Ukrainian High Jumper Sets New World Record

It was a world record performance for up-and-coming high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh at the World Athletic Championships in Doha, Qatar last month. Machuchikh – who just turned 18 in September – set the world junior (under-20) record in the women’s high jump with a leap of 2.04 metres, good enough for silver. At The 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion she was one of only two jumpers to clear 2.02m at the competition, but the gold went to Russian legend Mariya Lasitskene, who needed fewer jumps to clear the height.

It was a coming-out party for Mahuchikh, who bested 21-year-old teammate and 2017 world silver medalist Yuliya Levchenko to take home one of two medals for Ukraine at the World Championships. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, the 2019 Universiade champion in long jump, captured silver in Doha will a leap of 6.92 metres. Mahuchikh, Levchenko, and Bekh-Romanchuk will each be favourites to repeat as medalists at next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.