The Ukrainian artistic gymnastics team made a brilliant opening to the final stage of the World Challenge Cup being held in Hungary. In one of the key finals — the rings — two Ukrainians went head-to-head for a place on the podium and brought two medals to the national team at once. Stasys Butrymas scored 13.633 points to take first place, while Oleg Verniaev, with a score of 13.233, won the silver medal. For the 23-year-old Butrymas, this victory was his first at the World Challenge Cup level.
The Return of the Olympic Champion
For Oleg Verniaev, the tournament in Hungary carried special significance: it was his first international start in over a year. The Olympic champion last competed on the podium at the 2025 European Championships. After that performance, the gymnast underwent recovery from an injury and missed the first part of the new season. His return to the international podium was accompanied by a certain tension: according to available reports, the head coach of the Ukrainian team, Yevhen Kozyn, had not planned to include the athlete in the squad for these competitions. Nevertheless, Verniaev stepped onto the podium and immediately won a medal, confirming that his form is returning.
Results of the Other Ukrainians
Apart from the rings final, Ukrainian gymnasts competed in other disciplines as well. Stasys Butrymas also took part in the floor exercise final, where he finished in eighth place. Ihor Dyshuk came within a step of the podium on the pommel horse, finishing the final in fourth position. On Sunday, September 20, Verniaev will continue his performances in the parallel bars final, which could become yet another chance for the team to add to its medal count.
Performance of the Ukrainian Gymnasts
Representatives of Ukraine in the women's program also competed in Hungary. Anastasiia Lev finished eighth in both the vault and the uneven bars. Kristina Hrudetska placed seventh on the uneven bars. Although the podium in the women's finals has not yet been conquered by the Ukrainians, their consistent results in the upper part of the protocol indicate that the athletes are in working shape ahead of the key starts of the season.
Context: Preparation for the 2026 World Championships
The tournament in Hungary became an important stage of preparation ahead of the main event of the year — the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Earlier, the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation announced the squad of the national team for the world championship. The successful results at the World Challenge Cup, especially Verniaev's return to the medal race, give the coaching staff additional arguments in matters of tactics and workload distribution before the World Championships. For Butrymas, his first victory at the Challenge Cup level could become a starting point for more ambitious goals in the remaining part of the season.
