Ukrainian Olympic weightlifter Oleksandr Pielieshenko killed the “Defense of Ukraine” from the Russian invasion

Paris – Ukrainian double European weightlifting champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko was killed in the war against Russia, the Ukrainian weightlifting federation announced Monday. Pielieshenko, 30, won European gold in 2016 and 2017 and narrowly missed out on a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he finished fourth in the 85kg category.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you that the heart of the great Ukrainian athlete Oleksandr Pielieshenko has stopped beating,” the federation said in a statement. According to the association, he was killed on Sunday.

Ukrainian national weightlifting coach Victor Slobodianiuk said in a post on Facebook that Pielieshenko “died a hero defending Ukraine.”

“War demands the best of us. This is a very heavy loss for the entire weightlifting community of Ukraine,” Slobodianiuk said, adding: “Heroes don’t die!”

Pielieshenko joined the Ukrainian army in February 2022 at the start of the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee noted in its own online tribute to the athlete.