Lidiia Hunko

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lidiia Hunko
Personal information
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1993-08-10) August 10, 1993 (age 30)
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight81 kg (179 lb)
Sport
SportBobsleigh
Event(s)Monobob, two-woman
Coached byMykhailo Heraskevych

Lidiia Hunko (Ukrainian: Гунько Лідія Олександрівна; born August 10, 1993, in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian bobsledder. She is the first Ukrainian female bobsledder who received a quota place for the Winter Olympics.

Career

Hunko starts in the 1st run at the 2021 World Championships

Hunko started her sporting career as a strongwomen. She became a World Champion in deadlift in 2016. The next year, she won "Arnold Classic" in her category.[1]

Hunko took up bobsleigh in 2018, and one year later she started to compete internationally.[2] Her first international start took place on November 20, 2019, in Lillehammer, Norway.

On December 20, 2020, she won together with Iryna Lishchynska a bronze medal at the European Cup stage in Sigulda which became the first-ever medal in the history of Ukrainian bobsleigh.[3] They repeted their success on November 27, 2021, when they again won a bronze medal at the European Cup stage in Altenberg.[4]

On January 14, 2022, Hunko was third in a World Monobob Series event in Winterberg. This result guaranteed her an Olympic spot. She became therefore the first Ukrainian female bobsledder to represent Ukraine at the Winter Games.[5] She also ranked second together with Lishchynska in final two-women European Cup rating.[6]

Hunko participated in the monobob event at the Winter Games in Beijing.[7] After the competition, she failed a doping test and was suspended on 15 February.[8]

Career results

Winter Olympics

Year Place Monobob Two-women
2022 China Beijing, China

World championships

Year Place Monobob Two-women
2021 Germany Altenberg, Germany 21

Women's Monobob World Series

Rankings

Season Rank Points
2020–21 35 136
2021–22 31 466

Podiums

Season Place Rank
2021–22 Germany Winterberg, Germany 3

European Cup

Podiums in two-woman events

Season Place Rank
2020–21 Latvia Sigulda, Latvia 3
2021–22 Germany Altenberg, Germany 3

References

  1. ^ "About Lidiia Hunko". my.ua. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  2. ^ ""An incredibly difficult way." Lidiia Hunko is the first Ukrainian female bobsledder". Suspilne. January 24, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. ^ "First ever medal in bobsleigh! Ukrainians won a bronze medal at the European Cup". sport.ua. December 12, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  4. ^ "Ukrainian bobsledders won a medal at the European Cup". sport.ua. November 28, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Hunko won the first ever for Ukraine Olympic sport in bobsleigh". ua.tribuna.com. January 15, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Hunko finished the season as second in the European Cup ranking". ua.tribuna.com. January 15, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Official list of Ukrainian delegation at the 2022 Winter Games was published". Suspilne. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "Ukrainian bobsledder tests positive for banned substance at Beijing Olympics". globalnews.ca. February 17, 2022.

External links