Oksana Khrul (born 29 March 1995)[2] is a Ukrainian para-swimmer, competing in S6, SM6 and SB7 categories.

Oksana Khrul
Oksana Khrul in 2016
Personal information
NicknameKsyusha
NationalityUkrainian
Born (1995-03-29) 29 March 1995 (age 29)
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight44 kg (97 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle
CoachGalyna Boyko[1]
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Ukraine
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 50m butterfly S6
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 100m breaststroke SB7
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50m butterfly S6
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100m backstroke S6
IPC Swimming World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Eindhoven 50m butterfly S6
Silver medal – second place 2010 Eindhoven 4 x 50m Medley Relay
Gold medal – first place 2013 Montreal 50m butterfly S6
Gold medal – first place 2013 Montreal 4 x 50m Medley Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Montreal 100m Breaststroke SB7
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Montreal 200m Individual Medley SM6
Gold medal – first place 2015 Glasgow 50m Butterfly S6
Silver medal – second place 2015 Glasgow 100m Backstroke S6
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Glasgow 100m Breaststroke SB7
IPC European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Funchal 50m butterfly S6
Gold medal – first place 2016 Funchal 100m Breaststroke SB7
Gold medal – first place 2016 Funchal 4 x 50m Medley Relay
Silver medal – second place 2016 Funchal 100m Backstroke S6
Gold medal – first place 2018 Dublin 100m Breaststroke SB7
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Dublin 50m Butterfly S6

With limited use of her arms, Khrul has won medals in the World Para Swimming Championships, Paralympics, and the IPC European Championships. She set a World record at the 2012 Paralympics, and World and European records at the 2016 Paralympics, all in the 50m butterfly S6 event, and has three times received national honours in her native Ukraine.

Personal life edit

Oksana Khrul was born with arthrogryposis, a congenital musculo-skeletal condition characterised by underdeveloped joints and muscles, which leaves her with limited use of her arms.[3]

She started swimming at the age of nine after being taken to a pool by her mother.[1]

Career edit

Khrul made her senior competitive debut in 2009 at the European Championships in Reykjavic, Iceland.[1]

Paralympic Games edit

 
Oksana Khrul on her way to the 100m S6 bronze medal at the 2016 Paralympics

2012 Paralympics edit

At the Paralympic Games, Khrul continued her dominance of the 50m butterfly S6 event by taking gold at the 2012 London games with a new World record of 36.05 seconds, ahead of China's Dong Lu and Fuying Jiang. In the final, Khrul beat her previous World record of 36.96 set in her heat at the same event.[4][5][1]

Khrul also took the 2012 100m breaststroke SB7 silver medal, behind gold medal winner Jessica Long of the US and ahead of Lisa den Braber of The Netherlands. [6][7][1]

2016 Paralympics edit

At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games, Khrul took the 50m butterfly S6 silver medal, beaten by 0.87 seconds by the UK's Ellie Robinson in gold medal position with a new Paralympics record, and ahead of Australia's Tiffany Thomas Kane.[8][9]

Khrul also took the 100m backstroke S6 bronze medal at the Rio games, behind Chinese swimmers Song Lingling and Lu Dong in gold and silver positions respectively.[10][11][1]

IPC Swimming World Championships edit

At the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Khrul won the gold medal in the individual 50m butterfly S6 event, and took silver as part of the Ukraine women's 4 x 50m Medley Relay squad.[1]

At the 2013 Championships in Montreal, Canada, she successfully defended her 50m butterfly S6 title, and in the 4 x 50m Medley Relay her team beat their 2010 achievement to win the gold medal. Khrul also took bronze medals in the 100m Breaststroke SB7 and 200m Individual Medley SM6 events.[1]

The 2015 Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, saw Khrul repeat her defence of her 50m butterfly S6 title to make it three in a row,[12] and she added the 100m Backstroke S6 silver[13] and 100m Breaststroke SB7 bronze[14] medals to her wins that year.[1]

IPC European Championships edit

At the 2016 IPC Swimming European Championships in Funchal, Portugal, Khrul once again won gold in the 50m butterfly S6, this time in world record pace. She finished ahead of Britain's Ellie Robinson in silver medal position, with Ireland's Nicole Turner taking bronze.[15]

Khrul also took two more gold medals in the 100m Breaststroke SB7 and the 4 x 50m Medley Relay, and a silver medal in the 100m Backstroke S6 event.[1]

At the renamed 2018 World Para Swimming European Championships in Dublin, Khrul won gold at the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB7, with Vendula Duskova of the Czech Republic in silver medal position and Great Britain's Megan Richter in bronze.[16][17]

Khrul won bronze in the Women's 50m Butterfly S6, behind Great Britain's Ellie Robinson on gold and Nicole Turner of Ireland who took silver.[18]

Records edit

Khrul first set a new World record of 36.96 seconds in her heat at the 50m butterfly S6 at the 2012 London Paralympic games, and then broke that record again in the final with a time of 36.05 seconds.[5]

In winning the Women's 50m Butterfly S6 at the 2016 IPC Swimming European Championships in Funchal, she set new European and World records with a time of 35.48 seconds.[2]

National awards edit

In 2012, Khrul was awarded the Order of Merit third class for her achievements at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London,[19] and in 2016 she was awarded the Order of Merit second class for her achievements at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,[20] both by decree of President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine.

In 2018, Khrul received the Honoured Master of Sport in Ukraine title.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "KHRUL Oksana". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Biography Overview, KHRUL Oksana". paralympic.org. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Паралимпийская чемпионка Оксана Хруль: «Благодаря плаванию у меня в руках появилась сила, но все равно в воде я работаю только ногами»". 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018. (in Ukrainian)
  4. ^ "Swimming at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Women's 50 m Butterfly S6". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Women's 50m Butterfly - S6". The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Swimming at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB7". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Official London 2012 Paralympics Results: Final". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  8. ^ "IPC Historical Results Archive, Swimming at the London 2016 Paralympic Games, Women's 50 m Butterfly S6". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Women's 50m Butterfly - S6 - Final". Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  10. ^ "IPC Historical Results Archive, Swimming at the London 2016 Paralympic Games, Women's 100 m Backstroke S6". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Women's 100m Backstroke - S6 - Final". Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Event Overview - Women's 50m Butterfly S6". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Event Overview - Women's 100m Backstroke S6". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Event Overview - Women's 100m Breaststroke SB7". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  15. ^ "WOMEN'S 50M BUTTERFLY S6" (PDF). paralympic.org. 7 May 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Women's 100m Breaststroke SB7 Final Dublin 2018". paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Results - Women's 100m Breaststroke SB7 Final". paralympic.org. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Results - Women's 50m Butterfly S6 Final". paralympic.org. 18 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  19. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №546/2012". President of Ukraine. 17 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018. (in Ukrainian)
  20. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №430/2016". President of Ukraine. 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018. (in Ukrainian)