Ukraine: Zhan Beleniuk, Olympic wrestling champion, deputy and flag
Ukrainian Zhan Beleniuk during his coronation at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. Getty Images - Maddie Meyer
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 mins
Boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko or Vasiliy Lomachenko and Aleksandr Usyk, MMA fighter Yaroslav Amosov… many Ukrainian athletes call to defend their homeland, attacked by Russia.
Among them, Zhan Beleniuk, Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, the first mixed-race deputy in the history of his country.
This son of a Rwandan soldier appears as one of the icons of Volodymyr Zelensky's Ukraine.
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He is much less well known than boxer
Oleksandr Usyk
, world heavyweight champion, or Manchester City footballer
Olexandr Zinchenko
.
But Zhan Beleniuk is no less important in
Ukraine
than these two other sports stars.
Zhan Vensanovych Beleniuk, 31, is even more than a sportsman.
Since July 2019, he has been a member of the Ukrainian parliament (
Rada
) under the party label of the current Ukrainian president,
Volodymyr Zelensky
.
He is the very first mixed-race deputy to sit in the
Rada
.
For several weeks, this figurehead of Zelensky's Ukraine has been multiplying messages of support for his country and against
Vladimir Putin
's
Russia
.
On March 1, 2022, he strived to ensure that “
Ukraine is a tolerant state and has no urgent racial problems
”, following the numerous
testimonies of Africans who were victims of discrimination
during their flight to neighboring countries.
“
A vast propaganda is currently being circulated that Ukraine is dominated by racism and supports racial discrimination.
I would like to point out that this is not true
, ”said the sportsman in a video message.
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by Beleniuk Zhan (@zhanbeleniuk)
Symbol of a more open Ukraine?
Zhan Beleniuk was born in Kiev in 1991, a few months before the dissolution of the USSR, to a seamstress mother and a Rwandan father.
The latter died in 2001, when the future champion of Greco-Roman wrestling was 10 years old, during a military operation in Africa.
He knew little about Vincent Ndagijimana.
In 2007, Zhan Beleniuk had yet gone to his father's country to discover his African roots.
But on his attachment, the person concerned has always been clear, despite the identical colors of the Rwandan and Ukrainian flags.
“
I consider myself 100% Ukrainian.
I was born here, I have always lived in Ukraine.
I have always represented a Ukrainian team.
I had several proposals to change nationality and join another selection, but I always believed in this country
, ”he said
at the microphone of France 24, in July 2019
.
Wrestling star and second lieutenant of the Ukrainian army
In any case, he brought Ukraine its first and only gold medal at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. On August 4, he won the final of the under 87 kg tournament against Hungarian Viktor Lorincz.
Five years earlier, at the Rio Olympics, he had already won silver, in less than 85 kg.
In fact, Zhan Beleniuk has a long track record, including two world titles (2015 and 2019) and three European titles (2014, 2016 and 2019).
Successes that brought an aura to the one who also has a second lieutenant in the Ukrainian army.
At the front, against Russian sport
Zhan Beleniuk does not hesitate to appear cleaning a firearm or in the middle of a speech in front of law enforcement and security forces.
The Olympic champion has also multiplied diplomatic messages.
Messages where they ask for the support of African governments yesterday and the banishment of Russia on the sports scene the day before yesterday.
"
Anyone who supports Kremlin policy has no place in the civilized world!"
“, he concludes full of rage.
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