The blue and yellow banner and the Olympic flag were traditionally raised in the park on the Valy. Thus, this year marked not only the beginning of the main competitions of the quadrennial, but also the 130th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee and the 100th anniversary of Lviv athlete Adam Krulikevych’s first Olympic medal. In 1924, also in Paris, he won an award in equestrian sports, competing for the Polish national team.
The event also included a special redemption of a themed envelope and an author’s postage stamp, meetings with Adam Krulikiewicz’s family members from Poland – grandson, Polish actor, playwright, member of the European Film Academy Cezary Garasymowicz and granddaughter of the founder of the Olympic Movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, Diana de Navasel de Coubertin from France; meeting with famous Ukrainian equestrians – Olympic equestrian champions Yuriy Kovshov and Viktor Poganovsky; presentation of several thematic exhibitions; performances by the Dzherelo folklore ensemble.
The official opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will take place on July 26. Under the blue and yellow flag, 140 sportsmen and women will compete, including 10 representatives of Lviv region in 7 sports:
- Freestyle wrestling: Yurii Idzinskyi (coaches – R. Protsiv, V. Hlibenko) and Oksana Livach (T. Kit, N. Budahian), reserve athlete – Yuliia Tkach (O. Tkach, Y. Kopytko) – Kyiv Regional Sports Complex “ShVSM”
- Cycling: Yulia Biryukova (D. Krivtsov, O. Tychko) – KZ LOR “SHVSM” / NSS LVS of the Ministry of Defense
- Rhythmic gymnastics: Alina Melnyk (O. Dmytrash, I. Ruda) – Dmytro Sydoruk Children and Youth Sports School
- Athletics: Vladyslav Lavskyi (V. Lebediuk) – Kyiv Regional Sports School “ShVSM”/NSB LvS of the Ministry of Defense, sports club
- “Vysota” and Mariana Shostak (V. Tarnakin, V. Fedorenko) – Kyiv Regional Sports Club “SHVSM”
- Archery: Veronika Marchenko (M. Havelko) – KZ LOR “SHVSM”
- Shooting: Pavel Korostylov (S. Korostylov, O. Kaminsky) – KZ LOR “SHVSM”
- Football: Danylo Sikan (V. Bezubiak) from the Lviv Professional College of Sports, Oleksiy Sych (I. Mazurets) and O. Fedor (V. Ponomaryov) from FC Rukh.
“Every success of Ukrainian athletes in the international arena is now not only about sports, but also a way to once again draw attention to Ukraine, to the strength of spirit and resilience of our people. We wish our athletes success, self-confidence and successful performances. We cheer and believe in them,” says Roman Khimyak, head of the Youth and Sports Department of the Lviv Regional State Administration.