Zhan Beleniuk, member of Ukraine parliament, retires after winning bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling

Ukraine's Zhan Beleniuk leaves his shoes in the ring as he retires after beating Poland's Arkadiusz Marcin Kulynycz during their men's Greco-Roman 87kg bronze medal wrestling match, at Champ-de-Mars Arena, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France.

Ukraine's Zhan Beleniuk leaves his shoes in the ring as he retires after beating Poland's Arkadiusz Marcin Kulynycz during their men's Greco-Roman 87kg bronze medal wrestling match, at Champ-de-Mars Arena, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)


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PARIS — Ukraine wrestler Zhan Beleniuk used his last Olympics to speak out against Russia's invasion of his country. The 33-year-old member of the Ukraine parliament retired from wresting after earning a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman category at the Paris Games. He defeated Poland's Arkadiucz Kulynycz 3-1 in the 87-kilogram category, and then placed his shoes in the center of the mat to symbolize the end. Beleniuk earned Olympic gold in 2021 and silver in 2016. Though he was pleased to win another medal, his response was muted. He said more than 500 Ukrainian athletes have been killed by Russians, and he asked the world to support his country against a much larger nation with more resources.

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