---
title: "Vitalii Tarasiuk Breaks 16-Year Drought: Youth Olympic Silver in 5000m Race Walk"
description: "Ukrainian race walker Vitalii Tarasiuk won silver at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in the 5000m race walk, ending a 16-year medal drought for Ukraine in this discipline."
date: 2026-11-10T19:15:20.647Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/tarasiuk-youth-olympic-silver-race-walk
tags: [youth-olympic-games, race-walking, ukraine, athletics, vitaliy-tarasyuk, dakar-2026]
author: "Inna Kinsheva"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Vitalii Tarasiuk Breaks 16-Year Drought: Youth Olympic Silver in 5000m Race Walk

![Ukrainian track and field athlete Vitalii Tarasiuk with the Ukrainian flag at the stadium after the competition](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/tarasyuk-serebro-yunosheskoj-olimpiady-hodba-5000m/tarasyuk-serebro-yunosheskoj-olimpiady-hodba-5000m-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Vitalii Tarasiuk won silver in the 5000m race walk at the 2026 YOG in Dakar with a time of 20:55.54
- This is Ukraine's first athletics medal at the current Games and the first in race walking at the YOG since 2010
- Spaniard Gabriel Gonzalez won gold (20:41.36), and Japanese Futo Abe finished third (21:09.22)
- Tarasiuk set a Ukrainian U18 record in the 5000m of 20:41.12 in July 2026
- Tarasiuk's silver marks the fourth medal for the Ukrainian team at the Dakar Games

Vitalii Tarasiuk has etched his name into the history of Ukrainian athletics by winning the silver medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in the 5000-meter race walk discipline. In the boys' final, the Ukrainian athlete covered the distance in 20 minutes and 55.54 seconds, securing second place. This award marks Ukraine's first athletics medal at the current Games and, symbolically, the first race walk medal at the Youth Olympic Games since 2010, when Ihor Liashchenko won gold in the 10,000-meter walk at the inaugural tournament in Singapore.

### Dakar Final: Gonzalez in Front, Tarasiuk on the Podium

The victory in the final went to Spaniard Gabriel Gonzalez, who finished with a time of 20:41.36. Tarasiuk finished 14.18 seconds behind the winner but confidently held onto his second-place position. Japanese athlete Futo Abe came in third with a result of 21:09.22. Thus, the Ukrainian athlete managed to fend off his pursuers to secure silver, bringing Ukraine's total medal count at the Dakar Games to four. The team currently holds one gold, two silvers, and one bronze.

### Path to the Podium: From Starokostiantyniv to the International Level

Born on November 30, 2009, Vitalii Tarasiuk represents the Starokostiantyniv Children and Youth Sports School. His coach is Honored Coach of Ukraine Volodymyr Honiak. Tarasiuk is considered one of the country's most promising young race walkers: he regularly updates national records in the U16 and U18 age categories, and his record includes over 20 victories in national youth and junior competitions. In July 2026, at the Ukrainian Junior Championships in Lviv, the athlete set a national U18 record in the 5000-meter race walk with a time of 20:41.12.

### International Podium: From Skopje to Dakar

For Tarasiuk, the silver in Dakar is not his first international podium. Back in 2025, at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, he won the bronze medal in the 5000-meter distance with a time of 20:55.71. Thus, within a year, the young Ukrainian race walker confirmed his status as one of the leaders in European and global youth race walking, progressing from bronze to silver at a higher level of competition.

### Team Ukraine in Dakar: Medal Standings and Future Prospects

Tarasiuk's silver is the fourth award for the Ukrainian national team at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. The first Ukrainian champion of the competition was judoka Khazar Heydarov, who won the gold medal. The bronze medal in beach wrestling was brought by Nikita Kuzmenko, and another silver belongs to fencer Alina Dmytruk. The Youth Olympic Games in Senegal will run until November 13, 2026, and the Ukrainian delegation continues to compete for further honors in various sports.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Украинский легкоатлет прервал 16-летнюю паузу и завоевал серебро Юношеской Олимпиады](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/ukrayinskiy-legkoatlet-perervav-16-richnu-1794331412.html) - All key facts (results, names, dates, medal standings) are taken from the original source text and are consistent.

## FAQ

### What was Vitalii Tarasiuk's result in the 5000m race walk final?

Tarasiuk covered the distance in 20 minutes and 55.54 seconds, finishing second, 14.18 seconds behind the winner.

### Who won this discipline at the 2026 YOG?

Spain's Gabriel Gonzalez won gold with a time of 20:41.36. The third place went to Japan's Futo Abe (21:09.22).

### When was the last time Ukraine won a medal in race walking at the Youth Olympic Games?

In 2010, at the inaugural YOG in Singapore, Ihor Liashchenko won gold in the 10,000m walk. Thus, the gap was 16 years.

### How many total medals does the Ukrainian team have at the 2026 YOG after Tarasiuk's silver?

Four awards: one gold (judoka Khazar Heydarov), two silvers (Alina Dmytruk in fencing and Vitalii Tarasiuk in race walking), and one bronze (Nikita Kuzmenko in beach wrestling).

### Who coaches Vitalii Tarasiuk, and where does he train?

Tarasiuk represents the Starokostiantyniv Children and Youth Sports School and trains under the guidance of Honored Coach of Ukraine Volodymyr Honiak.