Rower Lyudmila Luzan and judoka Kseniya Kirilchuk have been named Ukraine’s best female athletes for August!

Lyudmila Luzan has been named the best female athlete of August 2026 — she is the champion and silver medallist at the World Canoe and Kayak Championships held in Poznań (Poland).

The Ukrainian won gold in the single canoe 200-metre event and also took silver in the double canoe 500-metre event, partnering with Anastasia Rybachok. Lyudmyla Luzan became only the second athlete in history and the first European to successfully defend her world title in the 200-metre single canoe event.

It is worth noting that this is the fourth time Lyudmyla Luzan has been named Athlete of the Month. She was previously recognised for her medal-winning performances in June 2023 and 2026, as well as in August 2025.

Mykola Matsapura, Lyudmyla Luzan’s personal coach, was named Coach of the Month for August.

Kseniia Kyrylchuk won the ‘Best Young Female Athlete of August’ award. The judoka won silver at the Under-18 Cadet World Championships in the under-52kg weight category, held in Guayaquil (Ecuador).

Kateryna Solomyana-Kyrylchuk – Kseniia Kyrylchuk’s personal coach and mother – was named Best Coach of a Young Female Athlete for August.

For their significant contribution to the training of athletes, the NOC of Ukraine will also honour the Ukrainian Canoe Federation, the ‘Dynamo’ Physical Culture and Sports Society of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Judo Federation.

As is tradition, the winners of the ‘Sports Month’ awards will receive cash prizes, exclusive statuettes and commemorative plaques from the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine during a formal ceremony.

We warmly congratulate the athletes and their coaches on this well-deserved recognition! We wish them further success on the international stage!