From the trenches to the track, Ukraine’s amputee athletes join international race

KYIV, Ukraine -- Since losing both legs, Dmytro Bykhovchenko has become a meticulous planner.The best route for every trip, access to cars, and the availability of ramps and handrails are all worked out in detail ahead of time.This month, the 30-year-old completed his most ambitious plan yet, joining fellow Ukrainian war veterans in a grueling international fitness race in Valencia, Spain.Known as HYROX, the competition combines eight 1-kilometer runs with eight punishing workouts, including sled pushes, rowing, weighted carries and sandbag lunges. Amputee athletes competed in the event’s disabled category.As planned, Bykhovchenko finished the course, wheeling himself around the track and lowering himself to the ground for floor workouts.“Sport just makes my days easier,” he told The Associated Press in an interview. “Mentally and morally, it really helps relieve my head, not to think about the bad things and generally look at life more positively.”Bykhovchenko lost both legs three years ago during the Battle of Avdiivka, when a Russian drone dropped an explosive into his trench. Heavy fighting delayed his evacuation for hours.For Bykhovchenko and his teammates, including veterans ...