'Thanks to him, I can look to the future' - Dmytro Mikhay on rowing rival Jack Beaumont's help escaping Ukraine warzone

“My first memory of Dmytro was at the 2014 world championships in Amsterdam,” recalls British Olympic silver medallist Jack Beaumont. “Dmytro was racing in the Ukrainian quadruple scull against our British crew. Dmytro's crew won by 0.09 of a second over the British team.

Ad “From then on, he was kind of the thorn in my side.” RowingPower of Sport — The Power of Friendship — Dmitriy Mikhay and Jack BeaumontAN HOUR AGO Beaumont is referring to the Ukrainian rower and former world and European champion Dmytro Mikhay — but does not speak of his rival with malice, rather fondness. The two men may have spent nearly a decade duking it out on the water, but a friendship also blossomed over time. Such was the bond between the two men, when the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces began in February, the well-being of Mikhay was the first thing on Beaumont’s mind.

On the latest episode of Power of Sport, Beaumont details his concern for his friend at the start of the conflict. “There was news going on about Russian forces building up around the borders of Ukraine,” he says. “And I remember sending Dmytro a text saying ‘I hope you guys are okay, it looks a bit scary’, and then I remember waking up one morning to this news that through the night Russia had completely gone in and I just remember feeling so worried for them.” Mikhay himself was not in Ukraine at the time but news of the outbreak of war naturally brought on feelings of fear, particularly with his wife Dasha still in the country.