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Two honours that framed Ukraine's October 2018
Summary
A look back at two achievements from late October 2018 that drew international attention to Ukrainians.
What did Ukraine's international profile look like on 30 October 2018? Two recent reports offered a partial answer, one from sport and one from human rights.
On 27 October, Ukrainians at the Invictus Games in Sydney won 20 medals: 7 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze. The tally reflected a strong team showing at a competition for wounded and injured service personnel.
Two days earlier, on 25 October, the European Parliament awarded Oleg Sentsov the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The award put a Ukrainian name at the centre of a major European human rights honour.
Two different kinds of recognition
The two stories were unconnected in their settings, one athletic and one political. Each, however, brought Ukrainians recognition abroad within the same week. The medal count was a measurable result, while the Sakharov Prize was a statement of values by a European institution.
Taken together, they show how Ukraine appeared to outside audiences by the end of that October: through the achievements of its people, not only through the headlines that usually dominated coverage of the country.
