Ukraine competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine sent the nation's largest ever delegation to these Games. A total of 240 athletes, 125 men and 115 women, took part in 21 sports. Women's handball was the only team-based sport in which Ukraine had its representation at these Games for the first time. There was only a single competitor in modern pentathlon and taekwondo.
The Ukrainian team featured several Olympic medalists from Sydney, including skeet shooter Mykola Milchev, heavyweight wrestler David Saldadze (who eventually represented Uzbekistan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing), triple jumper Olena Hovorova, double defending swimming champion Yana Klochkova, and butterfly swimmer Denys Sylantyev, who later became the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[1] Double sculls rower Svitlana Maziy and freestyle swimmer Pavlo Khnykin were among the athletes to compete in fourth Olympic Games, although they originally played for either Soviet Union or the Unified Team. Rapid fire pistol shooter Oleh Tkachov, at age 42, was the oldest athlete of the team, while butterfly swimmer Kateryna Zubkova was the youngest at age 16.
Ukraine left Athens with a total of 22 medals, 8 golds, 5 silver, and 9 bronze, being considered the nation's most successful Olympics since its debut in 1996. Most of these medals were awarded to the athletes in track and field, gymnastics, and swimming. Being the major highlight of the games, Yana Klochkova set a historic milestone for Ukraine as the first female swimmer to defend Olympic titles in the individual medley (both 200 and 400 m) at two consecutive Games.[2][3] Three more female Ukrainian athletes won Olympic gold medals for the first time in their respective events: Olena Kostevych in pistol shooting, Nataliya Skakun in weightlifting, and Irini Merleni in freestyle wrestling.[4] Ukraine 's team-based athletes proved particularly successful in Athens, as the women's handball team took home the bronze medal in the tournament.[5] Originally, Ukraine had won a total of 23 Olympic medals at these Games. On December 5, 2012, the International Olympic Committee and the IAAF stripped off shot putter Yuriy Bilonoh's gold medal after drug re-testings of his samples were discovered positive.[6]
Ukrainian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).[7][8] On December 5, 2012, the International Olympic Committee and the IAAF stripped off Ukrainian shot putter Yuriy Bilonoh's gold medal after drug re-testings of his samples were discovered positive.[6]
Key
Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
The Ukrainian boxing team at the 2004 Olympics consisted of six boxers. Only one was defeated in his first bout as four of the six boxers advanced to the quarterfinals. They all lost there, keeping Ukraine from winning any boxing medals.
Ukrainian divers qualified for eight individual spots at the 2004 Olympic Games. One Ukrainian synchronized diving team qualified through the 2004 FINA Diving World Cup series.
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage
Ukrainian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
Austria (1896–1912)
Hungary (1896–1912)
Russian Empire (1900–1912)
Czechoslovakia (1920–1936)
Poland (1924–1936)
Romania (1924–1936)
Soviet Union (1952–1988)
Unified Team (1992)
