The Fort Worth Press - Ukrainians show strength at Deaflympics in Brazil

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 68.266085
ALL 93.025461
AMD 389.644872
ANG 1.80769
AOA 912.000367
ARS 997.22659
AUD 1.547988
AWG 1.795
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.85463
BBD 2.025224
BDT 119.861552
BGN 1.857551
BHD 0.376464
BIF 2962.116543
BMD 1
BND 1.344649
BOB 6.930918
BRL 5.79695
BSD 1.002987
BTN 84.270352
BWP 13.71201
BYN 3.282443
BYR 19600
BZD 2.02181
CAD 1.41005
CDF 2865.000362
CHF 0.887938
CLF 0.035528
CLP 975.269072
CNY 7.232504
CNH 7.23645
COP 4499.075435
CRC 510.454696
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 104.561187
CZK 23.965904
DJF 178.606989
DKK 7.07804
DOP 60.43336
DZD 133.184771
EGP 49.296856
ERN 15
ETB 121.465364
EUR 0.94835
FJD 2.27595
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.792519
GEL 2.73504
GGP 0.789317
GHS 16.022948
GIP 0.789317
GMD 71.000355
GNF 8643.497226
GTQ 7.746432
GYD 209.748234
HKD 7.785504
HNL 25.330236
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.85719
HUF 387.22504
IDR 15898.3
ILS 3.749604
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.47775
IQD 1313.925371
IRR 42092.503816
ISK 137.650386
JEP 0.789317
JMD 159.290693
JOD 0.709104
JPY 154.31504
KES 129.894268
KGS 86.503799
KHR 4051.965293
KMF 466.575039
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1395.925039
KWD 0.30754
KYD 0.835902
KZT 498.449576
LAK 22039.732587
LBP 89819.638708
LKR 293.025461
LRD 184.552653
LSL 18.247689
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.898772
MAD 9.999526
MDL 18.224835
MGA 4665.497131
MKD 58.423024
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.042767
MRU 40.039827
MUR 47.210378
MVR 15.450378
MWK 1739.225262
MXN 20.34515
MYR 4.470504
MZN 63.903729
NAD 18.247689
NGN 1665.820377
NIO 36.906737
NOK 11.089039
NPR 134.832867
NZD 1.729727
OMR 0.384524
PAB 1.002987
PEN 3.80769
PGK 4.033
PHP 58.731504
PKR 278.485894
PLN 4.096724
PYG 7826.086957
QAR 3.656441
RON 4.725204
RSD 110.944953
RUB 99.872647
RWF 1377.554407
SAR 3.756134
SBD 8.390419
SCR 13.840372
SDG 601.503676
SEK 10.978604
SGD 1.343704
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.603667
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 573.230288
SRD 35.315504
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.776255
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.240956
THB 34.842038
TJS 10.692144
TMT 3.51
TND 3.164478
TOP 2.342104
TRY 34.419038
TTD 6.810488
TWD 32.476804
TZS 2667.962638
UAH 41.429899
UGX 3681.191029
UYU 43.042056
UZS 12838.651558
VES 45.732111
VND 25390
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 622.025509
XAG 0.033067
XAU 0.00039
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.755583
XOF 622.025509
XPF 113.090892
YER 249.875037
ZAR 17.226455
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 27.537812
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    61.8400

    61.84

    +100%

  • NGG

    0.3800

    62.75

    +0.61%

  • RELX

    -1.5000

    44.45

    -3.37%

  • SCS

    -0.0400

    13.23

    -0.3%

  • CMSC

    0.0200

    24.57

    +0.08%

  • RIO

    0.5500

    60.98

    +0.9%

  • BTI

    0.9000

    36.39

    +2.47%

  • RYCEF

    0.0400

    6.82

    +0.59%

  • CMSD

    0.0822

    24.44

    +0.34%

  • GSK

    -0.6509

    33.35

    -1.95%

  • BCC

    -0.2600

    140.09

    -0.19%

  • BP

    -0.0700

    28.98

    -0.24%

  • BCE

    -0.0200

    26.82

    -0.07%

  • JRI

    0.0235

    13.1

    +0.18%

  • AZN

    -1.8100

    63.23

    -2.86%

  • VOD

    0.0900

    8.77

    +1.03%

Ukrainians show strength at Deaflympics in Brazil
Ukrainians show strength at Deaflympics in Brazil / Photo: © AFP

Ukrainians show strength at Deaflympics in Brazil

When Rymma Filimoshkina practiced the hammer throw in the yard near her house in Mariupol at the start of the Ukraine war, her neighbors thought she was throwing a bomb.

Text size:

But her "weapon" isn't one of destruction: it just won the 33-year-old deaf athlete a gold medal at the Deaflympics in Brazil.

Thousands of kilometers (miles) from the conflict at home, the Ukrainian team is raking in the medals at the Olympics for the deaf, which opened on May 1 and wrap up Sunday in the southern city of Caxias do Sul.

With two days left to go in the Games, Ukraine had a commanding lead in the medal table, with a total of 116 -- more than double the second-place United States.

"In this event, we show the world we exist: we are Ukraine, a real powerful, independent and democratic country," said Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukraine Paralympic committee.

"One soldier called us and said: in between battles, we support you on TV. Your fighting spirit in sports is very important for us," he told AFP.

- 'Really want' peace -

Ukraine has a history of punching above its weight in disabled sport.

Its Paralympic program owes its success to two and a half decades of specialized schools in every region of the country for children with disabilities, who start participating in sporting programs at an early age, Sushkevych says.

Ukraine finished sixth in the medal table at the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo last year, and second at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing in March, just after Russia launched its invasion.

The team's success at the Deaflympics is symbolically charged: Ukraine had finished second in the medal table at the last three editions of the event -- behind Russia, which was banned from all international competitions over the invasion.

"I dedicate these medals to Ukraine. I'm very proud to represent my country," said a smiling Dmytro Levin, a 24-year-old native of Kharkiv, speaking in sign language after winning two golds and a bronze in orienteering.

"I'm happy to have won this medal for Ukraine. But all I really want is peace," said 15-year-old Sofia Chernomorova, who won bronze in badminton.

- 'Didn't hear the sirens' -

Filimoshkina said she still remembers the vibrations she felt with every bomb that exploded in Mariupol, the port city devastated by relentless Russian strikes.

"A lot of deaf people died because they didn't hear the air raid sirens and went outside at the wrong time," she said.

Her teammate Julia Kysylova, who won silver in the hammer throw, said that for a long time, she was sure they would have to cancel their trip for the Games.

"When the war erupted, it was impossible to train. I spent a month sheltering at home," said the 25-year-old athlete from Nova Kakhovka, in the hard-hit southern region of Kherson.

She finally managed to flee to Spain, leaving her husband behind.

"It was a miracle we managed to cross the border. The trip took more than two days," she said.

"After the Games, I hope to go back home and be with my husband," she added.

"But I don't know if that will be possible."

P.Navarro--TFWP