Illia Kovtun

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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Yuriiovych and the family name is Kovtun.

Illia Kovtun
Ілля Ковтун
Kovtun at the 2022 European Championships
Personal information
Country represented Ukraine
Born (2003-08-10) 10 August 2003 (age 20)
Cherkasy, Ukraine
HometownCherkasy, Ukraine
Height177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior international elite
Years on national team2017–present (UKR)
Club Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces , Sokol Osijek
Head coach(es)Iryna Gorbacheva
Eponymous skills"Kovtun" (Parallel Bars) Back toss from upper arm with quarter turn to one rail (C)
Medal record
Representing  Ukraine
Men's artistic gymnastics
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Championships 0 1 1
European Championships 3 1 3
Junior World Championships 0 1 1
Junior European Championships 5 1 0
European Youth Olympic Festival 4 1 0
Total 12 5 5
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Antwerp All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Kitakyushu All-Around
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Antalya Parallel Bars
Gold medal – first place 2024 Rimini Parallel Bars
Gold medal – first place 2024 Rimini Horizontal Bar
Silver medal – second place 2022 Munich Parallel Bars
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Basel All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Antalya All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Antalya Horizontal Bar
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Győr Team
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Győr All-Around
Junior European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Mersin Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Mersin All-Around
Gold medal – first place 2020 Mersin Pommel Horse
Gold medal – first place 2020 Mersin Rings
Gold medal – first place 2020 Mersin Parallel Bars
Silver medal – second place 2020 Mersin Vault
European Youth Olympic Festival
Gold medal – first place 2019 Baku Team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Baku All-Around
Gold medal – first place 2019 Baku Parallel Bars
Gold medal – first place 2019 Baku Horizonal Bar
Silver medal – second place 2019 Baku Floor Exercise
FIG World Cup
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Cup 12 4 3
World Challenge Cup 10 4 4
Total 22 8 7

Illia Yuriiovych Kovtun (Ukrainian: Ілля Юрійович Ковтун; born 10 August 2003)[1] is a Ukrainian artistic gymnast who competed at the 2020 Olympic Games. He is the 2023 World all-around silver medalist and 2021 World all-around bronze medalist. At the European Championships he is the 2023 European champion on parallel bars as well as a one-time silver medalist (2022 parallel bars) and a three-time bronze medalist (2021 and 2023 all-around, 2023 horizontal bar). Additionally he is a two-time junior world championships medalist.

Junior gymnastics career

2018

Kovtun competed at the 2018 European Championships where he helped Ukraine finish fifth in the team finals. Individually he won the junior title on the parallel bars.[2]

2019

Kovtun competed at the Stella Zakharova Cup where he placed first in the junior all-around division. He was selected to represent Ukraine at the inaugural junior World Championships alongside Nazar Chepurnyi and Volodymyr Kostiuk. Together they finished second as a team behind Japan. Individually he won the bronze medal in the all-around behind Shinnosuke Oka and Ryosuke Doi. During event finals Kovtun finished sixth on pommel horse and fourth on parallel bars.[1][3][4]

Kovtun next competed at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, again alongside Chepurnyi and Kostiuk. They won gold as a team and individually Kovtun won gold in the all-around and on parallel bars and horizontal bar; additionally he won silver on floor exercise behind Chepurnyi.

Introduction
Pommel horse
Parallel bars
Horizontal bar
Kovtun at the 2019 Junior World Championships

2020

Kovtun competed at the 2020 European Championships held in Mersin, Turkey. While there he led the Ukrainian junior team to gold.[5][6] Individually he won gold in the all-around and on pommel horse, rings, and parallel bars.[6][7] He also won the silver medal in the junior vault event.[8]

Senior gymnastics career

2021

Kovtun turned senior in 2021 and made his senior international debut at the 2021 European Championships. He won the bronze medal in the all-around competition behind Nikita Nagornyy and David Belyavskiy. Kovtun next competed at the World Challenge Cups in Varna and Cairo; he picked up five gold medals and two bronze medals.

Kovtun at the 2020 Olympic Games

Due to the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Kovtun was age-eligible to compete at them in 2021. He was named to represent Ukraine alongside Petro Pakhnyuk, Ihor Radivilov, and Yevhen Yudenkov. They qualified to the team final and individually Kovtun qualified to the all-around final. During the team final Kovtun competed on floor exercise, pommel horse, parallel bars, and high bar, contributing towards Ukraine's seventh-place finish. During the all-around final Kovtun finished 11th.

After the Olympic Games Kovtun returned to competition at the World Challenge Cups in Koper and Mersin where he picked up an additional gold and bronze medal and three silvers. He ended up winning the series titles on floor exercise, pommel horse, and parallel bars.[9]

In October Kovtun competed at the 2021 World Championships where he won the all-around bronze medal behind Zhang Boheng and Hashimoto Daiki. Additionally he placed seventh on horizontal bar. He next competed at the Arthur Gander Memorial where he placed third behind Yul Moldauer and Nikita Nagornyy. Kovtun then competed at the Swiss Cup where he was partnered with Yelyzaveta Hubareva; they finished second behind the Russian team of Nagornyy and Angelina Melnikova.[10]

In December Kovtun was awarded with the title Merited Master of Sports of Ukraine.[11]

2022

Kovtun competed at the Cottbus World Cup in February. On the first day of qualifications Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Kovtun's home country of Ukraine. Despite news of the ongoing war, Kovtun won gold on parallel bars and silver on pommel horse and finished fourth and fifth on floor exercise and horizontal bar respectively.[12] Kovtun next competed at the Doha World Cup where he qualified to all six apparatus event finals. On the first day of event finals he won silver on floor exercise behind Artem Dolgopyat and placed fifth and sixth on pommel horse and rings respectively. On the second day of event finals he won gold on parallel bars and bronze on horizontal bar behind Alexander Myakinin and Robert Tvorogal and placed sixth on vault.[13]

Kovtun became "an unwitting symbol of resilience and dignity"[14] when, during the medal ceremony for the parallel bars, Russian gymnast and bronze medalist Ivan Kuliak taunted Kovtun by wearing a Z on his chest - a symbol of support for the Russian invasion. Kovtun did not visibly react to the taunt, and Kuliak was heavily sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation.[15][16] At the Cairo World Cup Kovtun won his third consecutive gold medal on the parallel bars.[17] Kovtun finished the World Cup circuit competing at the Baku World Cup. He won his fourth consecutive gold medal on the parallel bars, completing a clean sweep of the titles. Additionally he won the bronze on horizontal bar.[18]

Due to the ongoing war, Kovtun did not return to Ukraine. His team was given shelter by gymnastics clubs in European countries where they could train in exile and prepare for future competitions. For the first couple of days, the refugees were hosted by Blau-Weiss Buchholz, a German club,[19] before they spent the next two months in the Palestra Ginnastica Ferrara in Italy.[20][21] From their temporary training places the team participated in national and international competitions. Kovtun competed several times for the Monaco gymnastics club in the French league.[22] In the middle of June 2022, the group of about 15 people including coaches and few family members moved to a gym in Croatia.

Kovtun and his team
Horizontal bar
Still rings
Cleaning up the gym hall
Kovtun in a training session in the Italian exile (more photos)

In August Kovtun competed at the European Championships. On the first day of competition he finished eleventh in the all-around and helped Ukraine finish ninth as a team during qualifications. Although they didn't qualify for the team final they qualified a whole team to compete at the upcoming World Championships. Individually Kovtun qualified for the floor exercise and parallel bars finals. During the floor exercise final Kovtun finished fifth. During the parallel bars final Kovtun recorded the highest score, a 15.333, but lost a tie-break to Joe Fraser of the United Kingdom and took home the silver medal.[23] At the Szombathely Challenge Cup Kovtun earned gold on both floor exercise and parallel bars.[24]

Floor exercise
Parallel bars
Vault
Parallel bars medal podium
Kovtun at the 2022 European Championships (more photos)

In late October through early November Kovtun competed at the World Championships. While there he qualified to the all-around final and was the first reserve for the parallel bars final. He finished seventh in the all-around.[25] He next competed at the Arthur Gander Memorial where he placed first in the four-event all-around despite a rough start on floor exercise.[26]

2023

Kovtun competed at the World Cups in Cottbus, Doha, and Baku. He won gold on parallel bars in Cottbus and Doha and silver in Baku behind Carlos Yulo. Additionally he won silver on floor exercise behind Milad Karimi in Baku. At the European Championships Kovtun became the European Champion on parallel bars, which is his first major title in his senior career. Additionally he won bronze in the all-around and on horizontal bar.[27][28][29] At the Cairo World Cup Kovtun won gold on floor exercise, parallel bars, and horizontal bar and picked up bronze on pommel horse.[30]

In October Kovtun competed at the 2023 World Championships alongside Nazar Chepurnyi, Igor Radivilov, Radomyr Stelmakh, and Oleg Verniaiev. During qualifications they finished twelfth as a team and qualified a full team to the 2024 Olympic Games. Individually Kovtun qualified to the all-around and parallel bar finals. During the all-around final Kovtun finished second behind reigning World Champion Daiki Hashimoto.[31] In winning the silver medal, Kovtun set the record for Ukraine's highest all-around placement at the World Championships, beating the record Verniaiev set in 2019 and Kovtun himself matched in 2021.[32] During the parallel bars final Kovtun finished fifth.

Competitive history

Kovtun and the Ukrainian delegation at the 2019 Junior World Championships
Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
Junior
2014
Kyiv Open Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2015 Ukrainian Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
«Dnipro Waves» Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Beresh Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Cherkasy Regional Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2017 Barborka Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Ukrainian Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Ukraine International Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
3rd International Budapest 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Junior Japan International 15
2018 President's Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 5 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Swiss Cup Juniors 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2019 Ukraine International Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Ukrainian Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Junior World Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 4
Euro Youth Olympic Festival 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 13 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Games Test Event 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 4 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2020 Ukraine International Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7
Ukrainian Championship 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Kyiv Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Senior
2021 1st Italian Serie A2 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2nd Italian Serie A2 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Ukrainian Championship 4 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
3rd Italian Serie A2 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
European Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 8 5
Ukraine International Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Varna World Challenge Cup 4 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Cairo World Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 8 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Games 7 11
Koper World Challenge Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 8
Mersin World Challenge Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6
Hungarian Grand Prix 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 5 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) R2 7
Arthur Gander Memorial 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Swiss Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
1st German Bundesliga 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2022 Cottbus World Cup 4 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5
Doha World Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 6 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Cairo World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Baku World Cup 4 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Israel Open Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships R1 11 5 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Szombathely Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 21 7 R1
Arthur Gander Memorial 1st place, gold medalist(s)
1st German Bundesliga 4
2023 Cottbus World Cup 5 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5
Doha World Cup 5 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5
Baku World Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 9 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 5 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Cairo World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Serie A1 Final Six 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Osijek Challenge Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 8 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6
World Championships 12 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5
1st German Bundesliga 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2024 Cairo World Cup 8 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Cottbus World Cup 4 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Baku World Cup 8 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Osijek Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s) WD 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

Eponymous skills

Kovtun has one skill named after him on parallel bars.

Apparatus Name Description Difficulty Added to Code of Points
Parallel Bars Kovtun Back toss from upper arm with quarter turn to one rail C (0.3) 2021 World Cup Koper

References

  1. ^ a b "2019 Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships". International Gymnastics Federation.
  2. ^ "2018 European Championships Men's Results". The Gymternet. 13 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Oka wins all-around title as Japan dominate opening day of Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. 27 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020.
  4. ^ "GYMNASTICS: Russia and Japan shine in first World Junior Championships; di Cello wins gold on Vault". The Sports Examiner. 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020.
  5. ^ Berkeley, Geoff (9 December 2020). "Ukraine claim junior team title on first day of European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Ukraine crowned junior European team Champions!". European Gymnastics. 9 December 2020. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  7. ^ Berkeley, Geoff (11 December 2020). "Kovtun wins junior all-around gold at European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  8. ^ Berkeley, Geoff (13 December 2020). "Turkey end home European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships with historic double". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Kovtun and Derek triumph with World Challenge Cup Series titles". International Gymnastics Federation. 15 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Angelina Melnikova and Nikita Nagornyy lead Russian Federation to Swiss Cup win in Zurich". International Olympic Committee. 7 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Черкаський гімнаст став "Заслуженим майстром спорту України"". 6 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Two titles for Ukrainian gymnasts as Cottbus kicks off World Cup season". International Gymnastics Federation. 28 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Illia Kovtun wins gold, silver and bronze at the World Cup in Doha". International Gymnastics Federation. 7 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Ukraine's Illia Kovtun: 'God is with us and the truth is on our side'". 10 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak shows pro-war 'z' symbol on podium". ESPN. 7 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Incident at the Doha World Cup – FIG statement". International Gymnastics Federation. 6 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Armenia and Ukraine win double gold at World Cup of Cairo". International Gymnast. 20 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Kovtun's fourth consecutive title leads Ukraine to distinction at Baku World Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 4 April 2022.
  19. ^ Sander, Oliver (6 April 2022). "Ukrainische Spitzenturner zu Gast bei Blau-Weiss Buchholz". Kreiszeitung Wochenblatt. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Ucraina: Ferrara ospita gli atleti di ginnastica artistica". Ansa.it Emilia Romagna. ANSA.it. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  21. ^ Irene, Righetti (19 April 2022). "Illia Kovtun, ginnasta ucraino, si racconta: "Lo sport deve unirci". Gazzetta. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  22. ^ Jérémie, Bernigole-Stroh (2 May 2022). "TOP 12 : QUALIFIÉE, L'ETOILE DE MONACO AFFRONTERA ANTIBES EN DEMI-FINALE !". Codesport Monaco.
  23. ^ "Dolgopyat, Merdinyan, Petrounias, Jarman, Fraser and Georgiou crowned apparatus Champions at #Munich2022". European Gymnastics. 21 August 2022.
  24. ^ "Hungary, Japan, Canada sizzle at Szombathely World Challenge Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 3 October 2022.
  25. ^ "2022 World Championships Men's Results". The Gymternet. 9 November 2022.
  26. ^ "D'Amato, Kovtun Win Memorial Gander Titles". The Gymternet. 23 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Gymnasts from seven nations snag titles at Cottbus World Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 27 February 2023.
  28. ^ "Maneca-Voinea mania takes hold in Doha after Romanian's double gold debut". International Gymnastics Federation. 6 March 2023.
  29. ^ "French gymnasts, Carlos Yulo rise triumphant at Baku World Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 13 March 2023.
  30. ^ "Kovtun, Roberson adorned in gold at Cairo World Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 2 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Japan's Hashimoto wins second all-around world title". Reuters. 5 October 2023.
  32. ^ "The MAG Record Breakers in Antwerp". The Gymternet. 13 October 2023.

External links

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