I Want To Win Gold For Ukraine – Zhan Beleniuk

Zhan Beleniuk is a Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler who won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics. His father is from Rwanda, Africa, but Zhan was born in Kyiv and has lived here all his life.

“I was born in Kyiv. I live here all my life. Yes, I have a father from Rwanda, but I haven’t been to this country. I always lived in Ukraine and I identify myself only with Ukraine,” he says.

The 2016 Rio Olympics were his first Olympic games. Earlier on, he won a gold medal at the 2016 European Wrestling Championships.

“I have this silver medal and I think it’s good for me. It’s obvious that I wanted to win a gold medal, but I couldn’t got it. But I am training a lot now, so I’m sure that I will win it in Tokyo,” says Zhan. ​

Hromadske’s Nataliya Gumenyuk spoke to Zhan Beleniuk on August 23d 2016 in Kyiv.