Lytvynenko began to swim in the age of 9 and debuted her professional career in the age of 11.[4]
In 1980, Lytvynenko won a gold medal at the Ukrainian SSR deaf swimming championships. Three years later, she won a Soviet Union deaf swimming championships.[4]
Since 1993, Lytvynenko was a member of Ukrainian national team.[1] In that year, she made her Deaflympic debut in the 1993 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Sofia, where she claimed a silver medal in 50 metres freestyle.[5]
In 1994, at the European Deaf Swimming Championships in Budapest Lytvynenko received a gold medal in 50 metres freestyle and a silver one in 100 metres freestyle.[6]
In 1997, at the Summer Deaflympics in Copenhagen, Lytvynenko won a second silver medal in 100 metres freestyle.[7] She also broke a world deaf record in 50 metres freestyle (28.05 seconds).[8]
Four years later, at the 2001 Summer Deaflympics in Rome Lytvynenko received three gold medals in 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle and a silver one in 100 metres butterfly.[9] She again broke two world deaf records in 50 metres freestyle (28.02 and 27.78 seconds).[8]
In 2002, Lytvynenko competed at the European Deaf Swimming Championships in Amsterdam, winning two gold medals in 50 and 100 metres freestyle and a bronze one in 400 metres freestyle.[6] In that year, she was a WIDEX Sportswoman of the Year finalist.[2]
At the 2005 Summer Deaflympics in Melbourne Lytvynenko she repeated her achievement of the previous Summer Deaflympics, winning three gold medals in 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle.[10] She also broke two world deaf records in 50 metres (27.39 seconds) and 100 metres (59.29 seconds) freestyle.[8][11]
At the 2006 European Deaf Swimming Championships in Thessaloniki Lytvynenko received three gold medals in 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle with a new world deaf record in 100 metres freestyle (58.90 seconds).[11][6]
In 2007, Lytvynenko made her debut at the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Taipei, where she won three gold medals in 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle, a silver one in 4 x 100 metres medley relay and bronze ones in 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 metres relay.[12] At these World Championships she broke a new world deaf record in 100 metres freestyle (58.05 seconds).[11] In that year, she was a WIDEX Sportswoman of the Year finalist.[3]
Two years later, Lytvynenko competed at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics, where she won three gold medals in 50, 100 metres freestyle and 4 x 100 freestyle relay, two silver ones in 200 metres freestyle and 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay and a bronze one in 4 x 100 medley relay.[1][13] She also broke three world deaf records in 50 metres (26.79 and 26.15 seconds) and 100 metres (57.29 seconds) freestyle.[11][8][14]
In 2010, she competed at the European Deaf Swimming Championships in Dortmund, winning five gold medals in 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle, 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay and 4 x 100 metres medley relay.[6]
The following year, Lytvynenko won a gold medal in 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay and three silver ones in 100 metres freestyle, 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay and 4 x 100 medley relay at the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Coimbra.[15]
At the 2013 Summer Deaflympics Lytvynenko won a gold medal in 100 metres freestyle, three silver ones in 50 metres freestyle, 4 x 100 medley relay and 4 x 200 freestyle relay and a bronze one in 4 x 100 freestyle relay.[16]
After her last Deaflympics in 2013 she finished her swimming career. Lytvynenko is currently a swimming coach at the youth sports school "Chance".[4]
Ukraine
