Titled Ukrainian national handball player dies at 34

Famous Ukrainian handball player Iryna Hlibko died at the age of 35. The two-time Romanian champion with KSM Bucharest (2015) and Vilcea (2019) died of breast cancer.

Hlibko was born in Odesa. She was a member of the Ukrainian national team and captain. In the 2022/2023 season, she was ranked second in the list of top scorers in the EHF European League.

Since 2012, she has been competing in Romania. In the summer of 2024, she decided to retire from the sport, focusing entirely on fighting the disease.

"We are saddened to announce the passing of the outstanding athlete Iryna Hlibko. A true leader on the field and a special soul, Iryna demonstrated passion and professionalism to everyone who came in contact with her. Through her lifestyle and her dedication to her work, she left an indelible mark on the memories of all those who had the honor of knowing her or working with her," reads the Wilczi Club's obituary.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Marina Dikhtyar, a bronze medalist in the Paralympic bench press competition in Ukraine, died at the age of 42. The native of Smila (Cherkasy region) had been suffering from an acute form of scoliosis since the age of 14. In 2016, she was diagnosed with abdominal mesothelioma.

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