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Yaroslava Mahuchikh wins historic high jump gold for Ukraine

Jonathan Harding
March 19, 2022

Three weeks after fleeing her home in Dnipro, Yaroslava Mahuchikh won gold in the women's high jump at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. Her victory came in the absence of Russia's Mariya Lasitskene.

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Yaroslava Mahuchikh's celebrates her gold
Yaroslava Mahuchikh is stunned with her gold in BelgradeImage: Andrej Isakovic/AFP

"This medal is for Ukraine, all my country, all my people, all the military. I must protect our country on the track in an international arena."

Yaroslava Mahuchikh's words after the 20-year-old won gold medal in the high jump at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade were as emotional as the Ukrainian's victory.

"They killed our people and they killed our nation and they killed our children, the future of Ukraine," Mahuchikh said of Russian military actions in her home country.

"I don't know what they want because we enjoy our life in Ukraine. I think a lot of people in Russia must understand that this war in Ukraine is true. I know that a lot of Russian people said that it's all fake, the videos are all fake, but a lot of our cities have been destroyed, how was that fake?"

From Dnipro to gold

Mahuchikh fled her home in Dniprojust three weeks ago, hid in a cellar and needed three days and "hundreds of phone calls" to eventually reach Belgrade.

After winning bronze in Tokyo last summer, Mahuchikh overcame three failed jumps before sailing over 2.02m. A standing ovation followed her victory. Teammate Iryna Gerashchenko, who fled Kyiv with her husband and dog amid "everything at once: bombs and rockets" but no kit, finished fifth.

"Before we went to the field, the only thought in my mind was about Ukraine because too many terrible things have happened there," Mahuchikh said afterwards.

"I even doubted that I could jump at all, but my coach said I must go out and perform with the shape and fitness I had before the start of the Russian invasion."

Yaroslava Mahuchikh holds the Ukraine flag as she runs around the track
Yaroslava Mahuchikh wins gold in BelgradeImage: Oliver Bunic/AFP

Proud competitors

Mahuchikh's victory came in the absence of Russia's Mariya Lasitskene, the gold medal winner in Tokyo who was ruled out following World Athletics' ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes after the invasion of Ukraine.

Australia's Eleanor Patterson, silver winner, painted her nails with a blue and yellow love heart in support of Ukraine. "To win a silver behind Yaroslava makes it even more special," Patterson said afterward. "She's had to deal with such hardships that no one deserves to, so I'm incredibly proud of her too."

Unable to return to Ukraine, Mahuchikh now heads to Germany to prepare for a busy season ahead.

jh/mf /AFP)