Ukrainian And Russian Celebrate With Hug At Beijing Olympics
Feb 16, 2022, 11:16 AM
ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 16: Bronze medallist Ilia Burov of Team ROC (L) and Silver medallist Oleksandr Abramenko of Team Ukraine (R) react during the Men's Freestyle Skiing Aerials Final on Day 12 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park on February 16, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Defending champion Oleksandr Abramenko won Ukraine’s first medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday and celebrated by getting a hug from Russian skier Ilia Burov at a time of rising tensions between the countries.
Qi Guangpu of China won the men’s aerials event, while Abramenko took silver.
Oleksandr Abramenko wins #Silver in #FreestyleSkiing – men's aerials, earning Ukraine's first medal at #Beijing2022!#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/YMKyEwRXiY
— Olympics (@Olympics) February 16, 2022
Burov earned bronze for the second straight Olympics.
Qi and Abramenko held up flags from their countries on the podium, while Burov pointed to a logo on his left arm for the Russian Olympic Committee, or ROC.
Russians have been competing under that acronym after Russia’s name and flag were banned at the Olympics as fallout from the country’s doping scandal.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
Beijing is the capital of China, with a population of more than 20 million people and the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. It is one of the largest cities in the world and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are 13 different venues in and around Beijing that will be used for the Winter Olympics. A total of 109 events will be held in 15 different sports, and there will be a lot of Utah locals competing for medals. Keep up to date with them at our Olympic headquarters.
Follow along on social for Olympic stories, news and medal updates.
Follow our Olympic team for special coverage and exclusive content.
