Ukrainian High Jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh Sets New World Record in Paris

Ukrainian athlete Yaroslava Mahuchikh broke a new world record in the women’s high jump at the Paris Diamond League on July 7.

Mahuchikh cleared an impressive 2.10 meters (6 feet 10.75 inches), surpassing the long-standing record of 2.09 meters set by Stefka Kostadinova from Bulgaria in 1987. The competition saw Mahuchikh locked in a close battle with Australian athlete Nikola Olislagers. Both competitors successfully cleared the 2.01-meter mark on their second attempts. However, Olislagers was unable to clear the 2.03-meter height, failing on all three tries.

After winning, Mahuchikh raised the bar to 2.07 meters and cleared it again on her second attempt, setting a new Ukrainian record. She then raised the bar to 2.10 meters — a single centimeter higher than the previous world record held by Kostadinova — and took it on her first attempt.

“When I just started the competition, I felt that I’d be able to jump 2.07 meters high, maybe even 2.10 metres. Finally, Ukraine will be part of the world history of athletics,” Mahuchikh commented right after her record-breaking performance.

In September 2023, Mahuchikh won at the Diamond League high jump final in Eugene, USA, setting a new season record with a jump of 2.03 meters.

In August 2023, she reached a milestone by claiming the coveted title of world champion in high jump for the first time in her career.