Ukraine's lone figure skater was exhausted worrying about his family. Now he's at the Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Ukrainian figure skater Kyrylo Marsak was exhausted last summer as he trained for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics.

Drained, anxious and often unable to sleep, the 21-year-old could not stop thinking about his family back in Ukraine: His father is in the army on the front lines and his mother is in Kyiv, while his grandparents are dodging drone attacks in his hometown of Kherson. Still, he forced himself to prepare for his Olympic debut.

Marsak moved to Finland to train in safety shortly after the war began, but the conflict has a long reach.

“It is really affecting the way we live, the way we think, the way we practice as well,” he told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Marsak, who ultimately sought help through therapy and medication, is channeling his feelings into his program for singles figure skating as the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches.

When he competed Tuesday in the short program as Ukraine's lone figure skater in Milan, the 21-year-old skated to “Fall On Me” by crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo.

Marsak and his father, Andriy, see themselves in the song that unites the Bocelli family. Marsak last saw his father during the Ukrainian nationals in April, when Andriy was able to get military leave to attend the competition and witnessed his son win his third title before returning to the front lines.

“Even though we cannot see each other, we are still together, we still feel this connection between us,” the figure skater said.

Some spectators draped their seats in Ukrainian flags, applauding and cheering as Marsak jumped in excitement after he finished his skate. He earned 86.89 points, his highest score of the season by nearly 10 points.

After Tuesday, the top 24 of 29 skaters will move on to Friday's free skate. Marsak is competing against favorites like Ilia Malinin, the American “Quad God” whose stunning free skate Sunday secured the gold medal for the U.S. in the team event, and Japanese sensation Shun Sato.

If Marsak makes it through, he'll wear a costume designed by his mother, who traveled from Kyiv to Milan this week to watch him compete.

His free skate program is set to a combination of “I’m Tired” and “The Feels.” He said the songs, both by Labrinth and Zendaya, represent his skating journey amid a war that's destroyed much of his country — including the ice rink in Kherson where he learned to skate.

“Thanks to skating, I'm still living,” he said. “It's the place where I feel alive and where I can show all of my emotions.”

The Russia-Ukraine War has taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian sport. Athletes were displaced or called up to fight. Soccer matches are often interrupted by air raid sirens and attendance is capped by bomb shelter capacity. Elite skaters, skiers and biathletes usually train abroad, with attacks and frequent blackouts shuttering local facilities.

In northern Ukraine, young cross-country skiers have been training in a bombed-out complex where sirens regularly pierce the air.

Nevertheless, Ukraine has managed to send 46 athletes to Milan Cortina, ranging from Marsak to six cross-country skiers and 10 biathletes.

Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine’s minister of youth and sports, said the athletes aim to send an important message to Russia and the rest of the world.

“We have the opportunity to raise our flag to show that Ukraine is resilient, Ukraine is still in power,” he said. “We have a will to win and we continue to be one of the most successful sport teams in the world because success in sports always was a part of the Ukrainian national brand.”

Ukrainian-born ice dancer Vadym Kolesnik, meanwhile, competed for the U.S. Monday after obtaining American citizenship last summer. Kolesnik’s family has endured the ongoing war, with his brother enlisting in the army and his father’s business destroyed. But the 24-year-old finally reunited with two family members from Ukraine on Saturday after four years apart, thanks to a GoFundMe campaign that paid for their flights to Milan.

Kolesnik and his ice dance partner, Emilea Zingas, finished sixth in Monday's rhythm dance. They will compete Wednesday in the free dance.

AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Milan contributed to this report.

AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Kyrylo Marsak of Ukraine prepares to skate before the men's figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Kyrylo Marsak of Ukraine competes during the men's figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Kyrylo Marsak of Ukraine competes during the men's figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Kyrylo Marsak of Ukraine competes during the men's figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Ukrainian figure skater Kyrylo Marsak walks outside the Milan ice skating arena on his way to practice his routine, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vasilisa Stepanenko)

Ukrainian figure skater Kyrylo Marsak poses for a photo outside the Milan ice skating arena on his way to practice his routine, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vasilisa Stepanenko)

WASHINGTON (AP) — An annual meeting of the nation’s governors that has long served as a rare bipartisan gathering is unraveling after President Donald Trump excluded Democratic governors from White House events.

The National Governors Association said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors also announced they would boycott a traditional dinner at the White House.

“If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the group wrote. “Democratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican and the chairman of the NGA, said in a letter Monday to fellow governors obtained by The Associated Press that the White House intends to limit invitations to the association’s annual business meeting, scheduled for February 20, to Republican governors only.

“Because NGA’s mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program,” Stitt wrote.

The NGA is scheduled to meet in Washington from Feb. 19-21. Representatives for Stitt, the White House and the NGA didn't immediately comment on the letter.

Brandon Tatum, the NGA's CEO, said in a statement last week that the White House meeting is an “important tradition” and said the organization was “disappointed in the administration's decision to make it a partisan occasion this year.”

The governors group is one of the few remaining venues where political leaders from both major parties gather to discuss the top issues facing their communities. In his letter, Stitt encouraged governors to unite around common goals.

“We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us,” he wrote. “The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. America’s governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics.”

Signs of partisan tensions emerged at the White House meeting last year, when Trump and Maine's Gov. Janet Mills traded barbs.

Trump singled out the Democratic governor over his push to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state if she did not comply. Mills responded, “We’ll see you in court.”

Trump then predicted that Mills’ political career would be over for opposing the order. She is now running for U.S. Senate.

The back and forth had a lasting impact on last year’s conference and some Democratic governors did not renew their dues last year to the bipartisan group.

Peoples reported from New York.

President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One, early Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., after returning from a trip to Florida. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)