At the near end of the pool hangs a banner depicting a soldier, standing in a field of golden corn underneath a rich blue sky. A column of tanks stretches behind him and overhead flies a national flag that the scene's essential elements are designed to replicate. The accompanying slogan reads: "I believe in the armed forces, glory to Ukraine!" Beneath it, as the image catches the early morning light, Mykhailo Serbin climbs in and sets off down the middle lane.
Serbin cuts through the water with speed and grace, which is to be expected from one of the best para swimmers in the world. At the end of each length he is guided by sticks held out by members of staff, so that he knows when it is time to turn. His local pool in Kharkiv was ruined by Russian bombs; it has been an adjustment to live and train here in Kamianske, a dormitory city of Dnipro, along with a tranche of athletes living in forced exile from their homes.
"We had no hopes, no expectations," Serbin says of those months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Would we get a salary? Would our fees be paid? It was all unknown. We lived one day at a time and just started training.
You couldn't know what would happen tomorrow."
Through all the uncertainty and upheaval he will compete in Paris over the next fortnight. He hopes to retain his Paralympic title in the 100m backstroke S11 category, which is for swimmers who are almost completely blind, and has a 200m individual medley silver to build on too. At 20 he has a formidable bank of achievements behind him, a world championship gold in Madeira last year among the most recent.
"The first goal is to prove to yourself that you haven't worked in vain for the last few years," he says of the task ahead. "The next is to make sure people don't forget about Ukrainians, who are such strong people."
Denne historien er fra August 27, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 27, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Consumer champions
BT has left my father, 80, with no phone for months.
Money hacks How to save a bundle on children's clothes
Charity shops can be a goldmine for bargains - use the Charity Retail Association's online search page to find ones that stock children's clothes, or in London, head to one of FARA's 14 stores that specialise in kids' clothes.
University students Why are tuition fees going up and who does it affect?
The government has announced fees in England will rise to £9,535 in 2025. Shane Hickey gives you the lowdown on the changes
British Airways owner IAG's profits up 15%
Strong demand for transatlantic travel has bolstered the profits of International Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways, with the UK national carrier outperforming rivals despite widespread European flight delays.
Taking the plunge Seven date ideas that won't break the bank
You certainly don't need to spend a fortune to have a fun and romantic time, whether it's your first date or the 101st.
The price of love How much does dating cost - and who pays the bill?
Hinge+ costs £14.99 for a week, £24.99 for one month, £49.99 for three months and £74.99 for six months. One week of HingeX costs £24.99, a month is £44.99, three months £89.99 and six months comes in at £129.99.
China offers £646bn to local government but balks at big stimulus
China has announced 10tn yuan in debt support for local governments and other economic measures, but stopped short of a \"bazooka\" stimulus package many analysts expected.
Secret diary of TV freelancer Brutal hours, fear, panic - and finally a kick in the teeth
An anonymous producer writes about their experiences of the brutal hours, low budgets and high stress of television production
Shares plunge for housebuilder Vistry after new profit warning
Shares in the FTSE 100 housebuilder Vistry have plunged after it issued a second profit warning in as many months and said cost overruns on building projects were worse than previously thought.
Families may get post office compensation, says minister
The postal minister has said that family members and employees of post office branch owners who have not been eligible to make claims over the Horizon IT scandal may be allowed to apply for compensation.
