Foto: BB.LV / Роман Костомаров
The tragic events began in January 2023, when Kostomarov was hospitalized with severe pneumonia. His condition rapidly deteriorated. Doctors first connected the figure skater to a ventilator, and then to an ECMO system, which provides oxygenation of the blood outside the body. Subsequently, the athlete developed sepsis and gangrene. To save his life, doctors had to resort to amputation. ## “I don’t know if I would have made the same choice” Kostomarov admitted that until the last moment he did not believe in the necessity of such radical intervention. When he regained consciousness after the coma, his condition was still extremely serious. “The chief doctor said that surgery was needed. I couldn’t speak. But I had to blink my eyes to give my consent. I blinked with tears in my eyes,” the figure skater recounted. According to the athlete, he still does not know what his decision would have been if he had been able to think clearly and fully comprehend what was happening at that moment. “I don’t know if I would have made the same choice if I had been in a different, more adequate state. At that moment, I made my choice and that’s it,” Roman admitted. ## From Olympic champion to a person who couldn’t lift his head After the surgery, Kostomarov faced a long and painful rehabilitation. In just a few weeks of severe illness, his body weakened so much that even the simplest movements became almost impossible. “You are completely atrophied, you can’t lift your head off the pillow, your arms won’t lift. You are basically a skeleton. From a healthy guy, in three to four weeks, I turned into something unrecognizable,” the figure skater recalls. Specialists worked with him daily, helping him gradually regain mobility and strength. One of the most important moments was his first time standing on prosthetics. The doctors suggested that Roman simply stand at first, but the athlete managed to take about fifteen steps. ## “I was amazed”: Kostomarov spoke about his wife’s actions A special place in the figure skater’s memories is occupied by his wife, Olympic champion Oksana Domnina. Throughout the illness and subsequent recovery, she remained by her husband’s side, supporting him in the toughest moments. Kostomarov admitted that he was struck by her resilience. “There are cases when a woman or a man leaves in such extremely difficult situations. I know that women are strong, but to be like that. I was amazed,” the athlete said. Today, Roman continues to engage in sports and is back on the ice. After the hardest trials, he managed to return to an active life, although the path to this required tremendous effort.
