‘Worst year in our lives’ – Yevhen Marusiak attempts to focus on sport one year on from invasion of Ukraine

Ukranian ski jumper Yevhen Marusiak has detailed how his life has changed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as he prepares for the 2023 Nordic World Ski Championships.

Marusiak recently achieved a new Ukraninan national record after flying 210 meters at the World Cup on Kulm.

It was supposed to be a time for celebration, but the 22-year-old is constantly thinking about the war that is happening in his home country.

“This is probably the worst year in our lives, not only for me but also for every Ukrainian, I think,” he told Eurosport. “It was very sad to hear that our country was invaded, and it is very scary and terrible to look at.

It has been one year to the day since the invasion of Ukraine, and Marusiak is one of many Ukrainian athletes who is having to juggle processing news from back home, while still being mentally strong enough to compete and focus on their sport.”

Marusiak is aiming to be among the best 30 jumpers when he competes in Planica this week.

Qualification for the men’s HS102 event takes place on Friday, with the medals handed out on Saturday. The large hill events are next week.

The Ukrainian wants to focus on the task at hand, and forget about what’s happening at home, even if it is just for a moment.

“War in the 21st century is terrible,” he added. “We need to stop the war. And we need peace and freedom for all of us. Thank you to everyone who believes in Ukraine, and thank you to all who support us when we jump.

“Thank God, everything is calm in my city, only sometimes you can hear rockets flying, and there are no other terrible things. But I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t take much to destroy my city in a few seconds.”

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