The hometown and training conditions of biathletes Julia and Olena Horodna have been destroyed in the Russian bombing. They want to keep the situation of their nation on display by competing.
Ukrainian siblings Julia and Olena Horodna will compete for the first time in the World Biathlon Cup as the tour continues in Otepää, Estonia.
– It is our duty to prove to everyone that Ukraine is a nation that cannot be broken. And we will fight for it to the end. That is why we represent Ukraine in this difficult time, the siblings say in a joint interview with Franceinfo.
Julia, 20, and Olena, 17, fled from war Ukraine to Poland just over a week ago. Meanwhile, most of their families are still in war-torn Ukraine.
– I often wake up at night and worry about my family and the whole country, Julia Horodna told the Swedish broadcaster SVT.
Focusing on sports is not easy when the situation at home is downright catastrophic. The Russian invasion has caused great damage in Ukraine.
– The city where we lived and practiced was bombed. Now that I look at the pictures coming from there, I no longer even recognize the whole area. It is painful and sad to see what has happened to our country, Julia thinks.
Otepää’s World Cup battles can be watched on ‘s live broadcasts. The race week starts on Thursday with a men’s sprint at 3:30 p.m. The women’s sprint is scheduled for Friday at 3:25 p.m. The broadcasts will be broadcast live on TV2.
On Saturday in Otepää it will be the men’s joint start at 13.55 and the women’s joint start at 16.10. The competitions can be seen live at Areena.
On Sunday, it will be a mixed message, which can be followed live at Areena at 13.25. In addition to the live broadcasts of the arena, biathlon is monitored on Saturday and Sunday on TV2 and ‘s service.