Mahuchikh soars to Ultimate high jump title back in Budapest

Ukraine’s world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh won a second global title in the Hungarian capital, soaring to the inaugural high jump crown at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Friday (11).

The Olympic champion only had one failure up to her winning height of 1.99m and she went on to take three attempts at 2.04m – a mark that would have added a centimetre to her own world lead.

In a battle between the reigning Olympic and world champions, Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers finished second on 1.95m. Australia’s recent Diamond League champion Eleanor Patterson and Serbia’s world bronze medallist Angelina Topić placed joint third on 1.91m.

Back at the scene of her world title win in 2023, Mahuchikh opened her campaign at 1.91m and cleared that and 1.95m on her first attempts. She needed two tries at 1.99m but was confirmed the champion when Olyslagers was unable to make it over that bar.

On a chilly evening at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre, Mahuchikh went back to her sleeping bag as the inaugural Ultimate champion, to prepare to attempt a would-be world lead of 2.04m.

The 24-year-old, who cleared 2.03m on home soil indoors in January, couldn’t make it over 2.04m this time but it didn’t matter – her title was secured.

"I am so proud to be in the history of world athletics," said Mahuchikh. "This is the first Ultimate Championship and I am the first Ultimate champion – I am so happy."

It was the height of 1.95m that really made the difference in Budapest on Friday evening. One by one, Ukraine’s Olympic bronze medallist Iryna Gerashchenko, Topić and then Patterson knocked off the bar for each of their three attempts while Olyslagers cleared it on her third and final try.

That left Mahuchikh and Olyslagers to battle for the win and Mahuchikh clinched the Ultimate trophy – another honour to go with her 2023 world title win, 2024 Olympic crown and two world indoor victories.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics