Odessa Region Celebrates Sports Victory: Grigory Ilchishin Wins Silver in China

Once again, the Odessa region shines in sports! 19-year-old Grigory Ilchishin, a native of the area, has won a silver medal at the World Cup stage in climbing, specifically in the «speed» discipline, held in Wuzhiyang, China.

In the qualifiers, Grigory placed 13th, which allowed him to face the fourth qualifier, Olympic participant Zach Hammer (USA), in the first round of the playoffs. With a confident performance and a time of 5.21 seconds, he advanced to the quarterfinals.

During the quarterfinals, Grigory set a new Ukrainian record of 5.01 seconds, surpassing a Chinese athlete.

In the semifinals, he defeated 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Samuel Watson (USA) with a time of 5.11 seconds.

In the finals, our athlete only lost to the Chinese representative Qiang Guolong, yet he showcased a phenomenal result of 4.98 seconds, becoming the first Ukrainian climber to break the 5-second barrier!

“I am very happy, but I know I can do even better! I will aim for a better time in the next stage in Bali (May 2-4),” commented Grigory on his historic achievement.

We congratulate Grigory on this incredible accomplishment and wish him further victories on the international stage! Odessa is proud of its athlete!