Volochysk rower competes for Ukraine's national team at Olympic Hopes in Bratislava
Natalia Zakharko, a pupil of the Volochysk youth sports school, raced for Ukraine against young paddlers from 40 countries at the Olympic Hopes regatta in Slovakia.
From 16 to 20 September 2026, the Slovak capital Bratislava hosted Olympic Hopes, one of the largest international regattas for young paddlers. A total of 736 athletes from 40 countries took to the water, competing in kayaks and canoes in both single and crew boats.
The programme was packed: races were held over 200, 500 and 1000 metres, as well as the marathon distance of 5000 metres. For many participants these races were their first serious experience at international level and a chance to compete against peers from the strongest paddling schools.
Among the competitors was Natalia Zakharko, a pupil of the Volochysk youth sports school. She came through the national selection and earned a place on Ukraine's national team. Natalia's best result came on the toughest, five-kilometre course, where she finished 28th in strong international competition.
The community gave special thanks to the coaches who prepared the athlete: Nazar Kryvoshyia, Ruslan Shevtsov and Iryna Kushnir. Volochysk, which lies on the banks of the Zbruch, has a long rowing tradition, and results like this show that the local sports school is producing athletes of international standard.