Ukrainian Olympic hopeful fights to stay focused despite war

DW (English)

As this year's Paris summer Olympics approach, athletes around the world are putting their training into top gear. In Ukraine, they are forced to work under difficult conditions. DW's Sonia Phalnikar met a wrestler who is training against all odds.

Transcript

00:00 It may look punishing, but this is just a light training session in Irpin near Kiev

00:07 for freestyle wrestler Irina Koliadenko.

00:13 Her sparring partner, her younger sister Vika.

00:18 Despite the playful session today, the war is impossible to ignore.

00:22 Yesterday I woke up and there was horror all around.

00:27 All the cities were bombed and it was impossible to sleep all night.

00:30 You need to either hide in the bathroom or go down to the basement.

00:34 It's mentally and physically difficult.

00:36 Things were even worse when the war started.

00:39 Here in Irpin, which the Russians partially occupied, this, her regular gym, was damaged

00:44 by shelling.

00:47 The war affected everything around here.

00:51 This stadium in Irpin is called Champion.

00:56 Everything's left here.

01:00 We trained here and also there.

01:05 A nearby village.

01:07 This is where Irina and her sister fled to an aunt's apartment when the Russians invaded.

01:12 The family hid in this basement for more than 10 days, in freezing temperatures and without

01:18 heating or water.

01:20 They managed to avoid the Russians, but it took a toll.

01:28 It's all accumulated.

01:29 And at some point I had a psychological breakdown.

01:35 I wanted to end my sports career.

01:39 I didn't want to train.

01:41 I didn't even want to live.

01:42 I didn't want anything at all.

01:48 After a while, she returned to wrestling, helped by her coach and by doctors.

01:54 Matvei Bidni used to be a wrestler too.

01:58 Now he's Ukraine's sports minister.

02:00 He says many of his country's athletes have been killed, mobilized or forced to train

02:05 abroad.

02:06 He tells us he doesn't want to see Russians at the Paris Olympics, not even under a neutral

02:11 flag.

02:12 The slogan "Sports is outside of politics" is outdated.

02:19 This is an idealistic picture.

02:22 The state always invests in Olympic sports.

02:27 These athletes are training with Russian money, soaked in blood.

02:32 And they will be used for Russian propaganda.

02:38 Irina knows she could face Russian opponents in Paris.

02:42 And worrying about her family at home.

02:45 But the more immediate concern is whether the next air raid alert could disrupt training

02:49 and where the next Russian missile could land.

02:52 For an athlete, the most important thing is to be able to train regularly in order to

02:58 achieve success.

03:00 If regularity is lost, then form and motivation are lost and uncertainty arises.

03:06 Irina's fight is not just on the mat.

03:12 She is fighting a constant battle to tune out the war and focus on her sport.

03:16 (upbeat music)

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