Ukrainian trampolinist's mother is killed in Russian missile attack

Thursday, 21 March 2024, 22:34

As Ukrainian trampoline gymnast Svitlana Malkova was training for a competition to qualify for the Olympics, her mother was killed by the Russians.

Source: Ministry of Youth and Sports 

Details: "As a member of Ukraine’s national trampoline team, Svitlana Malkova was due to start competing at the World Cup in Cottbus, Germany, tomorrow. The competition is a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. There, the gymnast received the terrible and tragic news that her mother, Olena Syvanych, had died. The 55-year-old woman worked at an industrial plant in Mykolaiv which was hit by a ballistic missile from Russian terrorists at around 18:00 today. Six people were injured, and the gymnast's mother was killed," the ministry said, citing Malkova's sister. 

It was at the sports centre of the enterprise that has just been hit by the Russians that Svitlana was first introduced to trampolining. This is where her first training sessions took place and where she set off on her journey to the world of elite sport.

Background: Svitlana Malkova won a gold medal for synchronised trampolining at the 2017 World Games, silver at the 2019 European Games, and bronze at the 2018 European Championships.

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