Ukraine's Biathlon Squad for the 2026 Olympic Games
The Ukrainian Biathlon Federation has finalized its men's and women's teams for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Games commence on February 8, with Ukrainian athletes aiming to make their mark on the world stage.
The Olympic Rosters
The men's team will consist of the following five biathletes:
- Dmytro Pidruchnyi
- Vitalii Mandzyn
- Bohdan Borkovskyi
- Anton Dudchenko
- Taras Lesiuk
The women's team has also been selected, featuring five athletes:
- Khrystyna Dmytrenko
- Yuliia Dzhima
- Daryna Chalyk
- Olena Horodna
- Oleksandra Merkushyna
An additional spot on the women's team will be awarded to Anastasiia Merkushyna based on her performance at the European Championships. Valeriia Dmytrenko and Liliia Steblyna have also been named to the squad.
Ukrainian biathletes are already demonstrating strong form in international competition. In a recent IBU Junior Cup stage held in Madona, Latvia, Tetiana Tarasiuk secured a bronze medal. She finished third in the women's 7.5 km sprint with a clean shooting record and a time of 24:02.0, trailing the winner, Slovakia's Manca Kazerman, by 49.3 seconds. The silver medal went to Latvia's Eser Volfe. Three other Ukrainian athletes placed in the top ten of that sprint: Polina Putsko (7th), Viktoriia Khvostenko (8th), and Kseniia Prykhodko (10th).
The team continues its intensive preparation for the 2026 Olympics, with hopes pinned on podium finishes. Biathlon is one of Ukraine's most successful winter sports, and these selections highlight the nation's developing talent pool.
The 2026 Olympics represent a significant milestone for Ukrainian biathlon, as the country seeks to showcase its athletic prowess on a global platform.
The finalized team rosters and recent international successes point to a high level of preparation among Ukrainian athletes. The nation will be watching, hopeful that its biathletes can realize their ambitions and reach new heights on the Olympic stage.