Ukrainian fencer Olena Kryvytska is a two-time Olympian, and a World Championships and World Cup medallist in individual and team épée events. A right-handed fencer, Kryvytska is frequently ranked in the Top 10 women’s épée competitors worldwide by the International Fencing Federation. She has been honoured with the Order of Princess Olga, and has been named an Honoured Master of Sport in Ukraine.
Kryvytska made her international debut in 2007, and first competed at the World and European Championships that same year. She enjoyed early success at the biennial Universiade, medalling in three consecutive Games, including taking gold in the team event in Belgrade 2009, and silver in the individual in Shenzhen 2011. In 2012, she made her Olympic debut in London, where she made it to the second round of the individual épée, and also represented Ukraine in the team event. Four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, she again competed for Ukraine in the team event, and made it through to the round of 16 in the individual competition.
The 2017-18 season would prove to be Kryvytska’s most successful yet, including an individual bronze medal at the World Fencing Championships in Leipzig, a World Cup bronze medal in Barcelona, and an end-of-season rank of No. 4 in the world. She would repeat her bronze medal win at the Worlds in Budapest two years later, where she and her compatriots narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the women’s team épée.
