Ukrainian Skier Digging Trenches in Brno Refuses to Compete for Czechia: "I Am Ukrainian"

Ukrainian alpine skier Oleksandr Shepiuk, who competed for Ukraine in all alpine skiing disciplines at this year's Winter Olympics in Italy, is currently taking on earthworks jobs on the streets of Brno to save up money for a coach. Despite the financial strain, he has turned down the chance to compete for Czechia.

"I could have moved to Czechia and represented this country, but I don't want to, because I'm Ukrainian," the athlete said. He dreams of alpine skiing becoming less of a marginal sport in Ukraine and pins that future on the Bukovel ski resort in the west of the country.

Shepiuk's best Olympic result came in the slalom, where he finished 32nd. "The slalom was on the last day, and I was already very tired. With slightly better preparation, the result could have been higher," he noted.

The athlete considers the Olympics a peak that pushes him to keep going: "It's a peak for Ukraine and for me personally. I'm just a regular guy from a small town, and I got there on my own. It was hard — the whole season was very tough. After the Olympics, I realized I had to keep moving forward. So I picked up a shovel — to earn money for a coach."

Shepiuk is now preparing for the new season, having already completed a summer training camp in France. Despite his side job, he does receive some support from the state: "The state pays for me, helps me, sorts out issues," he said. However, the funding isn't enough to cover a coach and equipment servicing, so his family also helps support him financially.

The war has made his preparation considerably harder. "When the war started, they didn't want to let us into the EU. The federation had to arrange documents that only allowed us out for a month at a time. We'd leave for a month, then have to return to Ukraine, and then leave again. It's these constant back-and-forth trips that eat up the most time and energy," Shepiuk explained. Ukraine currently has travel restrictions in place for men of conscription age.

At the Olympics, the skier also made a statement beyond sport. He publicly backed Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified over an image on his helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed in the war. "On the third day, after the super-G, I showed a glove with the message: Ukrainian heroes are with us," the skier said. He faced no punishment for the gesture: "I wasn't afraid of disqualification — I was ready for it."

The war has touched Shepiuk personally: "Even in my small hometown, many friends I knew were killed. It's hard." That's why he opposes allowing Russian athletes to compete under their own flag: "It will be hard to see their flag and hear their anthem," the athlete concluded.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz