A Ukrainian member of the armed forces has won the country’s first silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Serhiy Kulish said that he wants the medal to bring hope to his country. This comes as Russia’s military operation in Ukraine continues.
Kulish won the silver medal in rifle shooting from three positions at a distance of 50 meters.
He also took the silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. But at the Tokyo Games, he shot a competitor’s target by mistake and finished in eighth place.
Kulish said his medal is dedicated to his family and his country. It is Ukraine’s second medal of the Games. A Ukrainian athlete won a bronze medal in women’s fencing.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry praised Kulish in a post on social media. It said Kulish has shown that Ukraine has the will to win. The ministry also said at least 520 sports facilities in the country have been damaged in Russian attacks.
Outside the venue, the floating Olympic cauldron has become a favorite sight for visitors.
The ball-shaped cauldron is a massive 22 meters in diameter.
And it is eco-friendly as well. It is the first time in the history of the Olympics that fossil fuels have not been used for the cauldron.
What appear to be flickering flames are actually LED lights that use renewable energy and are exposed to steam.
The cauldron flies up to a height of about 60 meters from sunset to 2 a.m.