Ukraine's Kovtun wins silver in uneven bars at 2024 Olympics

The official website of the 2024 Olympics reports.

The Ukrainians were among the favorites in the parallel bars final. Kovtun had won two previous European Championships in this discipline - in 2023 and 2024. Verniaiev won gold on his favorite apparatus at the 2016 Olympics. 

Kovtun started first in the finals and, despite a small error on the vault, scored a high 15.500 points. This result allowed the Ukrainian to seize and hold the lead for a long time.

Verniaiev had a better starting position and finished fifth. The Rio Olympic champion lost his hold on the apparatus during one of the elements and with a score of 13.300 lost his chances for medals and ended up eighth.

The first person to beat Ilia Kovtun was the Chinese Zou Jinyuan, who showed an error-free program and earned 16.200. 

The award was guaranteed to the Ukrainian after the performance of Lucas Dauser from Germany, who made gross mistakes and received only 13,700.

Shinnosuke Oka from Japan was the last to perform, with a score of 15.300, and he was third and failed to get ahead of Ilia Kovtun, who won silver at the Games in Paris.

Olympics 2024

August 5

Artistic gymnastics

Men. Uneven bars

1. Zou Jinyuan (China) - 16.200 

2. Ilia Kovtun (Ukraine) - 15.500

3. Shinnosuke Oka (Japan) - 15,300 

8. Oleh Verniaiev (Ukraine) - 13,300.

Ukraine's performance at the 2024 Olympics

The Ukrainian national team won 7 medals at the Olympic Games in Paris - 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze.

On August 3, Olha Harlan, Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, and Yulia Bakastova won Ukraine's first gold medal in team saber fencing. On August 4, track and field athlete Yaroslava Mahuchikh became the Olympic champion in the high jump.

On August 1, Serhiy Kulish won the first silver medal for the Ukrainian team in the 50-meter smallbore rifle from three positions. On August 5, Ilia Kovtun became the second in the uneven bars in artistic gymnastics.

Olha Harlan also won bronze in the individual saber fencing competition. Two more bronze medals went to track and field athletes. Iryna Herashchenko took third in the high jump and Mykhaylo Kokhan in the hammer throw.

In addition, boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak guaranteed himself at least a silver medal in the 80 kg category, where he will fight in the final on August 7.