Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine broke the 1987 mark in the women’s high jump by leaping 2.10 meters at the Paris Diamond League to set a new global record.
The 22-year-old world champion dismissed the idea that she may now have been a clear favorite for the upcoming Olympics, even though she is setting historic records as of the moment.
With her win, the youngster declared: “I am looking forward to the Olympic Games here. I am sure it will be a great competition with an even better atmosphere, but I know it will be hard and very competitive.”
On setting a new world record
With two successful attempts at clearing the 2.01-meter height, the Ukrainian outperformed Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers, the world indoor champion. Mahuchikh cleared 2.03 meters on her second try, but Olyslagers failed in three tries.
Setting a new record for Ukraine, Mahuchikh, the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, pushed the bar to 2.07 meters and cleared it again on her second try. She raised the bar to 2.10 meters, which she cleared on her first attempt. The crowd cheered as she broke Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova’s 1987 record by one centimeter.
“Finally, I signed Ukraine into the history of world athletics,” Mahuchikh expressed.