Ukraine has won two medals as a country in the last two Winter Olympics. Both times, it was the same athlete standing on the podium. Freestyle skiing extraordinaire Oleksandr Abramenko won gold in Men’s Aerials at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, becoming just the second-ever Winter Olympic champion from Ukraine after Oksana Baiul’s figure skating title in 1994. Most recently, Abramenko took silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing where he had the honor of being the Ukrainian team’s flag bearer at Opening Ceremonies. It marked the fifth straight Winter Olympics in which he has competed, beginning with the 2006 Torino Games at age 17. He placed sixth at the 2014 Sochi Games, and in the 2015-16 season became the first Ukrainian to win a World Cup title in any freestyle event.
On February 24, 2022, one week after his runner-up finish in Beijing, Russia invaded Ukraine. The devastating War in Ukraine continues to drag on, putting millions of innocent lives at risk including Abramenko and his family.
“We spend the night in the underground parking in the car, because the air attack siren is constantly on,” Abramenko explained in a 3/4/2022 New York Times article (pictured with his wife and then two-year-old son in a Kyiv parking garage. “It’s scary to sleep in the apartment, I myself saw from the window how the air defense systems worked on enemy missiles, and strong explosions were heard.”
SCP Auctions is proud to present Oleksandr Abramenko’s 2022 Beijing second-place silver medal to the market, with proceeds to benefit both Abramenko’s family and Ukrainian War relief efforts. By all accounts, this is the first winner’s medal of any kind (including gold or bronze) from the 2022 Winter Olympics to be put up for auction.
The robust silver medal made of pure silver, measures 87 mm in diameter and 9 mm thick, and weighs 570 grams (20.3 oz.) including the ribbon. The red ribbon, attached to a thick loop at the top, measures approx. 41” long (if unconnected and fully stretched), with “Beijing 2022” stamped in white.
According to the official Olympics.com website, Beijing winners’ medals were named Tong Xin, meaning "together as one”, and their design “is based on Chinese ancient jade concentric circle pendants with the five rings representing the Olympic spirit to bring people together. In keeping with BOCOG's principles of a ‘streamlined, safe and splendid’ Olympic Games, the shape of the gold, silver and bronze medals is simple and classic, resembling the jade-inlaid medals of the Summer Games in 2008 as well as showcasing Beijing as the first ‘Dual Olympic City’ to host both Summer and Winter Games.”
On the obverse are five Olympic rings at center, with “XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022” below, surrounded by ice, snow, and cloud patterns. On the reverse is the “Beijing 2022” Winter Games emblem at center with its full name in Chinese letters below; and “Freestyle Men’s Aerials” is engraved along the bottom rim. The medal is well-preserved on the front and back surfaces, with some minor scratching only on the bottom edge. It comes housed in its original square wooded presentation box (6x8x2.5") with a small 2022 Olympic pin on the interior and a navy blue lid with the 2022 Beijing legend stamped on the top.
Unfortunately, a knee injury in early 2023 has put Abramenko Oleksandr’s skiing career in jeopardy at the age of 35. Through his generous offer in this auction, he pledges to donate a portion of the auction proceeds to relief efforts at home and provide much-needed aid and supplies for Ukrainians in need. Includes letter of provenance from Abramenko.