Paris — Ukraine's two-time European champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko died 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 have to tell you that the heart of the great Ukrainian athlete Oleksandr Pielieshenko has stopped beating,” the federation said in a statement. He was killed on Sunday, according to the federation.
Ukraine's national weightlifting coach Victor Slobodianiuk said Pielieshenko had “died like a hero defending Ukraine” in a Facebook post.
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“War takes the best of us. This is a very heavy loss for the entire Ukrainian weightlifting community,” 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.
