The Frystyle national team is right now one of the best in the world Skiing

Last week the Ukrainian national team received a prize the best team of March According to the National Olympic Committee, as a silver medalist of the World Cup. And the team leader Dmitry Kotovsky received the award of the best athlete of Ukraine in February.

The Ukrainian team has been winning the World Cups for the second time in the current Olympic cycle. In 2023 there was a bronze in Bakurian (Georgia), and now the silver of the tournament in St. Morica (Switzerland). And Dmitry Kotovsky is the only winner of the World Cup reward in the 2024/25 season. At the stage in Dir-Welly (USA) he took 2nd place, and in the total standings of the KM season completed the 9th season, entering the ten strongest.

Both the team in general, and Kotovsky personally, claim awards in Milan-Cortin-2026. Although according to experts, partners of Dmitry on the national team may well win the award in personal competitions of the Olympiad – Angelina Brykina and Alexander Okipnyuk. We have a strong and strong team.

« This experience has to help with games »

At the award ceremony at the Olympic House of Angelina Brykina, commenting on the award received, she mentioned her unsuccessful attempt and noted the team partners, who with her jumps provided a high result.

« This is the first award for me. Thanks to my team, Dmitry and Alexander, we have been able to win this medal and it is very important for us. I am grateful to our coaches for work, and the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine – for support and recognition. « 

President of the NOC of Ukraine, Olympic champion for fencing Barcelona-1992 In the team Vadim Gutzait noted that it is a very good quality – the ability to recognize their own mistakes. And a sign that the team is a healthy atmosphere.

« Once Angelina was able to admit her mistake, then in a year, she will do everything in the games to not repeat it. Our team could win the gold medal now, at the World Cup. But, let it happen at the Olympics. We will all wait for it, » – said President of the NOC of Ukraine.

Already after the ceremony Angelina herself in the comment Champion noted:

« We disassembled the question with the trainer » What happened in a team speech on the World Family? « And my speech in individual competitions – at the World Cup, and the whole season. I spent very well all season, except for the stage in China, in February. Performance in four superfinals in a row is a very good result. And the fact that in all six stages of the World Cup in the season was in the finale – also quite a good result.

As for the World Championship Team Tournament, yes, apparently, the nerves have passed a little. I made mistakes, but thanks to our guys who were with me in the team, I also have this medal. And together we are one whole. On the other hand, this experience must help with games next year. We have certain goals for games, but so far I do not want to declare them, let it be my little secret. I will work hard, and you will see the result for the next season.  »

And answering questions about plans for individual competitions next season, Angelina noted:

« It takes difficulty, cleanliness is required and you need to work a lot in the hall, on the springboard, on a trampoline, absolutely everywhere. All life, while a sports career lasts, you need to work, work, work and work. »

“We can compete in the main competitions”

The leader of our national team Dmitry Kotovsky, who is already among the top ten ski acrobats in the world, despite the fact that he has six awards of the World Cup in his career, and in the 20122/23 season there were two gold, as before, is still embarrassed in public and seems to be still not used to the status of « star ».

Today, a 23-year-old athlete from Rivne lives the expectations of the main start of the four-year:

« I want to thank everyone who is getting for us, followed by us, it is very valuable. The World Cup medal is historical for us. I am glad that we can compete in competitions such as Olympic Games and World Championships among other teams. »

Kotovsky performed an incredibly difficult jump « Hurricane » in team competitions (combination of triple salto and five screws).

« The trainer and I planned to make this jump in advance. In team competitions, the stability of jumps plays an important role. And when all athletes perform their jumps well, difficulty can not be increased. But at that time we needed to have as many points as possible, so we decided to perform » Hurricane « .

By the way, one should not mention the coach of the national team of Ukraine, who is a 45-year-old specialist Enver Ablaev. In March 2005, he brought the first gold medal to the Ukrainian freestyle in the World Cup, winning at the stage in Madonna-di Campillo (Italy). And Ablaev’s highest achievement at the World Championships is the 4th place in Dir-Welly in 2003. Now Dir-Welly is subdued by one of his students Kotovsky.

Back in 2014, Ablaev was a coach of the national team of Ukraine at the Olympics in Sochi, and in Pyeongchang-2018 and Beijing-2022 Alexander Abramenko, under his leadership, he won, respectively, gold and silver.

The most experienced

But 26-year-old Alexander Okipnyuk is the most experienced athlete of the national team of Ukraine. Although only two team medals from the World Championships of 2023 and 2025, respectively, his extensive experience enables the freestylist to constantly « walk » near the medals.

Thus, in individual competitions of the World Cup 2023 he took 9th place, and in the current March 2025 – Fifth. He will probably be one of the contenders for awards and in the Olympic individual tournament.

After the award ceremony, he especially noted the role in Alexander Abramenko’s coaching staff, who has already completed his career:

« He is, of course, helps tips. This is our guru. We all communicate with all the coaches. They help us, give us guidance, and we try to fulfill them. As one friendly big family. And Enver Ablaev, and Alexander Abramenko – Titled athletes, try to convey their experience to us. « 

« We have all high -level athletes »

The Olympic champion of Pyeongchhan-2018 Abramenko, talking about the prospects of the Ukrainian national team, mentions not only the current leaders of the team, but also young Maxim Kuznetsov, who in December 2024 became the silver medalist of the European Cup, as well as the best young athlete of Ukraine. And he believes that the team has a great perspective not only from the point of view of Games 2026.

NOC of Ukraine

« If you remember, in 2018, after my gold at the games, I said that there is no one at all. But now we see that there are athletes who can perform at a fairly high level and who we will hope for the Olympic Games of the next, and not just on them.

The World Cup is one of the main competitions and silver at such a start is a very high result. A little, of course, as Angelina said, did not fulfill the program by 100%, so only the second place. But this is still a very high result. Of course, in order to perform steadily in such competitions, you need to have experience and moral condition should be at a high level. And physical health: Angelina had knee problems, which, of course, prevented her from fully. And, of course, more experience in performing such prestigious competitions is needed. Every competition of such a high level is taught by the athlete, at least, to be ready in moral terms, to know what he awaits him at the Olympic Games, at the next high -level competitions. « 

Abramenko also boldly predicts the results of the future Olympiad-2026:

« I believe that we will definitely have medals in both team competitions and in individual as well. I do not know the number of these medals, but I know for sure. We are counting on everyone because the Olympic Games – These are unpredictable competitions. We can count on one thing, and it will be quite different. We have all athletes of quite high levels, and they can all win a medal. « 

We hope and we …