Ukrainian wrestler Zhan Beleniuk was the sole recipient of a gold medal on his team during the Tokyo Summer Games, but his welcome back home was anything but warm.
Beleniuk won the gold in the 87-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling event. The achievement marked a personal milestone for Beleniuk who previously took home silver during the Rio Games in 2016.
Zhan Beleniuk (third from right) poses for a photo with coaches and members of the Ukrainian wresting team at the European Championship in April of 2021. (Photo: @zhanbeleniuk/Instagram)
But on Aug. 13, the 30-year-old shared on Facebook that even with his golden accolade he was not exempt from racist attacks. The lengthy post is translated below from Beleniuk’s native Ukrainian.
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“A few minutes ago, young men unknown to me, approached me in the center of Kiev (Pechersk), tried to provoke a conflict! Shouting out abusive things like ′′ black monkey knows something about patriotism?!” and ′′ go to Africa!”. Thank God it didn’t come to the fight so I’m okay but…
1. I wonder if I am Ukrainian for my state, what criteria of patriotism exist in it?!
2. How safe can the Olympic champion feel in his homeland and in his hometown?!
3. And is it normal in the European state to hear offensive things to people who put life on its glorification?!”
Just two years ago Beleniuk — whose mother is Ukrainian and father was Rwandan — made history while becoming Ukraine’s first Black member of Parliament when he joined President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Servant of the People Party. Beleniuk was reared in Ukraine by his mother and grandmother and never knew his father, who was killed in Rwanda before Beleniuk was born. His fellow Ukrainians who support the change Beleniuk represents for his country offered up messages of support — translated below from Ukrainian — while condemning the racist ignorance he experienced.
