Ukrainian hammer thrower Mykhaylo Kokhan summed up his recently concluded season in an interview with Sport RBC.UA, during which he updated his personal best to 82.38 meters, and discussed how he will structure his preparation for the major events of 2027. The 25-year-old athlete did not hide the fact that he was not fully satisfied with the second half of the season, but emphasized that the team has already analyzed the mistakes and knows what needs to be adjusted.
Season Review: First Half a Success, Second Half Needs Fine-Tuning
When asked for a global assessment of the season, Kokhan replied that it was "almost a success." "The first half definitely was, and the second half needs a little work. Basically, we have already conducted an analysis and realized what went wrong. Therefore, next year we will take these nuances into account and turn our plan into reality," the athlete stated. According to him, the growth in results itself confirms that the work is heading in the right direction.
The 82.38 Record: A Sign of Growth and a Relaxing Factor
The athlete separately commented on the impact of his personal best on his mental state. He admitted that the 82.38-meter mark "relaxed him a bit," although he emphasizes: "These 82.38 showed that we are moving in the right direction, and that is the most important thing." In his opinion, the season and preparation "must be pushed to the end," and the team knows how to surpass the current result.
Preparation for 2027: Two Key Competitions
Mykhaylo shared that the off-season has already begun, and preparation for the next season will be built around two main competitions: the European Games in June and the World Championships in September. The athlete and his coaching staff will purposefully train specifically for these events.
Training Throws, Training Camps, and Acclimatization
In training, according to Kokhan, maximum throws reach about 77 meters: "Technique is worked on there, and strength is already applied at competitions." As for the training location, in winter he plans to train abroad with the assistance of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. Kokhan noted that this year after the European Championships the team returned to Ukraine in August, and further trips to competitions involved journeys of more than 20 hours, which complicated recovery. There are still no issues with acclimatization in different countries: "I am only 25 years old, so acclimatization is still easy for me.">
Nutrition: Five Meals a Day
Answering a question about his diet, the athlete described his routine: breakfast, lunch, a snack after an afternoon nap, a meal after the second workout, and dinner at around 11:30 PM. In total — five meals, of which three are full meals and two are supplementary.
Olympic Cuisine: Tokyo and Paris 2024
The conversation concluded with impressions of the food at the Olympic Games. Kokhan called the organization in Tokyo "top," and at Paris 2024 he noted the variety: "Today you can try Asian cuisine, tomorrow European, the day after tomorrow American. You can mix things up easily, everything was delicious."
