2020: learning and competing remotely
COVID-19 disrupted the sporting year. National competitions were cancelled twice, while the international calendar also stopped. Coaches continued teaching remotely, and patterns competitions moved online. Ukrainian clubs joined an international online patterns tournament in October.
On 11–13 December, sixteen Union instructors holding II Dan or higher joined an international online technical seminar with over a thousand participants from sixty countries. Hector Marano, Ung Kim Lan, Pierre Laquerre, Paul McPhail and Jerzy Jedut taught the sessions. The community maintained its connection to international instruction despite the restrictions.
2021: returning to competition together
The Ukrainian Championships returned in Bucha on 12–14 March. A field of 182 athletes from fourteen regions competed in patterns, sparring, power breaking and special technique. Ivano-Frankivsk region finished first, Kyiv second and Kharkiv region third. Clubs met again at a national event after the season of remote activity.
On 18 December in Dortmund, Oleh Solovey passed his VII Dan examination. The master rank complemented his many years of developing athletes and coaches.
That same day, Valentyn Zorba represented Ukraine at an online ITF congress attended by 120 leaders from eighty countries. Organisational work and international connections continued alongside the return of competition.
2022: training and competing during the war
After Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian community continued finding opportunities to prepare together. From 24 to 31 July, Drahobrat hosted a training camp and ITF Fight Evolution Summer Camp with 178 participants from twelve Ukrainian regions, Moldova and England.
Oleh, Kateryna and Vitalii Solovey taught alongside Ihor Maksymenko. The camp supported World Cup preparation and gave athletes an opportunity to train together again.
Koper hosted the VIII World Cup on 1–8 October, with 1,300 competitors, 123 teams and representation from 52 countries. Ukraine earned 61 medals — 23 gold, 12 silver and 26 bronze — and second place overall.
The junior men’s team coached by Ihor Maksymenko and the senior men’s team coached by Oleh Solovey both won team sparring. These were significant results in a year when maintaining training and travelling to international competition required exceptional effort.