At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 16-year-old Ukrainian gymnast Taisiia Onofriichuk wowed everyone with her hoop routine. She danced to Michael Jackson’s famous song ‘Thriller’, showing off her skills and spirit despite the war back home.
Getting to Paris wasn’t easy for Taisiia and her team. They weren’t sure if they’d make it because of the fighting in Ukraine. Iryna Blokhina, who helps train the team, told a reporter, “We didn’t know if we would even get here. During the last attack before we left, we thought we wouldn’t survive.” Can you imagine how scary that must have been?
The team had to move around a lot to practice safely. It was hard for them to focus on their routines with all the attacks happening. They ended up moving to a quieter place before flying to Paris from Vienna.
Just a month before the Olympics, something terrible happened in Kyiv, where Taisiia is from. Missiles hit the city, hurting 31 people and damaging buildings. A children’s hospital was hit, and doctors had to take cancer patients outside in their beds. Some people even had debris fall into their chests during heart surgery.
But Taisiia didn’t let all this stop her. She came to Paris ready to show the world what she could do. She chose Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ for her routine. It was a clever choice because everyone knows that song, no matter where they’re from.
When Taisiia started her hoop routine, everyone was excited. She did so many amazing things! She spun around, flipped in the air, and even did a moonwalk like Michael Jackson. She threw her hoop high up and caught it, spinning it all around her body.
The best part was when Taisiia copied some of Michael Jackson’s famous moves from the ‘Thriller’ video. She made her hands look like claws, just like in the dance. It was so clever how she mixed gymnastics with pop music moves.
The crowd loved every second of it. They clapped along with the music, cheering Taisiia on. It felt like everyone in the room was part of something special. Taisiia’s performance brought people together, even if just for a few minutes.
The judges gave Taisiia a score of 34.250 for her hoop routine. That’s really good! It helped her get to the final round of the competition. In the end, she came in ninth place overall, doing routines with a hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. For a 16-year-old who had been through so much, that’s incredible!
Think about how hard it must have been for Taisiia to practice with all the scary things happening at home. But she and her teammates didn’t give up. They used their sport to show how strong Ukraine is. It’s like they were saying, “We’re still here, and we’re still amazing!”
As we celebrate her amazing performance, let’s not forget about the people in Ukraine and other places affected by war. We should pray for their safety and for peace in their countries.
May God watch over Taisiia, her teammates, and everyone who’s trying to make the world better by sharing their gifts.
WATCH: 16-Year-Old Ukrainian Gymnast Wows with ‘Thriller’ Hoop Routine
16-year-old Ukrainian Taisiia Onofriichuk makes everyone go crazy at #Olympics as she performs to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’
A legendary song, and a future legendary #Ukraine‘s rhythmic gymnast? #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/9FKHfaMg4G
— UATV English (@UATV_en) August 8, 2024