On Friday, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine won a silver medal in the women’s triple jump at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Bekh-Romanchuk is the wife of Ukrainian swimmer Mykhalio Romanchuk, an Olympic and World Championships silver and bronze medalist.
Bekh-Romanchuk jumped a season-best mark of 15.00 meters and had been in gold medal position for the majority of the competition until world record holder Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela jumped 15.08 meters during the final round to overtake her. She won her third Worlds or Olympics medal, with her other medals being 2019 Outdoor Worlds silver in the long jump and 2022 Indoor Worlds silver in the triple jump.
Romanchuk had been in attendance in Budapest during Bekh-Romanchuk’s final.
Bekh-Romanchuk and Romanchuk got married in September 2018, and are approaching their five-year anniversary. Both athletes have been training outside of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of the nation in February 2022, as Romanchuk trains in Germany alongside German swimmer Florian Wellbrock while Bekh-Romanchuk trains in Italy.
At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Romanchuk finished 6th in the 800 free and 7th in the 1500 free.
Romanchuk is not the only swimmer in a relationship with an athlete competing in another sport. Other examples include World Champion Shayna Jack of Australia, who is dating Australian field hockey player Joel Rintala; American record holder and Olympic champion Simone Manuel, who is engaged to former Stanford football player Denzel Franklin; Worlds silver medalist Jennie Johansson of Sweden, who is married to Australian discus thrower Benn Harradine; and Danish Olympian Soren Dahl, who is in a relationship with NFL defensive end Carl Nassib.
I wish it had been gold. Rojas the overwhelming favorite and eventual winner really should have been eliminated during the first three rounds. All it would have taken is for Jasmine Moore to be anywhere near her typical form.
Even though Romanchuk had the lead throughout she wasn’t likely to extend it. Likewise the women sitting second and third had already maximized or thereabouts. The entire final 5 rounds of jumps contained only 2 variables…whether Rojas would survive the cut to 8, and then whether she could salvage one moderate jump by her standards to surpass 15.00 meters
Ben Harradine is not a shot putter, he’s a discus thrower.
Fabulous! I watched last night and had to Google to see whether they were related.
I believe she also won the gold medal in the long jump
She did not. She triple-fouled and wound up with no mark in prelims. Ivana Vuleta from Serbia won long jump.
Opposites attract (fast twitch vs. slow twitch, in this case).
Well done! Watched the triple jump last night and I recognised the name, but did not connect the dots! Well spotted Swim Swam 👍