Ukrainian Figure Skater Makes Striking Appearance in "Blood-Stained" Shirt at the European Championship
Ukrainian figure skater Ivan Shmuratko showcased his free program at the 2024 European Championship held in Kaunas, Lithuania, donning a shirt with a "blood-stained" motif. The 22-year-old skater took the ice, narrating the story of a child struck by a missile and a father who continues to live with the aftermath, as reported by Ukrinform.
For his performance, Ivan Shmuratko earned 140.70 points, securing the 12th position in the free program rankings. With a total score of 210.65 points (combining short and free programs), he claimed the 14th spot in the overall standings.
"I infused my performance with a theme of the astral, between life and death. Nothing more, nothing less. The blood element? Because that's how it is, quite literally. People die from missiles, with blood. I can't think about skating right now; I feel a lot, but I can't express it out loud. As for the program, it was a mix of a new composition and parts from last year. It's about a child hit by a missile," explained Ivan Shmuratko.
It's worth noting that Ivan Shmuratko is a four-time Ukrainian figure skating champion who competed in the 2022 Olympics, securing the 24th position. At the 2022 European Figure Skating Championship, he achieved Ukraine's best result in men's singles skating in 20 years, finishing in 12th place.
Ivan's journey into figure skating was guided by his parents, aiming to strengthen his health due to frequent childhood illnesses. Given the choice between hockey and figure skating, his parents opted for figure skating since it resonated more with Ivan's passion for dance.
In other sporting news, 14-year-old Ukrainian chess prodigy Igor Samunenkov has become the world's youngest active grandmaster, surpassing American Abhimanyu Mishra, who held the title for two years and was four months older than Igor when he achieved the milestone in 2021. Mishra set a record by becoming a grandmaster at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days.
Igor Samunenkov began playing chess professionally at the age of 8. In 2021, at the age of 12, he achieved a notable victory in the youth Grand Prix superfinal and earned the title of FIDE Master. Within a year, he elevated his game to the level of an international master.
Last year, the young chess prodigy Igor Samunenkov fulfilled the norms at three European tournaments. Based on his tournament results, the International Chess Federation awarded Samunenkov the title of grandmaster.