Oleksandr Abramenko silver medal and Ilia Burov bronze in the aerials specialty of freestyle skiing: at the Genting Snow Park in Beijing 2022 in Zhangjiakou, the Ukrainian athlete (wrapped in the national flag) and the Russian one greeted each other with smiles and jokes, until to pose together for the usual photos on the highest position, with the winner of the Qi Guangpu, Chinese in his fourth Olympics.
In spite of the very tense relations between Ukraine and Russia, between winds of war and threats of invasion, Abramenko and Burov found themselves confirming a consolidated relationship in the name of sport that already refers to PyeongChang 2018.
The Ukrainian Abramenko and the Russian Burov had in fact posed together four years ago: Abramenko had received a historic gold for Ukraine in ski stunts, then Burov, bronze, had climbed the same podium. At those Games, immediately after the announcement of the final results, Abramenko warmly greeted Burov, their hugs continued throughout the award ceremony, despite the tensions and the affair of the occupation of Crimea. Abramenko’s silver is Ukraine’s first medal in Beijing 2022.