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CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Fleeing his hometown following Russia's invasion, this Ukrainian swimmer never thought he'd become a world champion
War in Ukraine RussiaFacebookTweetLink Follow Ukrainian swimmer Vladyslav Bukhov knows better than anyone just how fine the margins in his sport can be. At just 21 years of age, the sprint swimmer claimed gold in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha by a mere 0.01 seconds – literally less than the blink of an eye. That title etched Bukhov into Ukraine's sporting history, making him the country's third-ever long-course (competitions held in a 50m pool) world champion. At the time, Bukhov was a relatively unknown figure in elite swimming, with only a few thousand social media followers. However, he left Qatar having completed one of the world championships' greatest-ever shocks, edging out the previous two champions, Cameron McEvoy and Ben Proud, in the final. Ostensibly emerging out of the blue, Bukhov's journey – like most gold medalists – started long before the pageantry of international swim meets and media spotlight. Speaking to CNN Sports ahead of the swimming portion of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the 22-year-old offered a frank insight into his ascent to the top of the sport. 'People will look and see that I'm world champion. But what they don't see is how long the road and the journey is to that medal and podium,' Bukhov said. 'I have been swimming since the age of seven. That means I was swimming for 14 years – well over half my life – before I won gold in Doha. 'There have been a lot of sacrifices along the way to get me to where I am today.' Bukhov's unlikely success becomes more impressive once learning that despite starting the sport at age seven, he didn't swim in a competitive race until he was 15 years old in 2018. When asked why it took him so long to transition into competitive swimming, Bukhov explained that his introduction to the sport was never based around 'dreams of medals or fame.' 'I tried all the sports growing up. Swimming didn't become my main focus until I was a teenager,' he recalled. 'At first, I got into it because I loved the modern pentathlon. So, in the beginning, I saw it as just a small part of my sporting life. 'But as I got older, it became clear that I had a talent for swimming. That's when my parents stepped in and said they would take me to a proper coach.' Like all Ukrainians, Bukhov's life has been deeply affected by Russia's aggression toward his homeland. Back in 2014, before the current full-scale war in Ukraine, Russian paramilitaries seized control of Bukhov's hometown of Donetsk in the country's eastern Donbas region. Only 11 years old at the time, Bukhov and his family were forced to leave their home and travel 10 hours west to the relative safety of Kyiv. 'It was a very scary time for us all,' the swimmer said. 'I was quite young at the time, so I didn't fully understand what was going on. 'My main memory is just the sadness of needing to leave where I was from and move to somewhere completely new.' After nearly eight years in the nation's capital, the pain of fleeing Donetsk had started to feel like a distant memory for Bukhov. Those memories came flooding back for him and his family, though, in late February 2022, when Russian forces crossed Ukraine's eastern border and encircled Kyiv just a few days later. 'I thought we had left all the fighting behind us. When I woke up that morning and heard the news that Kyiv had been surrounded, I struggled to believe my family and I had found ourselves in the same situation all over again.' More than three years later, life for most Ukrainians has yet to return to normal. For elite athletes like Bukhov – who rely on routine and stability – training and preparation have had to be heavily adapted. 'It is impossible to train normally. We can't even do simple everyday things, let alone all the stuff that professional athletes have to do,' Bukhov said. 'Air raid sirens constantly interrupt our lives – whether we're in the pool, in the gym, or just trying to sleep at night. We can't do anything without this constant fear.' In recent months, Bukhov says the drone and missile attacks on Kyiv seem to be increasing in frequency. 'Russia has been bombing us nearly every night. Just the other week, a missile struck a nearby area in Kyiv and over 30 people died. 'It does scare you, of course, because each night when you go to bed, you don't know if you'll live or die – if you'll wake up the next morning. Each day has become a lottery.' He adds that there have been many occasions where he and his teammates were mid-session in the pool when the screech of air raid sirens forced them to rush to shelters still wrapped in towels. 'You never know how much time you'll have in the pool before you need to get out, so it's just a case of doing as much as you can while you can,' Bukhov said. There is always pride in representing your nation on the international stage, but for Ukrainian athletes like Bukhov, that pride has grown even deeper as the war rumbles on. 'As an athlete, I feel even prouder now. I am competing for more than just my own glory,' the 22-year-old said. Even before the war, when competing at youth level, Bukhov says he always gave everything to see the Ukrainian flag hoisted above the podium. Now, though, he feels he has found another level of passion and purpose in competing for his country. 'When I travel abroad to competitions, I'm one of the lucky few who gets to temporarily leave the war. … Normal people don't get a break from the bombing and the sirens, so I try to do my part in my own way. 'I tell myself that if I swim fast and continue to break records, people back home will get a small distraction from reality and feel pride that Ukraine is still succeeding despite everything. 'During war, there's no option but to keep going and try to live as normally as we can. For some, that means going to university or an office. For me, that's swimming faster. 'If everyone does their job in Ukraine – no matter how small – it can make a big difference collectively. That's what I keep telling myself.' Heading into the swimming portion of the World Aquatics Championships, Bukhov is aiming to return to his best form – something that eluded him at last summer's Olympic Games in Paris. Having been crowned world champion just a few months before the Games, the Ukrainian struggled to follow up on that breakthrough performance, placing 11th overall in the 50-meter freestyle. On the wrong side of swimming's razor-thin margins, Bukhov missed out on the Olympic final by just 0.13 seconds. It was not a new pain for the swimmer either, having placed in the exact same position – one spot outside the finals – in the 2021 Tokyo Games. But he has used these disappointments to fuel his motivation to defend his world title. 'At the Olympics, I was very disappointed. I was a little bit sick and wasn't able to perform my best or live up to my own standards,' he told CNN Sports. 'I'm heading to Kallang with one goal: to swim faster than I ever have before. 'Let's see where that leaves me on the podium. But in my mind, when I'm up on the starting block, my only thought will be about chasing a new PB and breaking my national record.' The journey itself to Singapore is another reminder of the often-overlooked consequences of war. With Ukraine's airspace closed, Bukhov will take a nine-hour train west to the Polish border before crossing into the town of Chełm. From there, he'll take a further three-hour train ride to Warsaw, where he and his teammates will finally board a flight to Singapore. In total, they will spend more time traveling to the airport from Kyiv than they will in the air en route to Southeast Asia. 'It's not ideal, but we're used to it now,' Bukhov said. 'The journey will be long, so I have to make sure I make it worthwhile.'
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Fleeing his hometown following Russia's invasion, this Ukrainian swimmer never thought he'd become a world champion
War in Ukraine RussiaFacebookTweetLink Follow Ukrainian swimmer Vladyslav Bukhov knows better than anyone just how fine the margins in his sport can be. At just 21 years of age, the sprint swimmer claimed gold in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha by a mere 0.01 seconds – literally less than the blink of an eye. That title etched Bukhov into Ukraine's sporting history, making him the country's third-ever long-course (competitions held in a 50m pool) world champion. At the time, Bukhov was a relatively unknown figure in elite swimming, with only a few thousand social media followers. However, he left Qatar having completed one of the world championships' greatest-ever shocks, edging out the previous two champions, Cameron McEvoy and Ben Proud, in the final. Ostensibly emerging out of the blue, Bukhov's journey – like most gold medalists – started long before the pageantry of international swim meets and media spotlight. Speaking to CNN Sports ahead of the swimming portion of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the 22-year-old offered a frank insight into his ascent to the top of the sport. 'People will look and see that I'm world champion. But what they don't see is how long the road and the journey is to that medal and podium,' Bukhov said. 'I have been swimming since the age of seven. That means I was swimming for 14 years – well over half my life – before I won gold in Doha. 'There have been a lot of sacrifices along the way to get me to where I am today.' Bukhov's unlikely success becomes more impressive once learning that despite starting the sport at age seven, he didn't swim in a competitive race until he was 15 years old in 2018. When asked why it took him so long to transition into competitive swimming, Bukhov explained that his introduction to the sport was never based around 'dreams of medals or fame.' 'I tried all the sports growing up. Swimming didn't become my main focus until I was a teenager,' he recalled. 'At first, I got into it because I loved the modern pentathlon. So, in the beginning, I saw it as just a small part of my sporting life. 'But as I got older, it became clear that I had a talent for swimming. That's when my parents stepped in and said they would take me to a proper coach.' Like all Ukrainians, Bukhov's life has been deeply affected by Russia's aggression toward his homeland. Back in 2014, before the current full-scale war in Ukraine, Russian paramilitaries seized control of Bukhov's hometown of Donetsk in the country's eastern Donbas region. Only 11 years old at the time, Bukhov and his family were forced to leave their home and travel 10 hours west to the relative safety of Kyiv. 'It was a very scary time for us all,' the swimmer said. 'I was quite young at the time, so I didn't fully understand what was going on. 'My main memory is just the sadness of needing to leave where I was from and move to somewhere completely new.' After nearly eight years in the nation's capital, the pain of fleeing Donetsk had started to feel like a distant memory for Bukhov. Those memories came flooding back for him and his family, though, in late February 2022, when Russian forces crossed Ukraine's eastern border and encircled Kyiv just a few days later. 'I thought we had left all the fighting behind us. When I woke up that morning and heard the news that Kyiv had been surrounded, I struggled to believe my family and I had found ourselves in the same situation all over again.' More than three years later, life for most Ukrainians has yet to return to normal. For elite athletes like Bukhov – who rely on routine and stability – training and preparation have had to be heavily adapted. 'It is impossible to train normally. We can't even do simple everyday things, let alone all the stuff that professional athletes have to do,' Bukhov said. 'Air raid sirens constantly interrupt our lives – whether we're in the pool, in the gym, or just trying to sleep at night. We can't do anything without this constant fear.' In recent months, Bukhov says the drone and missile attacks on Kyiv seem to be increasing in frequency. 'Russia has been bombing us nearly every night. Just the other week, a missile struck a nearby area in Kyiv and over 30 people died. 'It does scare you, of course, because each night when you go to bed, you don't know if you'll live or die – if you'll wake up the next morning. Each day has become a lottery.' He adds that there have been many occasions where he and his teammates were mid-session in the pool when the screech of air raid sirens forced them to rush to shelters still wrapped in towels. 'You never know how much time you'll have in the pool before you need to get out, so it's just a case of doing as much as you can while you can,' Bukhov said. There is always pride in representing your nation on the international stage, but for Ukrainian athletes like Bukhov, that pride has grown even deeper as the war rumbles on. 'As an athlete, I feel even prouder now. I am competing for more than just my own glory,' the 22-year-old said. Even before the war, when competing at youth level, Bukhov says he always gave everything to see the Ukrainian flag hoisted above the podium. Now, though, he feels he has found another level of passion and purpose in competing for his country. 'When I travel abroad to competitions, I'm one of the lucky few who gets to temporarily leave the war. … Normal people don't get a break from the bombing and the sirens, so I try to do my part in my own way. 'I tell myself that if I swim fast and continue to break records, people back home will get a small distraction from reality and feel pride that Ukraine is still succeeding despite everything. 'During war, there's no option but to keep going and try to live as normally as we can. For some, that means going to university or an office. For me, that's swimming faster. 'If everyone does their job in Ukraine – no matter how small – it can make a big difference collectively. That's what I keep telling myself.' Heading into the swimming portion of the World Aquatics Championships, Bukhov is aiming to return to his best form – something that eluded him at last summer's Olympic Games in Paris. Having been crowned world champion just a few months before the Games, the Ukrainian struggled to follow up on that breakthrough performance, placing 11th overall in the 50-meter freestyle. On the wrong side of swimming's razor-thin margins, Bukhov missed out on the Olympic final by just 0.13 seconds. It was not a new pain for the swimmer either, having placed in the exact same position – one spot outside the finals – in the 2021 Tokyo Games. But he has used these disappointments to fuel his motivation to defend his world title. 'At the Olympics, I was very disappointed. I was a little bit sick and wasn't able to perform my best or live up to my own standards,' he told CNN Sports. 'I'm heading to Kallang with one goal: to swim faster than I ever have before. 'Let's see where that leaves me on the podium. But in my mind, when I'm up on the starting block, my only thought will be about chasing a new PB and breaking my national record.' The journey itself to Singapore is another reminder of the often-overlooked consequences of war. With Ukraine's airspace closed, Bukhov will take a nine-hour train west to the Polish border before crossing into the town of Chełm. From there, he'll take a further three-hour train ride to Warsaw, where he and his teammates will finally board a flight to Singapore. In total, they will spend more time traveling to the airport from Kyiv than they will in the air en route to Southeast Asia. 'It's not ideal, but we're used to it now,' Bukhov said. 'The journey will be long, so I have to make sure I make it worthwhile.'
France 24
5 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
New-look Australia focused on LA 2028 at swimming worlds
The Australians won seven swimming golds at the Paris Olympics but several big names have since retired or are skipping this year's world championships, which begin Sunday. That has opened the door for 10 debutants and Pallister, who made her Olympic bow in Paris, urged them to make the most of the experience. "I think it's important for those on the team this year to really soak in the moment and do their best," said the 23-year-old. "I don't really think it's about the medal table, I think in three years' time is the bigger picture." Australia's most successful Olympian, Emma McKeon, has hung up her goggles as have other stalwarts including Mitch Larkin, Brianna Throssell and Jenna Strauch. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus -- who lost her 400m freestyle world record to Canadian Summer McIntosh last month -- is on an extended break. Eleven of Australia's squad in Singapore are aged 20 or under. Veteran Cameron McEvoy, who is appearing at his seventh world championship, said the Australians were a team in transition. "Things come and go, things change, you have to build up from time to time, you can't be constantly at the top and only at the top," said the 31-year-old, the 50m freestyle Olympic champion. "We have the most rookies on our team that I've seen across my whole time, which is exciting too." At just 16, Sienna Toohey came from nowhere to qualify for the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Australia also have high hopes for fellow newcomers Hannah Fredericks (200m backstroke) and Ben Goedemans (800m freestyle), while Ella Ramsay, 21, will contest four events. "A lot of them are very young, they've got a lot of years ahead of them," said McEvoy. "Starting that three years out from the Olympics instead of, say, 2027, one year out, goes a long way too." © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New-look Australia focused on LA 2028 at swimming worlds
Lani Pallister on Saturday urged her young Australian team-mates to "soak in the moment" at swimming's world championships in Singapore with one eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Australians won seven swimming golds at the Paris Olympics but several big names have since retired or are skipping this year's world championships, which begin Sunday. That has opened the door for 10 debutants and Pallister, who made her Olympic bow in Paris, urged them to make the most of the experience. "I think it's important for those on the team this year to really soak in the moment and do their best," said the 23-year-old. "I don't really think it's about the medal table, I think in three years' time is the bigger picture." Australia's most successful Olympian, Emma McKeon, has hung up her goggles as have other stalwarts including Mitch Larkin, Brianna Throssell and Jenna Strauch. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus -- who lost her 400m freestyle world record to Canadian Summer McIntosh last month -- is on an extended break. Eleven of Australia's squad in Singapore are aged 20 or under. Veteran Cameron McEvoy, who is appearing at his seventh world championship, said the Australians were a team in transition. "Things come and go, things change, you have to build up from time to time, you can't be constantly at the top and only at the top," said the 31-year-old, the 50m freestyle Olympic champion. "We have the most rookies on our team that I've seen across my whole time, which is exciting too." At just 16, Sienna Toohey came from nowhere to qualify for the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Australia also have high hopes for fellow newcomers Hannah Fredericks (200m backstroke) and Ben Goedemans (800m freestyle), while Ella Ramsay, 21, will contest four events. "A lot of them are very young, they've got a lot of years ahead of them," said McEvoy. "Starting that three years out from the Olympics instead of, say, 2027, one year out, goes a long way too." amk/pst
ABC News
14-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Lani Pallister breaks Commonwealth 1500m freestyle record at Australian Swimming Trials
Lani Pallister has concluded her extraordinary meet on the final night of the Australian Swimming Trials, winning the 1500m freestyle setting a Commonwealth record time of 15:39.14. Pallister will compete in four freestyle events at the world championships in Singapore next month, ranging from 200m to 1500m. The 23-year-old has seen a huge jump in form since moving to new coach Dean Boxall after spending the first part of her career under the wing of her mother, former Olympic swimmer Janelle Pallister (nee Elford). Her time in the 1500m was a second under the previous Commonwealth record set in 2015 by New Zealander Lauren Boyle and a staggering 10 seconds below her personal best from three years ago. But she said she had more to give ahead of the world championships in five weeks. "Every time I finished a race, 200 to the 1500, there's always something that I looked to be like that can be so much better," Pallister said. "I'm just so excited to build on it, I don't think that's my limit by any means." Pallister heads a squad of 40 to contest the world championships. The team contains 10 debutants and a further five who are going to their first long-course world championships. The youngest competitor in the team is 16-year-old breaststroke sensation, Sienna Toohey. The oldest is sprinter Cameron McEvoy (31), who is going to his seventh world championships. McEvoy told Toohey she had a long career in front of her. "You could be around for 20-plus years in the sport," he said. "Just make the most of it, because I'm at the later end of that — it's an absolute roller-coaster of an experience." McEvoy was disqualified from the 50m butterfly on the final night of competition for moving on the blocks in a race won by another veteran Kyle Chalmers. Chalmers said he wanted to mentor the new Dolphins. "When I first came on to the team it was very challenging as a 16-year-old," he said. "I want to make sure that their first experience is probably a lot better than mine was. Asked what advice he'd give to the debutants, Chalmers said he would urge them to "slow down and enjoy it". "You work so hard to be on that team and it's very easy to get caught up putting all that pressure and expectation on yourself. "I don't feel that I enjoyed it as much as I should have on my first few teams. "I got straight into that I want to win and do everything I possibly can do to win and beat myself up if I wasn't doing well in training and beat myself up if I wasn't doing well at training and burn myself out. "Whereas I think it's really important for these young kids to enjoy the fruits of their labour, like they've all worked so hard to be on the Australian swimming team." Chalmers said that although he had qualified for the 50m butterfly at the world championships, he would not swim the event. "It's on the same day as the four-by-one freestyle and that's still my main priority is to play my part in that relay for the boys," Chalmers said. The Singapore squad includes Paris and Tokyo Olympic champions, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan, who expressed disappointment with their times at this meet. McKeown has qualified for the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events, while O'Callaghan has qualified for the two shorter backstroke events and the 100m and 200m freestyle. National head coach Rohan Taylor said the pair motivated themselves by setting such high expectations. "They're pretty hard on themselves, I think they need to be a bit kinder to themselves," he said. "We know that's the struggles they're going through, so we're supporting them. "For them to be maybe behind on their preparations — even though they're still good enough to make the team — they're just a little bit short of the work, so they're really just trying to push themselves along. "The plan is always LA [2028 Olympics], so this is part of the plan. It's just them expecting that that's what happens. "We also know that what makes them world's best is that they just are never satisfied, they just keep driving themselves." In other events on the final night of the trials, Paris silver medallist, Meg Harris won the women's 50m freestyle event in a time of 24.17 seconds. "I surprised myself this week which I was definitely happy about," she said. It's definitely been a different prep, and I think so many people have said that they've not got what they needed or didn't do some things. "I did it completely different to what I've ever done before and I'm happy with that swim, it's faster than what I went at trials last year. So just excited for worlds," he said. Harris said it was difficult to find her motivation after the Paris Olympics. "Coming off such a high, I didn't experience that much of a low after Tokyo — like just figuring out, 'wow I've done that, what's next?'" Harris said. Ella Ramsay and Jenna Forester battled all the way in the women's 400m individual medley with Ramsay winning by just .07 seconds. Ramsay's time of 4:36.12 was more than 12 seconds slower than the time set by 18-year-old Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh when she broke the world record at the Canadian trials earlier in the week. Dual Olympian Brendon Smith qualified for the men's 400m individual medley with William Petric in second also qualifying.
