Vitali Klitschko is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer. He was a silver medalist in the 1995 championship. He made his debut in professional boxing in 1996. Vitali Klitschko received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2022 ESPYS. He received the award for being the key figure in the fight against Russian aggression in Ukraine. 

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Born on July 19, 1971, Vitali serves as the Mayor of Kyiv and head of the City State Administration since June 2014. He is also the former Member of the Parliament of Ukraine and former leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc. He holds a PhD from Kyiv Physical Science Department. 

Vitali Klitschko founded the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) in 2010. He was elected into Parliament for this party in 2010. The UDAR party merged into the Petro Poroshenko Bloc in 2015. During 2013-2014 he was the leading figure in the Euromaidan protests and announced his possible candidacy for the Ukrainian Presidency but withdrew it later. 

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As a boxer, he has won multiple world heavyweight championships. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title from 1999 to 2000. He has defeated 15 opponents in world heavyweight fights and made 12 successful title defences. He entered the Guinness World Records with his brother, Wladimir Klitschko with the most heavyweight title fights won in 2011. 

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The year 2006 to 2015 was known as the “Klitschko Era” because Vitali and Wladimir dominated heavyweight boxing. Vitali announced his retirement in December 2013 at the age of 42.

 In 2018, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Vitali and Wladimir are among the 15 current athletes that have been named UNESCO Champions for Sports for their charity and philanthropy. 

In the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Klitschko and President Volodymyr Zelensky have been internationally praised as symbols of Ukraine’s resistance.