Ukrainian gymnast Kovtun wins silver in Paris Olympics.

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.

Ukrainian gymnast Illia Kovtun won a silver medal in the men's parallel bars exercise final at the Paris Olympics on Aug.

5. Kovtun finished fourth twice in the all-around final round and men's floor exercise final last week, losing to the bronze medalists by less than 1 point. The 20-year-old gymnast scored 15,500 points, which is 0.7 points less than earned by the winner of the competition, Zou Jingyuan from China.

Japanese athlete Shinnosuke Oka took third place with 15,300 points. This is Kovtun's first Olympic medal. The two-time World Championships medallist made his Games debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, finishing 11th in the men's individual all-around.

Gold medalist Jingyuan Zou from China (C), silver medalist Ukraine's Illia Kovtun (L) and bronze medalist Shinnosuke Oka from Japan (R) pose on the podium at the artistic gymnastics men's parallel bars medal ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug.

5, 2024, in Paris, France. (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Another Ukrainian gymnast, Oleh Verniaiev, finished eighth in the men's parallel bars exercise final, scoring 13,300 points. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian shooter Pavlo Korostyliov took fifth place in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol finals. Ukraine has won seven medals so far at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Iryna Gerashchenko won gold and silver in the high jump competition, while shooter Serhii Kulish won a silver medal in the 50m rifle three-position event. Mykhailo Kokhan won a bronze medal during the men's hammer throw competition. Fencer Olga Kharlan won bronze in the individual saber event, and Ukraine's women's saber fencing team took gold.

With world record and shot at medals in men's, women's events, high jump becomes Ukraine's main Olympic sport

In early July, Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh was winning another event as she was preparing for the Paris Olympics.

After beating competition in the sector, Mahuchikh went for the world record, in place for over 35 years, with few coming close to challenge it.

Mahuchikh took it from the