Nelli
Chukanivska
Ukraine
·
Cliff Diving
Date of birth | 28 March 2007 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Dnipropetrovsk |
Age | 19 |
Nationality | Ukraine |
Career start | 2022 |
Disciplines | cliff diving |
Four top ten finishes in four stops during her debut season in 2024 – including a fifth place in Montreal and a stunning third spot at the season finale in Sydney – surprised the cliff diving world and guaranteed the youngster a spot at every stop last year.
A condensed calendar in 2025 meant that the 19-year-old ended up competing in the same number of events as the previous season, and incredibly the Ukrainian went on to produce the exact same results – third, fifth, eighth and ninth place finishes, with her second career podium coming at the season opener in the Philippines.
Chukanivska, who won her first ever diving competition at the age of just five, was introduced to high diving by Oleg Vyshyvanova, and in 2022 she won the Junior High Diving World Championships in Montreal (12m).
However, with only four stops available for her rivals this time too, those same positions proved more profitable, elevating Chukanivska from 11th overall in her first season up to sixth place in the final standings last year.
Having won her first ever diving competition at the age of just five, Chukanivska was introduced to high diving by former World Series wildcard diver Oleg Vyshyvanov – and in 2022 she won the Junior High Diving World Championships in Montreal (12 m).
The Ukrainian, along with a group of other unattended kids from her country, was taken under the wing of Oleg in Croatia after the outbreak of war in her country, and has been living, training and going to school there since.
A graduate of the Orlando Duque’s Under my Wiiings programme in Mostar in 2023, this talented youngster dreams of one day becoming a champion. Many experts, including the Colombian legend himself, believe her tender age is the reason she is still struggling for consistency, but the quality and potential is clearly there for all to see.
Career Highlights
2025
- 3rd Place: Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series - El Nido, Philippines
2024
- Youngest Permanent World Series athlete ever
- 3rd Place: Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series - Sydney, Australia
2022
- Winner: Junior World Championships Montreal – 12 m