Ukrainian athletes have entered the top ranks based on the results of the 2023 Rocketry World Cup

In mid-October, the final stage of this year’s World Cup took place in Slovenia. The organizers had initially planned to hold 14 competitions in various countries throughout the 2023 season.
However, not all events unfolded as planned; the North Coast Cup in the USA saw participants from only one country, while the Andritz Space Cup 2023 in Slovakia and the Galactic Cup in the USA were postponed to 2024.
As part of the World Cup, Ukrainian athletes represented our country in five stages in Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, and Bulgaria, demonstrating a remarkable level of preparation and skill. This task proved challenging due to the closed airspace in Ukraine amid the military situation. Previously, rocket modelers could practice at home before competitions, but now they had only 1-2 days to prepare upon arriving in the host country. Regular training constitutes 60 to 90% of the outcome, depending on the competition class.
Ukrainian athletes had to rely solely on their previous experience and calculations.
“At the World Cup, athletes launch their rockets a minimum of 9 times on at least 3-5 stages. It’s more challenging than the World Championship and European Championship, where three rounds are sufficient. In this year’s World Cup, I managed to secure 1st place in the S4 class, once again representing Ukraine on the podium of global sports competitions!” ” – shares Rodion Struzman from Dnipro.
Results:
The World Cup results are based on the best 3 stages individually for each rocket modeler. Both juniors and adult athletes participate in these competitions. According to the overall ranking, Ukrainian athletes achieved the following results:
In the class of rocket gliders with a duration of flight (S4A), four Ukrainians entered the top 10 out of 175 athletes:
1st place – Rodion Struzman from Dnipro (326 points)
5th place – Oleksandr Radchenko from Nizhyn (307 points)
7th place – Mykhailo Dubrovnyi from Nizhyn (295 points)
9th place – Oleksandr Chekh from Chernihiv (290 points)
The goal in this class is to achieve the longest flight duration using vertical free ballistic zoom.
In the class of rocket models with a duration of flight with a streamer (S6A), Igor Volkanov, the President of the Rocket Modeling Sport Federation in Ukraine from Dnipro, secured 7th place with 291 points out of 235 participants.
In the most complex class of scale rocket models for realistic flight (S7), four Ukrainians ranked in the overall World Cup standings:
4th place – Serhii Trush from Nizhyn (249 points)
5th place – Ivan Kyrienko from Nizhyn (234 points)
6th place – Mykhailo Dubrovnyi from Nizhyn (203 points)
7th place – Stepan Ivchenko from Nizhyn (197 points)
In this class, 70 athletes participated, each aiming to earn the maximum points for complexity, scale conformity, and quality of manufacturing (stand assessment) and complete a qualifying flight.
In the class of radio-controlled rocket gliders for flight duration and precision landing (S8P), the following Ukrainians distinguished themselves in the top 10:
5th place – Oleksandr Chekh from Chernihiv (305.5 points)
7th place – Stepan Ivchenko from Nizhyn (304.7 points)
9th place – Igor Volkanov from Dnipro (302.8 points)
10th place – Oleksandr Radchenko from Nizhyn (279 points)
In this class, athletes need to demonstrate flight time and land the model in a designated area.
“For a long time, I was involved in aeromodeling, and not so long ago, I decided to try myself in rocket modeling sports. In this year’s World Cup stage in Slovenia, I managed to secure 1st place in the S8 class, and in the Czech Republic, I showed a good result in the S4 class. The competitions impressed me because athletes independently design their rocket models and compete with them. This technical sport, where engineering is involved, truly amazes! We are preparing for the next season and new victories,” , – says Oleksandr Chekh from Chernihiv, who participated in rocket modeling sports competitions for the first time.
In the class of rocket gliders with a rotor for flight duration (S9A), Sofia Fisun from Dnipro secured the 3rd place with 306 points, surpassing 189 rocket modelers. The goal in the S9A class is to achieve the maximum flight duration with an autorotation system for a safe return to the ground.