Ukraine at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Ukraine competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine sent the nation's largest ever delegation to these Games. A total of 240 athletes, 125 men and 115 women, took part in 21 sports. Women's handball was the only team-based sport in which Ukraine had its representation at these Games for the first time. There was only a single competitor in modern pentathlon and taekwondo.
The Ukrainian team featured several Olympic medalists from Sydney, including skeet shooter Mykola Milchev, heavyweight wrestler David Saldadze, triple jumper Olena Hovorova, double defending swimming champion Yana Klochkova, and butterfly swimmer Denys Sylantyev, who later became the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony. Double sculls rower Svitlana Maziy and freestyle swimmer Pavlo Khnykin were among the athletes to compete in fourth Olympic Games, although they originally played for either Soviet Union or the Unified Team. Rapid fire pistol shooter Oleh Tkachov, at age 42, was the oldest athlete of the team, while butterfly swimmer Kateryna Zubkova was the youngest at age 16.
Ukraine left Athens with a total of 22 medals, 8 golds, 5 silver, and 9 bronze, being considered the nation's most successful Olympics since its debut in 1996. Most of these medals were awarded to the athletes in track and field, gymnastics, and swimming. Being the major highlight of the games, Yana Klochkova set a historic milestone for Ukraine as the first female swimmer to defend Olympic titles in the individual medley at two consecutive Games. Three more female Ukrainian athletes won Olympic gold medals for the first time in their respective events: Olena Kostevych in pistol shooting, Nataliya Skakun in weightlifting, and Irini Merleni in freestyle wrestling. Ukraine 's team-based athletes proved particularly successful in Athens, as the women's handball team took home the bronze medal in the tournament. Originally, Ukraine had won a total of 23 Olympic medals at these Games. On December 5, 2012, the International Olympic Committee and the IAAF stripped off shot putter Yuriy Bilonoh's gold medal after drug re-testings of his samples were discovered positive.
Medalists
Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
Swimming | Women's 400 m individual medley | |||
Shooting | Women's 10 m air pistol | |||
Swimming | Women's 200 m individual medley | |||
Weightlifting | Women's 63 kg | |||
Gymnastics | Men's trampoline | |||
Gymnastics | Men's parallel bars | |||
Wrestling | Women's freestyle 48 kg | |||
Wrestling | Men's freestyle 66 kg | |||
Judo | Men's 81 kg | |||
Sailing | Yngling class | |||
Athletics | Women's 100 m hurdles | |||
Weightlifting | Men's 105 kg | |||
Sailing | 49er class | |||
Fencing | Men's sabre | |||
Swimming | Men's 100 m butterfly | |||
Archery | Men's team | |||
Rowing | Men's quadruple sculls | |||
Athletics | Women's 400 m hurdles | |||
Canoeing | Women's K-4 500 m | |||
Athletics | Women's high jump | |||
Gymnastics | Women's rhythmic individual all-around | |||
Handball | Women's tournament |
Archery
Three Ukrainian archers qualified each for the men's and women's individual archery, and a spot each for both men's and women's teams.;Men
;Women
Athletics
Ukrainian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events. On December 5, 2012, the International Olympic Committee and the IAAF stripped off Ukrainian shot putter Yuriy Bilonoh's gold medal after drug re-testings of his samples were discovered positive.;Men
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Women
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events – Heptathlon
Athlete | Event | 200 m | 800 m | Final | Rank | |||||
Yuliya Akulenko | Result | 14.11 | 1.73 | 13.15 | 24.57 | 6.02 | 48.62 | 2:22.58 | 5996 | 23 |
Yuliya Akulenko | Points | 963 | 891 | 737 | 927 | 856 | 833 | 789 | 5996 | 23 |
Nataliya Dobrynska | Result | 13.89 | 1.82 | 14.70 | 25.02 | 6.23 | 44.08 | 2:17.01 | 6255 | 8 |
Nataliya Dobrynska | Points | 994 | 1003 | 841 | 885 | 921 | 746 | 865 | 6255 | 8 |
Boxing
The Ukrainian boxing team at the 2004 Olympics consisted of six boxers. Only one was defeated in his first bout as four of the six boxers advanced to the quarterfinals. They all lost there, keeping Ukraine from winning any boxing medals.Canoeing
Sprint
;Men;Women
Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal
Cycling
Road
;Men;Women
Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
Iryna Chuzhynova | Road race | 3:25:42 | 23 |
Nataliya Kachalka | Road race | 3:28:39 | 36 |
Nataliya Kachalka | Time trial | 35:01.05 | 24 |
Valentyna Karpenko | Road race | 3:33:35 | 43 |
Track
;Pursuit;Omnium
Athlete | Event | Points | Laps | Rank |
Vasyl Yakovlev | Men's points race | 3 | 0 | 19 |
Lyudmyla Vypyraylo | Women's points race | −20 | −2 | 18 |
Volodymyr Rybin Vasyl Yakovlev | Men's madison | 9 | 0 | 5 |
Mountain biking
Diving
Ukrainian divers qualified for eight individual spots at the 2004 Olympic Games. One Ukrainian synchronized diving team qualified through the 2004 FINA Diving World Cup series.;Men
;Women
Fencing
Ten Ukrainian fencers, eight men and two women, qualified for the following events.;Men
;Women
Gymnastics
Artistic
;Men;Team
;Individual finals
;Women
;Team
;Individual finals
Rhythmic
Trampoline
Handball
Women's tournament
;Roster;Group play
;Quarterfinals
;Semifinals
;Bronze medal match
; Won bronze medal
Judo
Eight Ukrainian judoka qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics.;Men
;Women
Modern pentathlon
One Ukrainian athlete qualified to compete in the modern pentathlon event through the European Championships.Rowing
Ukrainian rowers qualified the following boats:;Men
;Women
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A ; FB=Final B ; FC=Final C ; FD=Final D ; FE=Final E ; FF=Final F ; SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage
Sailing
Ukrainian sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events.;Men
;Women
;Open
M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given
Shooting
Eleven Ukrainian shooters qualified to compete in the following events:;Men
;Women
Swimming
Ukrainian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events :;Men
;Women
Synchronized swimming
Two Ukrainian synchronized swimmers qualified a spot in the women's duet.Taekwondo
Ukraine has qualified a single taekwondo jin.Tennis
Ukraine nominated two female tennis players to compete in the tournament.Triathlon
Two Ukrainian triathletes qualified for the following events.Weightlifting
Nine Ukrainian weightlifters qualified for the following events:;Men
;Women
Wrestling
;Men's freestyle;Men's Greco-Roman
;Women's freestyle