Main photo: REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi
The famous Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. In the 87 kg weight category, the 33-year-old Kyiv native defeated Arkadiusz Kulinych from Poland 3:1.
Kulinych opened the score first, and Beleniuk was placed in the parterre position by the referee. The Polish wrestler couldn’t capitalize on the position, while Zhan managed to stand up and break the hold.
In the second half, the Ukrainian became more active and earned one point, gaining a slight advantage. Beleniuk then performed a roll from the parterre, bringing the score to 3:1 in his favor with 2 minutes remaining.
With a minute left, Beleniuk was placed back in the parterre, but Kulinych was unable to make any progress. The Polish wrestler sustained a cut, causing a pause while he received medical attention. This unplanned break appeared to benefit the Polish athlete, who launched an attack afterward, but Beleniuk successfully defended his bronze.
Afterward, the Ukrainian athlete dramatically removed his wrestling shoes and placed them in the center of the mat, signaling his retirement from professional sports. His coach, in celebration, threw Beleniuk over his shoulder.
Zhan emotionally commented on his performance and the symbolic gesture of removing his wrestling shoes.
“Removing wrestling shoes is a tradition for us. And this was just a good moment to take them off. The hopak? That’s a tradition too. I always dance. I’m glad it worked out this way. I’m satisfied. Of course, I would have liked to be in the final, to face the former Ukrainian. But I admit he’s in good shape. It wouldn’t have been easy, but I know his strengths and weaknesses. I think I would have tried to show my best. But unfortunately, I lost in the semifinals, and now I have a bronze medal,” said the medalist.
Beleniuk responded to a question about having a full set of Olympic medals.
“You know, after the gold in Tokyo, this is more of a game. There’s no longer that emotional intensity that used to be there. There’s no longer that strong nervousness. I go out there and enjoy myself,” Beleniuk confessed. However, Zhan admitted that he was a bit nervous before the match with the Pole.
“Because I didn’t want to end my career and come back from Paris without an Olympic medal. So I knew I had to beat him. We’ve fought many times, and he’s never won against me. But you know, this is sports, anything can happen. By the way, he won the first or second match against the world champion, the Turk. He’s an interesting Pole, capable of a serious fight and beating top athletes. So I had to be very careful with him,” added the Ukrainian athlete.
Beleniuk is confident that he has retired at the right time.
“You know, at 37, the next Olympics… World and European Championships don’t particularly interest me anymore. It’s time to find other fields. I have a great hobby – table tennis. Now I hope to dedicate more time to it. I’m happy with my sports career. But there’s health, and other things to consider. Sports is great, but it’s not everything. Especially elite sports. Unless, of course, you’re in a sport like shooting, where you can stay in it a bit longer,” Zhan said.
According to Beleniuk, his mother has also been asking him to end his risky performances.
“So I’m finally listening to her advice. Will mom be happy? Yes. I spoke with her yesterday after losing in the finals, and she said, ‘That’s it. First, she was emotional, saying, ‘Why do you need all this? Come home, there’s plenty to do here.’ I said, ‘Well, I need to fight for third place.’ ‘Well, fight for third,’ she replied. I think she’ll be satisfied,” the decorated wrestler chuckled.
Recall that Zhan Beleniuk won gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the 87 kg category. That gold was the only one for the Ukrainian team at the games in Japan.
