Ukrainian Diver Battles War and Adversity to Compete in Tokyo Olympics

Ukrainian diver Oleksii Sereda's journey to the Tokyo Olympics was marked by the horrors of war. Amidst air alerts and shell bombings, he and his teammate Kiril Boliukh trained relentlessly in Kyiv, their determination fueled by a desire to represent their war-torn nation.

"We had a lot of troubles, problems," Sereda recounted. "With like light, for example. We don't have light in Ukraine, sometimes they turn that off."

The constant threat of danger weighed heavily on their minds. "Shells are flying about our houses. Every single day we had like air alerts, we had to go downstairs, hide, then go for the training and always like that, always tired," he said.

Despite the adversity, Sereda and Boliukh finished fifth in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform event. However, for Sereda, the focus extended beyond the sport.

"We're trying to message to all people, to show everyone that there is a war ... to get more help from abroad because we need weapons, we need military things. We are not fighting. We are just trying to defend our country," he emphasized.

Sereda's father, a soldier in Mykolaiv, remained on the front lines, unable to leave the country like other men. The thoughts of his family and country weighed heavily on his performance.

"I did (a) mistake on the fifth dive - because of my mistake we lost third place. So I'm kind of sad," he admitted. "I was nervous when I was diving there ... We have war in our country. I was thinking about my father. I was thinking about what's going on in Ukraine ... for me it's a bad result."

Despite the disappointment, Sereda remains determined to showcase his abilities in the individual 10-meter event. "I just want to show a great result, show what I can do," he said. "I want a medal of course but ... it's sports, unpredictable."

Sereda's story is a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people. Amidst the horrors of war, they continue to strive for excellence, using their platform to raise awareness and seek support for their embattled nation.

Tags: #Ukraine, #Olympics, #Diving, #War, #Resilience