Lidiia Hunko

Lidiia Hunko (Ukrainian: Гунько Лідія Олександрівна; born August 10, 1993, in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian bobsledder. She is the first Ukrainian female bobsledder who received a quota place for the Winter Olympics.

Lidiia Hunko
Personal information
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1993-08-10) August 10, 1993
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight81 kg (179 lb)
Sport
SportBobsleigh
Event(s)Monobob, two-woman
Coached byMykhailo Heraskevych

Career
Hunko starts in the 1st run at the 2021 World Championships

Hunko started her sporting career as a strongwomen. She became a World Champion in deadlift in 2016. The next year, she won "Arnold Classic" in her category.[1]

Hunko took up bobsleigh in 2018, and one year later she started to compete internationally.[2] Her first international start took place on November 20, 2019, in Lillehammer, Norway.

On December 20, 2020, she won together with Iryna Lishchynska a bronze medal at the European Cup stage in Sigulda which became the first-ever medal in the history of Ukrainian bobsleigh.[3] They repeted their success on November 27, 2021, when they again won a bronze medal at the European Cup stage in Altenberg.[4]

On January 14, 2022, Hunko was third in a World Monobob Series event in Winterberg. This result guaranteed her an Olympic spot. She became therefore the first Ukrainian female bobsledder to represent Ukraine at the Winter Games.[5] She also ranked second together with Lishchynska in final two-women European Cup rating.[6]

Hunko participated in the monobob event at the Winter Games in Beijing.[7] After the competition, she failed a doping test and was suspended on 15 February.[8]

Career results

Winter Olympics
YearPlaceMonobobTwo-women
2022China Beijing, China —

World championships
YearPlaceMonobobTwo-women
2021Germany Altenberg, Germany21—

Rankings
SeasonRankPoints
2020–2135136
2021–2231466

Podiums
SeasonPlaceRank
2021–22Germany Winterberg, Germany3

Podiums in two-woman events
SeasonPlaceRank
2020–21Latvia Sigulda, Latvia3
2021–22Germany Altenberg, Germany3

References
  1. "About Lidiia Hunko". my.ua. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  2. ""An incredibly difficult way." Lidiia Hunko is the first Ukrainian female bobsledder". Suspilne. January 24, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. "First ever medal in bobsleigh! Ukrainians won a bronze medal at the European Cup". sport.ua. December 12, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  4. "Ukrainian bobsledders won a medal at the European Cup". sport.ua. November 28, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  5. "Hunko won the first ever for Ukraine Olympic sport in bobsleigh". ua.tribuna.com. January 15, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  6. "Hunko finished the season as second in the European Cup ranking". ua.tribuna.com. January 15, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  7. "Official list of Ukrainian delegation at the 2022 Winter Games was published". Suspilne. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  8. "Ukrainian bobsledder tests positive for banned substance at Beijing Olympics". globalnews.ca. February 17, 2022.
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