“If you have already started – then win“
25th April 1997
Results highlights:
World Championships: 3rd k4 500 Duisburg 2023, 3rd k4 500 Halifax 2022, 1st k4 500 Copenhage 2021 & 3rd K1 500 Racice 2017.
European Championships: 1st K2 500 & 2nd K4 500 Krakow 2023, 2nd K2 500 Poznan 2021, 2nd K2 1000 Minsk 2019 & 2nd K1 500 Belgrade 2018.
Who is/was your canoeing idol?
Max Hoff in my childhood.
What’s your favorite distance and training?
My favorite distance is 500 meters because it involves both speed and endurance. I like training to be short, but intense. Also like working in Aerobic mode for 2-3 minutes.
Favorite paddle and boat?
I have been competing on Plastex Olympic warrior since I was a child, for me, the best kayak. My favorite paddle is Braca-sport XI.
Do you have and motivation song?
Yes! I have several motivation songs: Break Me by Todo, I was me for lovin’ you by Kiss and any from BONDI.
Could you give any advice for beginners?
Never give up and strive to be a unique original.
Apart from physical training, do you have mental training scheduled in your routine?
The brain is also a muscle that needs to be trained. But it is individual for each person, for example, I am always in search of a better version of myself. In my opinion, there is no limit to perfection.
How do you manage to keep calm before and during a competition?
Like all people and athletes, I also sometimes worry, but I have excellent support – it’s my team and my coaches, to whom I can always turn.
What is a normal day like as a professional paddler?
I constantly train 6 days a week and have 10 training sessions, which include physical training in the gym and water training.
What are your hobbies apart from sport? What other activities are part from your routine?
I really like swimming (I dream that my children will swim). Also recently I go sometimes to the range and shot with various types of weapons
Is there a place you enjoy the most training? Why? And for competition?
I like to train at home. It was the city of Dnipro before, now it is Obukhiv (Kyiv region). I like to compete on all the channels I was on, but Duisburg is my favorite
Is there and athlete you enjoy the most training with?
Yes, this is my team – Energy Circle (me, Dmytro Danylenko, Ihor Trunov and Ivan Semykin). I haven’t been able to train with other teams yet.
How has your life and your training changed since the beginning of the war in Ukraine?
Many journalists ask me this question and I don’t have an answer to it. There is only one thing in my mind, I just follow my goal and purpose. The desire to become an Olympic champion for Ukraine is stronger than the psychological attack of the russians. And my father went to war for the sake freedom of my choice and so I could fulfill my ambitions.
How are you managing to keep training, and such at a high level in these complicated times in Ukraine?
I have a goal to which I go from year to year. Thanks to our military and partners of Ukraine, we have the opportunity to go to training camps and compete in competitions.
We could say you were not in the top favorite boats in K4 some years ago. How do you feel about being one of the favorites for this year’s Olympic Games?
It was not always possible to find like-minded people and people who had the same plans as mine. Today the members of my team are the best rowers and coaches of the country. We have gathered in one team – and the result was not long in coming.
What are your objectives for this season?
The goal is always the same – victory at various levels of competition.