Father at war, family in Kherson, dreams on ice: The journey of figure skater Kyrylo Marsak
Kyrylo was only 4 when his parents enrolled him in figure skating. In truth, it was his sister, six years older, who was passionate about it. They signed up the younger one at the same time simply because it was inconvenient to drive both children to different places. The parents simply lacked the opportunity.
Just four years later, the boy—who initially disliked the lessons—showed noticeable progress and began landing jumps. By age 9, he realized he wanted to pursue this professionally. But no one could have imagined then that amateur sessions at the only rink in Kherson would, 12 years later, lead to the Olympic ice arena. And that the rink itself would be reduced to rubble by Russian missiles.
The 21-year-old Kyrylo Marsak debuted at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing in 19th place. Although he himself feels disappointed with the result, this placement marks the best for Ukraine in men's singles figure skating in the last 24 years.
He dedicated his performance to his father, who serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Amid the scandal involving the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych over his “memory helmet,” Kyrylo faced his own challenge: taking the ice immediately after a Russian skater. In the end, he says, he could not withstand the pressure.
“I just wasn't in a good place with myself”
In the short program, Kyrylo performed brilliantly: scoring 86.89 points, surpassing his personal best and securing a spot in the free skate—the final segment of the competition—well in advance.
He took the ice to Andrea and Matteo Bocelli’s “Fall On Me.” The song holds special meaning for him because it is about the bond between father and son.
“The context of the song is that Andrea Bocelli is blind and cannot see his son with his eyes, but they still see, feel, and love each other. And that resonated deeply with me, reminding me of my connection with my father, who is now defending Ukraine on the front lines. Even though we are very far apart—we are still together,” Kyrylo says poignantly.
In the free skate, the Ukrainian skater—who had ambitions for a high placement—lost points due to a fall. His score of 137.28 dropped him to 19th place. He explains his media comments about “facing pressure” by saying he failed primarily to manage his own thoughts.
In particular, it was emotionally difficult to step onto the ice right after the Russian [Russian Federation representatives compete under a neutral flag at the Olympics—ed.]. But that was a coincidence; they were grouped that way based on scores, Kyrylo explains.
“There were a lot of negative news stories overall, and I was extremely anxious about what happened to Vladyslav Heraskevych. It felt as though the entire Olympic Committee was against us. The practice session was nerve-wracking, and there were very high expectations of me.
And of course, skating right after a ‘neutral’ athlete whom the entire arena cheers with ‘Molodets! Molodets!’—that probably threw me off. That day, unfortunately, I just wasn't in a good place with myself,” Kyrylo says.
After the short program, a serious wave of Russian hate began: under every post, story, and in messages—“loser,” “shame on Ukraine for such an athlete,” “tastes good falling, khokhol,” and so on. No matter how much I tried to say it did not affect me, it did. And in truth, many [athletes] lost their nerve.Kyrylo Marsak, figure skater, debutant of the 2026 Olympic Games
Father on the front lines, mother in Kyiv, grandparents in Kherson
His support group in Milan included his mother and sister. But they could not stay for the final competition—the tickets that day cost too much: over 500 euros. His father, stationed on the Donetsk front, watched his son’s performance live.
“When I left the media zone after the short program, I saw a missed call from him and called back. He was very happy that I had managed to pull myself together. He said he was proud of me. That meant a lot to him, too,” Kyrylo says.
“We exchange text messages every day, writing ‘good morning,’ ‘good night,’ so we know that both he and I are okay.”
They last saw each other in April last year during the Ukrainian Championships, when his father was granted two weeks of leave.
The young man now lives and studies in Finland. His entire family remains separated. He says this leaves a mark on his psychological state. This summer, doctors prescribed him antidepressants.
“Mentally, I was in a very bad place. Beyond personal issues, this is connected to the war. To the fact that my whole family is divided…”
We are all in different places. My father is on the front lines. My mother is under constant airstrikes and blackouts in Kyiv. My grandmother, grandfather, and aunt are in Kherson, where things are actually even worse.Kyrylo Marsak, figure skater, debutant of the 2026 Olympic Games
“We try to communicate with them as often as possible. They do not want to leave… And there is nowhere to go. In Kyiv, they would need to find an apartment and money somehow. At this point, we cannot help them with that. So leaving for them is almost impossible,” Kyrylo adds.
“There was a direct hit on the building. Nothing remains of the school or the rink”
He feels deep pain for his hometown of Kherson. He lived there until age 14, when he moved to Kyiv because the capital offered more opportunities for professional sports.
In the apartment building where they once lived on the ninth floor, a strike hit the floor below. Nothing remains of Kherson Lyceum No. 20, one of the city’s oldest buildings, where he studied from first to eighth grade.
Russia also bombed the ice palace—“Favorit Arena”—where he and his sister trained in figure skating from childhood.
“There were three direct hits. The rink where we trained was blown to splinters. In truth, it hurts a lot and is very hard to accept,” Kyrylo says.
His sister—the one who essentially got Kyrylo into figure skating—never pursued the sport professionally. But now she trains children in it in Poland. No one else in the family is connected to sports—his mother works as an accountant, and his father was an engineer for coffee machines before the war.
“We still have to survive until the next Games”
In Ukraine, Kyrylo Marsak graduated from the Kyiv National University of Physical Education and Sport. Now in Finland, he studies at a university of applied sciences, focusing on IT, particularly game development. He explains: he does not live by sports alone, because that could drive one “crazy.”
“I have been a gamer since childhood, so to speak. We had a computer when I was 5 years old. And my father played some games, then showed them to me. We played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. together. That is where it all started. It fascinated me a lot. I saw this specialty, applied, passed the programming exam, and got a spot,” Kyrylo says.
Overall, training and living in Finland cost the athlete about 1,300 euros ($1,528) per month.
“I receive a salary from the Ministry of Youth and Sports—about 11,000 hryvnias ($254). There was also an Olympic scholarship of 20,000 hryvnias ($462) per month for three months. I get assistance from Finnish social services as a displaced person. And I pick up some side work. I edit music for other athletes. And I train kids a bit here at the club. That is how it adds up,” the Olympian adds.
When asked about future plans, Kyrylo says: “Rest a little—and back on the ice. Prepare for the World Championships.”
Throughout the year, the athlete typically competes in one European Championship and one World Championship. As for the next Olympics, he answers with a laugh: “We still have to survive until then.”
Qualification for the next Olympics will take place at the 2029 World Championships.
“We fall so we can get back up”
From these Games, Kyrylo says, lessons must be learned.
“This is experience, and one must understand that during competitions, you need to focus solely on performing well and let some news pass by. Of course, I could not avoid hearing about them, but perhaps I should not have followed them so closely that they affected me. It was simply hard. But what can you do? We fall so we can get back up.”
Ultimately, that was what his final program was about.
“The free skate consisted of two songs: [Labrinth’s] ‘I’m Tired’—which reflects how long the war has dragged on; and the second—[Zendaya’s] ‘The Feels’—about how despite everything, all the fatigue, all the negative news, everything that is happening—we still keep moving forward, keep living, and do not give up.”
***
Gold in men’s figure skating at the 2026 Olympics went to Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan. Silver and bronze were won by the Japanese, Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato.