Systematic work — systematic results: Olympic Dreams participants won medals at the European Cup
2026-05-19 16:22
The prestigious Bielsko-Biała “Millennium Team” Cadet European Cup 2026 tournament has concluded in the Polish city of Bielsko-Biała, where the Ukrainian national judo team finished third in the overall medal standings. Participants of the international Olympic Dreams project made a significant contribution to this result, winning one gold and two bronze medals, as well as securing several high placements in the tournament rankings.
Nikita Sakharov won the gold medal in the under-81 kg weight category. Nikita Tataryn (under 66 kg) and Kseniia Kyrylchuk (under 52 kg) became bronze medalists of the European Cup.
Three more Olympic Dreams participants narrowly missed out on medals, finishing in fifth place:
— Yana Dovhun (+70 kg), — Diana Samoliuk (under 70 kg), — David Ugrekhelidze (under 66 kg).
The successful performance of the athletes became yet another confirmation of the effectiveness of the systematic work carried out within the international Olympic Dreams project, within the framework of which Ukrainian athletes regularly have the opportunity to train at international camps in leading sports centers around the world. The project’s 35th training camp recently concluded in Germany, where Ukrainian judokas trained at the German National Training Center in Potsdam with the support of the German Judo Association.
Traditionally, Olympic Dreams participants continue to achieve outstanding results at official international competitions following international training camps, confirming the effectiveness of continuous preparation even under wartime conditions.
"The victories of athletes participating in the Olympic Dreams project have long ceased to be coincidences or isolated successes. This is the result of systematic, daily, and very painstaking work by the entire project team, coaches, partners, and the athletes themselves. That is the core value of our international camps — to create conditions under which young Ukrainian athletes can steadily develop, grow, and worthily represent Ukraine on the international stage, even during wartime," said Anatoliy Boyko, initiator and patron of the Olympic Dreams project.
For the fourth consecutive year, the international Olympic Dreams project, implemented by the “Future for Children” Charitable Foundation, has been providing Ukrainian athletes with opportunities for uninterrupted training and participation in international camps and tournaments despite the war. During this time, the project has organized 35 international camps in 14 countries worldwide, and its participants have won more than 1,200 medals at prestigious international and national competitions.