Ukrainian world climbing champion Maksym Petrenko killed in action

The war has claimed the life of Ukrainian former world climbing champion Maksym Petrenko.

Source: Ukrainian athlete Yevhen Kryvosheitsev on Facebook

Details: Petrenko was killed in the battle for the city of Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast. He was 46.

Quote from Kryvosheitsev: "In the battle against Russian occupiers for the city of Toretsk, defending Ukraine from Putin's hordes, my old friend and long-term climbing partner Maksym Petrenko was killed!"

Petrenko twice won gold medals at the Climbing World Youth Championships. His highest achievement in adult competitions was a bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships in Birmingham. He was the first Ukrainian to win such an award in lead climbing.

He also climbed routes up to the 8c+ category – one of the hardest – on rocks in Crimea and abroad.

Background: Yaroslav Strilets, two-time world pankration champion and multiple-time Ukrainian champion, and Nina Pashkevych, Ukrainian women’s weightlifting champion, have also been killed in action.

Support UP or become our patron!