From August 2 to 9, the European Championships in equipped and classic bench press for athletes of all age groups took place in Druskininkai, Lithuania.
Representatives of the Donetsk region, as members of the Ukrainian national team, once again performed admirably on the international stage, winning a total of 6 medals – two gold, one silver, and three bronze.
The athletes from Donetsk oblast also made a significant contribution to the Ukrainian national team’s overall results. In the final standings, the national team took first place in the equipped bench press among junior women and men, as well as second place in the classic bench press among junior men and in the equipped bench press among women.
Artur Viatkin became the European champion in the classic bench press among juniors. In the weight class up to 105 kg, the athlete lifted 202.5 kg. A representative of Sloviansk and the “Atlas” sports club, Artur trains under the guidance of Viktor Cherkasheninov.
Vadym Rozdorozhnyi won the gold medal in the junior equipped bench press. In the weight class up to 120 kg, he lifted 275 kg. The athlete represents the Lyman community and the city’s children’s and youth sports school; his coaches are Tetiana Ashymbreyner and Alona Savenko.
Another representative of the Lyman community, Pavlo Mariash, coached by Tetiana Ashymbreyner, won the silver medal in the equipped bench press among sub-juniors. In the weight class up to 59 kg, he lifted 90 kg.
The bronze medalists in the equipped bench press among juniors were:
- Oksana Herasymenko – in the weight class up to 47 kg with a lift of 60 kg (Kramatorsk, Regional children’s and youth sports school, “KPD” sports club, coaches Valentyna Zagoruyko and Andriy Shevchenko);
- Mykola Savkin – in the weight class up to 59 kg with a lift of 85 kg (Liman, city children’s and youth sports school, coaches Tetiana Ashymbreyner and Alona Savenko);
- Ivan Trunov – in the over 120 kg weight class with a lift of 247.5 kg (Bakhmut, city children’s and youth sports school No. 1, “Bakhmutpower” sports club, coaches Serhiy Lyubchenko and Kateryna Lyubchenko).
Three other athletes from Donetsk oblast did not make it into the medal standings this time, but they still posted respectable results.
Alona Savenko placed fourth in the women’s equipped bench press in the under-84-kg weight class with a lift of 125 kg. She represents Lyman, and her coach is Serhiy Fedorenko.
Yurii Bassarab placed fifth in the classic bench press among juniors in the weight class up to 93 kg, lifting 185 kg. Representing Kramatorsk, the Regional children’s and youth sports school, and the “KPD” sports club, Yurii trains under the guidance of Alyona Bychkova and Oleksiy Bychkov.
Kateryna Pinionzh took 6th place in the equipped bench press among women in the weight class up to 69 kg with a lift of 145 kg. The athlete represents Lyman; her coach is Tetiana Ashymbreyner.
Behind each of these results lie months of persistent training, the athletes’ dedication, and the coaches’ painstaking work. The powerlifters of Donetsk oblast have once again proven that true strength lies not only in the kilograms on the barbell, but also in character, unity, and an unbreakable drive for new victories!