Here is all about Oleksandr Pielieshenko, the Ukrainian weightlifter including his age, career, bio, cause of death and more
The Weightlifting community is mouring the death of their “hero” as they lose one of their Olympians in war.
Oleksandr Pielieshenko becomes the first to die in the Ukrainian war as he died on Sunday, while defending his nation. According to the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, Pielieshenko died during wartime activities.
More than 400 Ukrainian officials and athletes have lost their lives in battle since Russia invaded the neighbouring nation in February 2022.
Who is Oleksandr Pielieshenko as Ukranian weightlifter dies during Russia-Ukraine war, cause of death, bio, age and height
Two-time European weightlifting champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko died at war
“Defending Ukraine from the invaders, Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, two-time European champion and Olympic weightlifting participant Oleksandr Pielieshenko died heroically,” Viktor Slobodianiuk,… pic.twitter.com/PvbuDz7fPn
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 6, 2024
The Ukraine Weightlifting Federation paid tribute to the late weightlifter and releases a statement saying:
We express our deepest condolences to the family and everyone who knew Oleksandr!”
The National coach paid the tribute as well. He stated in a Facebook post:
“War takes the best of us … This is a very heavy loss for the entire weightlifting community of Ukraine.”
Who was Oleksandr Pielieshenko?
Oleksandr Yuriyovych Pielieshenko aka Oleksandr Pielieshenko was a Ukrainian weightlifter who was born on January 7, 1994 in Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. The 30-year-old measured 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall.
A look at Oleksandr Pielieshenko’s career
At the European Weightlifting Championships in 2016 and 2017, Pielieshenko won the 85 kg weight class, taking home two gold medals for Europe. Additionally, he competed for Ukraine in the Summer Olympics in 2016.
He came in fourth at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, five kilogrammes short of a medal. He who had won the European under-85 kilogramme category in 2016 and again in 2017, was found to have violated doping policies twice.
After the masking agent chlorthalidone was discovered in an out-of-competition drug test, he was suspended in April 2018. His ban was going to stay in place until 2026.
Oleksandr Pielieshenko’s cause of death
During the Russo-Ukrainian War, thirty-year-old Pielieshenko was killed in combat on May 5, 2024. He joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the start of the Russian invasion of that country in 2022.
Following his death during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he became the first Olympian to die in Ukrainian war.