Boluwatife Kehinde
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is preparing for an unlikely new chapter in his career as he trains to become a sprinter for Ukraine at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The move comes after the 24-year-old’s football future was thrown into doubt following a suspension for a failed drug test.
Mudryk was provisionally banned in 2024 after testing positive for meldonium, a prohibited performance-enhancing substance. The case, confirmed by the English FA earlier this year, left him sidelined indefinitely—just two years after his high-profile arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Once regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young wingers, Mudryk now finds himself at a crossroads. According to Spanish outlet MARCA, the Ukrainian has begun training with former Olympic athletes in a bid to translate his blistering football pace into track-ready performance. His goal is to qualify for the 100m and 200m events at the Los Angeles Games. To do so, he must meet World Athletics’ qualifying standards and win a spot through Ukraine’s trials in 2027.
The switch to athletics is not without precedent for Mudryk. On his Premier League debut for Chelsea against Liverpool in January 2023, he reached a remarkable top speed of 36.63 km/h—one of the fastest ever recorded in England’s top flight. He later clocked 35.79 km/h during the following campaign, reinforcing his reputation as one of the quickest players in Europe.
That raw speed once made Mudryk one of football’s hottest prospects. In January 2023, Chelsea outbid Arsenal to secure his signature, paying close to €100 million to lure him from Shakhtar Donetsk after standout performances in the Champions League. But inconsistency and now his doping case have overshadowed his time in London.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Club World Cup clash with Flamengo, manager Enzo Maresca admitted he had little clarity on the player’s future. “Mischa is a Chelsea player. Until he is not, I will trust. That goes for all the players,” Maresca said, adding that Mudryk seemed in good spirits the last time they spoke.
Whether Mudryk’s future lies back on the football pitch or on the Olympic track, his career is at a turning point.
