A 19-year-old Ukrainian biathlete was killed in the war with Russia this week, sports organizations said Wednesday.
Yevhen Malyshev served in the country’s military, the International Biathlon Union said. He died in combat against the invading Russian military, according to a joint statement from the Athletes of Ukraine and Global Athlete.
In a statement expressing its “deepest condolences,” the IBU’s executive board condemned the Russian attacks on Ukraine and the support being provided by Belarus. It announced an indefinite ban on all Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee.
Malyshev was on Ukraine’s biathlon junior team in 2018 but stopped competing in 2020, according to TMZ Sports.
Multiple former athletes have been killed in the invasion, including soccer players Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko.
