Ukrainian biathlete wins bronze at the 2025 Winter Universiade

21 January 04:00

Ukrainian biathlete Daryna Chalyk won a bronze medal for Ukraine at the 2025 Winter Universiade. This was reported by the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine, Komersant ukrainskyi reports

In total, two Ukrainian women started the race in the top ten, and after the first line, Chalyk jumped from ninth place to third, having, moreover, much better speed than her closest rivals. Daryna held the second or third position until the first turn, where she earned a three-lap penalty and fell back to fifth place, half a minute behind the three competitors in front.

“However, Oleksandra Merkushyna took Daryna’s place! She didn’t start the competition so well, with a miss on the first line, but then she was more accurate than the other medal contenders, and at the last line she got on the second mat! However, there were three other biathletes nearby, including… Chalyk, who made up almost half a minute in a lap!” the statement reads.

In the pursuit race, Daryna Chalyk took third place, losing 57.7 seconds to the winner Barbora Skorbizhevska.

“Congratulations to Daryna Chalyk on her bronze medal in the pursuit at the 2025 World Winter Universiade! Not everything was easy in this solitaire and not all firing lines were easy, but Daryna showed great speed and confidently took the third step of the podium!” said Ivan Krulko, President of the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine.

He also added that it was an incredibly successful day for the Ukrainian team at the Universiade – gold and silver in the men’s pursuit and bronze in the women’s race. He congratulated “the entire biathlon family on such a great day of competition.”

Following the results of the sprint race at the 2025 Winter Universiade, three Ukrainian biathletes qualified for the women’s pursuit: Oleksandra Merkushyna, Daryna Chalyk and Liliia Steblyna. Merkushyna showed the best result in the sprint, taking fifth place. Chalyk started the pursuit race in ninth place, and Steblyna finished 23rd.

Дзвенислава Карплюк
Editor