Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Ukraine’s Rising Star in the World of Athletics

Just a month before her gold-medal performance, Mahuchikh made headlines by clearing a remarkable 2.10 meters (6.89 feet), breaking the long-standing 2.09-meter (6.86 feet) record set by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova in 1987. Expectations for her performance at the Paris Olympics were at an all-time high.

In the final, Mahuchikh’s primary competition came from Australia’s reigning Olympic silver medalist, Nicola Olyslagers, who had outjumped Mahuchikh in the Tokyo 2020 final, leaving the Ukrainian with bronze. Now in Paris, both athletes cleared 1.98 meters (6.5 feet), setting up a head-to-head battle for gold at 2.00 meters (6.56 feet). Mahuchikh took the lead, clearing the bar on her first attempt, while Olyslagers needed three jumps to advance to 2.02 meters.

Both athletes dislodged the bar at 2.02 meters twice. The championship was decided in the third and final jumps: Olyslagers failed to clear the height, and Mahuchikh, for the first time in her career, became the Olympic champion.

Gold for the fallen

Wrapped in the Ukrainian flag, Mahuchikh circled the track, joined by Iryna Herashchenko, a Ukrainian athlete who earned a shared bronze. As they jumped on the landing mat with the two Australians holding silver and bronze, Mahuchikh nearly lost her balance for the first time in the competition.

“I am very happy,” she said in her first comment after winning gold.

“I want to thank the Ukrainian Armed Forces and all the soldiers, volunteers, and everyone who supports us because these medals are for the entire country.”

Mahuchikh’s thoughts were also with the many athletes and coaches who had lost their lives due to the Russian invasion and would never be able to experience the night like she had.

"The Russians killed people. Almost 500 sportsmen died in this war. They will never compete. They will never celebrate. They will never feel this atmosphere,” she said, adding that her gold medal is “really for all of them.”

Mahuchikh also criticized Russians competing in the Olympics amid their country's war on Ukraine, saying, “They have not said a single word against the war, they have not even spoken out of peace.”

Forged by passion

Born in Dnipro, Mahuchikh’s athletic journey began when her parents initially enrolled her in karate, following in the footsteps of her older sister Anastasia, a European Championship silver medalist. However, Yaroslava found her true passion in track and field and has been coached by Tetyana Stepanova since she was 13.

“I avoided copying other coaches, choosing instead to find our own path,” Stepanova shared, reflecting on their unique approach to training.

Mahuchikh’s success and influence extend beyond the track. The Estonian Rescue Association, Päästeliit, recently donated a demining machine, the MV-4, to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, naming it “Yaroslava” in her honor. The remotely operated machine, costing over one million euros, allows deminers to safely neutralize explosives from a distance. Mahuchikh expressed her happiness that this equipment is helping Ukrainian heroes in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

After the Paris victory, Mahuchikh donated 1 million UAH ($24,317) of her prize money to UAnimals, a non-profit that focuses on rescuing animals from the effects of war, planning to donate a portion of the money to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“Sleeping Beauty” routine

Mahuchikh’s napping ritual has become a beloved “sleeping beauty” meme, going viral. During other competitors’ jumps, she is often seen lying down with her eyes closed, intentionally avoiding watching her rivals to focus solely on her own performance and her beauty sleep. While most jumpers put on tracksuits after their attempts, Mahuchikh prefers to cocoon her legs in a sleeping bag and rest her head on her bag. This routine makes the allowed 10-minute rest more effective in keeping her muscles warm and aiding recovery.

Mahuchikh’s routine began in 2018, the year she won the high jump at the Youth Olympic Games. Serhii Stepanov, who helps to coach her along with his wife, Stepanova, suggested that sitting too long between jumps allowed the blood to pool in Mahuchikh’s legs, as reported by The New York Times. So the sleeping bag idea was born. Whenever Mahuchikh enters the high-jump area at a competition, she carries a backpack that contains a yoga mat, her sleeping bag, and a change of socks. Sometimes, she wears a hoodie.

Her pre-competition rituals don’t end there. A keen observer might notice another of Mahuchikh’s habits—braiding her hair in pigtails before each competition. What began as a practical choice has evolved into a tradition.

“I feel comfortable when I lay and sometimes I can watch the clouds,” she told Time when asked about her unique relaxation routine after winning gold.

“Sometimes I can count numbers, 1,2,3,4, or breathe in, breathe out. It's like, relax, and not think about that I'm at the stadium.”

The strategy seems to be working wonders. At just 21 years old, Mahuchikh is already a rising star in the world of athletics, with the potential for even greater achievements ahead, positioning herself as a strong contender for further Olympic glory.