

Starting in 2019, Taras was one of the first employees in the Veteran Department, of Come Back Alive @BackAndAlive driving the organization's systematic work with veterans and pioneering the development of veteran sports in Ukraine.

He participated in the Revolution of Dignity (2014), and he volunteered to defend Ukraine early during russias war against Ukraine.

Taras was killed in action on September 17, 2025. He died while carrying out a combat mission as part of a special operations unit.

🕯️ Fedir Yepifanov (18) Fencer

Yepifanov was an elite athlete and a member of the Ukrainian national team.

His career highlights include: 
• Champion and medalist in multiple all-Ukrainian foil fencing competitions.
• Ranked among the top 16 strongest fencers at the 2021 Cadet World Championship in Cairo.
• He was a student at the Ivan Piddubnyi Olympic Professional College

At the age of 18, following the start of russias full-scale invasion of Ukriane, he paused his athletic career to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and defend his nation.

December 11, 2023 The young hero was killed in action in the Zaporizhzhia region only 19 years old.

russia took the lives of these incredible, strong and talented Ukrainian athletes, we will not allow for their memory to be silenced!

See them, say their names, show their faces, share their legacy, bravery and honor!

Never forgive, Never forget! 🇺🇦🙏🏼

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