The Russian offensive in Ukraine has caused athletes to also become involved in this war. Another case that has recently become known is the case of Kristina Dmitrenko, biathlon gold medalist at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games and world medalist.
The web portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has told the story of the young biathlete. In her article, she has collected her statements about how she found out about the war. “On February 14 we arrived at the training camp in the Carpathians, and on February 27 we were going to go to the qualifying round in Switzerland, and then to the competition in Italy. But on February 24, a friend informed me of the start from the war. My friends from Chernigov and kyiv sent me photos of the disaster they had experienced. We all realized that it was impossible to return home, so we were assigned to the place of stayKristina says.
In addition, Dmitrenko feels very optimistic about the serious situation he is experiencing, despite the fact that this was not expected to happen. “Never in my life could I have thought it would be like this. No one could have thought it. But I am not afraid of the enemy. I shoot well so the invaders don’t stand a chance, though I’ve traded in my biathlon rifle for a machine gun, but whatever team I get my hands on, be it racing or in the military, I will fight to the end. Victory will definitely be ours!” adds the Ukrainian.