Ukrainian weightlifter Oleksandr Pielieshenko was killed in action on Sunday during the war against Russia, according to an announcement from the Ukrainian weightlifting federation. Pielieshenko won European gold in both 2016 and 2017 and came in fourth place in the 85-kilogram category at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Pielieshenko was just 30 years old.
"It is with great sadness that we have to tell you that the heart of the great Ukrainian sportsman Oleksandr Pielieshenko has stopped beating," the Ukrainian weightlifting federation said in a statement.
"I express my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Alexander! This is a very heavy loss for the entire heavyweight community of Ukraine. Heroes do not die," Ukraine national weightlifting coach Victor Slobodianiuk said about Pielieshenko in a statement on Facebook.
When Russia decided to invade Ukraine, Pielieshenko chose to join the Ukrainian army in February 2022, according to a Facebook post about him from the Ukrainian national team.
Pielieshenko hadn't competed in the weightlifting circuit since 2018 when he received a ban for failing a drug test.
