Ukraine Olympian on 'relentless stress' of war

Ukrainian gymnast Igor Radivilov wakes up every day with pain in his shoulders. Years of training on the rings, one of his two favorite disciplines, have taken their toll.

And yet Radivilov keeps going, trying to forget about the pain, because he knows — with Russia's invasion of his country well into its third year — that his aching shoulders will be carrying the hopes of a nation at this summer's Paris Olympics.

"Since the beginning of the war, the whole world has seen how Ukrainians, and in particular the athletes, these strong people, have continued with their work, no matter what," Radivilov told DW before a recent training session in Cottbus in eastern Germany.

"And, of course, I feel proud to raise our flag while participating in such high-caliber competitions. I'm proud to represent my country."

Ukrainian athletes forced to train abroad

Like many elite Ukrainian athletes, 31-year-old Radivilov has been forced to train abroad since the war broke out in February 2022. His teammates are scattered across Europe; for example, fellow gymnast Illia Kovtun, Ukraine's sportsman of the year and one of the country's gold medal hopes in Paris, is currently based in Croatia.

"Everyone pursues their own goals," Radivilov said. "Team competition is all about good individual performance. It is quite convenient for me to train here, the other guys are training elsewhere. We come together and there are no problems with performing together."

However, for those who weren't able to leave Ukraine, there is "constant pressure and relentless stress," according to Radivilov.

"It is very difficult mentally," he said. "Missiles, explosions, blackouts, air raid sirens and so on. The athletes have had to adapt and work under such difficult conditions."

Radivilov was initially one of them, stranded between international competitions and consequently, as a man of draft age, stuck in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, for the first two months of the war.

"We felt a great sense of shock, we didn't know what to do," he said. "There was no talk of any kind of sports or training for competitions. The war began and everything shut down. These were the toughest moments."

'I have to get ready for the Olympics'

Now, Radivilov is back in Cottbus, practicing for six hours a day on the rings and the vault alongside some of Germany's top gymnasts at the regional Olympic training center. He knows them all well, having competed for SC Cottbus in the men's Bundesliga since 2014.

The city is, in many ways, a home away from home. Only now, though, Radivilov is there without his wife and three-month-old son, whom he has had to leave behind in Kyiv.

"I have to get ready for the Olympics," he said. "I have full support, my wife is also getting all the help she needs. So, this decision to train for the Olympics here in Germany is not solely mine, it is something that we decided in a family meeting. And that's why I'm here. My family is safe, and everything is fine."

It wasn't always that way for Radivilov.

Not long after he left for Germany, two of his grandparents were killed in Russian rocket attacks on Mariupol, the eastern Ukrainian city where he was born. The gymnast dedicated the bronze medal he won at the 2022 European championships in Munich to them.

According to Ukraine's sports ministry, more than 470 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed in the war, and more than 500 sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

Does Radivilov ever feel guilty that he is now far away from all the death and destruction?

"We must live through it, as it is, based on the circumstances," he said. "There are people out there whose life is much worse. I just find myself at the place where I need to be at this moment."

Ukraine wants world's attention in Paris

With many athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus blocked from competing in Paris, talk of a Ukrainian boycott of the Games has faded into the background. "The most important thing is that we are able to perform," Radivilov said.

In May, Ukraine's acting sports minister, Matviy Bidnyi, told DW that it was important for Ukraine to be at the Olympics and "attract the attention of the entire world."

"We understand that we cannot lose this platform to emphasize once again the Ukrainian position, Ukrainian resilience and the Ukrainian will to win," Bidnyi said.

Radivilov is no stranger to the Olympic stage: Paris will be his fourth Games and another chance to better his vault bronze medal from London 2012.

It is a discipline, he says, where all his hard work and sacrifice will come down to a moment lasting just a few seconds. However, he insists his previous Olympic experience will count for nothing.

"It doesn't matter whether you go through one, five, six, or four [Olympics]," Radivilov said. "I am entirely focused on showing and proving to myself that I'm capable of doing it. And while I have enough strength, I must do my utmost."

The Paris 2024 Olympics run from July 26 to August 11.

Edited by: Matt Pearson