Yaroslava Mahuchikh at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)
Yaroslava Mahuchikh, named as the women’s field athlete of the year at the World Athletics Awards 2024, has delivered gifts of the highest order to her country of Ukraine as it continues to resist invasion by Russia.
On 7 July in Paris the 23-year-old high jumper from Dnipro broke one of the oldest world records as she cleared 2.10m to better the 2.09m set by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 World Championships.
Two months later, Mahuchikh returned to the French capital and added Olympic gold to the bronze she earned in Tokyo three years prior as she took the Paris 2024 title on countback from Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers after both had cleared 2.00m.
“It is an incredible honour to be here to receive this award,” Mahuchikh said after being named world field event athlete of the year. “This year has been full of challenges but I had unforgettable moments with the Olympic title and world record.
“I want to thank my team for believing in me in through this time. Ukrainians are inspiring. They are so strong. I tried to show in my way that we are strong and that we will never give up.
“I always believed I could break the world record. It was my dream to get it, but I didn’t expect to get it before the Olympic Games. I wanted to give the celebration to my country and I did it.”
Yaroslava Mahuchikh at the World Athletics Awards 2024 (© Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
Mahuchikh’s 2024 in numbers
You reached two athletics peaks this year – Olympic gold and a world record of 2.10m. Can you reflect upon those achievements?
“It was a fantastic year for me because my two dreams – winning the Olympic title and breaking the world record – came true. And the most important thing for me was that I was able to bring that home to my people. I have just spent two months in Ukraine, back home in Dnipro. It was a fantastic two months, despite the rocket attacks.
“Coming into 2024 my personal bests were 2.06m indoors and 2.05m outdoors, so I had a four-centimetre improvement in 2024. In high jumping, every centimetre counts. But I was ready; I was in good shape, ready to jump a personal best. My mentality was strong.”
You added one centimetre to the world record set by Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 World Championships in Rome when you cleared 2.10m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Paris. How long had you been seriously dreaming of doing this?
“The world record was my dream, my goal. I always believed it was possible one day. My manager always said it was possible, everything is possible. But a lot of other people said it was one of the oldest records and the possibility to break it had been exhausted.
“Now I have jumped it and proved that women can jump higher than 2.09m – and I hope higher than 2.10m.
“In sport, the mentality is the most important thing that should be good. When you come to the stadium, you should be ready to show the results of your work.
“So on the morning of the Paris meeting I was ready, I was in good shape, and I had the feeling that something good should happen – and it happened.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the high jump in Paris (© Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
“I made some mistakes. Then something fantastic happened. First I cleared 2.07m for a Ukrainian record. I was so happy. I felt I should try one attempt at 2.10m and I told my coach Tetyana Stepanova.
“I had just recovered from a minor injury and of course the Olympic Games were coming up. But I said I will try one attempt. And she said ‘OK. Let’s try. Keep working.’
“I walked away like, ‘yes, yes I can do it! Yes, I am ready to jump.’ And then I asked the spectators to clap. And I did it first time! It was an incredible, fantastic feeling.
“Sometimes athletes feel their body better. Coaches can see mistakes, but they cannot feel what is in your body.
“The realisation only came to me when I was back in Ukraine during the past two months. I was thinking, ‘yes, we made history with my team’.”
What is the balance in performance between the mental and physical aspects? Is it 60-40, or 40-60, or 50-50…?
“I think 50-50 – you can be ready physically 100 per cent but if you are not ready mentally you will not do well. In sport, the mentality is the most important thing that should be good. When you come to the stadium you should be ready to show the results of your work.
“I know a lot of people who train and show good results, but when they go to the stadium they see a lot of people, they feel pressure, they cannot run or jump because they are so excited. Mentally you should be really strong and be ready for the results.”
You are 1.82m tall. Is there an ideal height for high jumping – and is it your height?
“I think it’s best for a high jumper to be about 1.75m to 1.80m. There are girls who are 1.90m but they cannot always jump well because they can’t figure out how the body works around the bar. You should feel your way over the bar.”
You cleared a best of 2.00m at the Paris 2024 Olympics – but that was enough to win on countback. How was that experience for you?
“The world record gave me more confidence. It was my second Olympics, so I knew how it worked. I remember I said to myself, ‘I am the world record holder now and I should show the best results.’
“I did 2.00m and Nicola did the same. But my coach always tells me you should try to clear heights on the first attempt because sometimes it can mean a medal.
“I didn’t feel much pressure. A lot of people expected gold from me but I tried not to think about that, I tried to enjoy it because it was a celebration of sport. I just wanted to jump and give some emotion to people.”
Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the high jump at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Dan Vernon)
You made your best ever start to a season this year when you cleared 2.04m indoors in Cottbus on 31 January. Did you sense then that 2024 was going to be special for you?
“It was great competition in Cottbus at the start of the season. When I jumped 2.04m I was so happy because I hadn’t jumped that high for a long time.
“Then before the outdoor season we decided to add two steps to my run-up to make it 11 steps. For five years I had jumped with the same technique, but I had got faster and I had more power and we wanted to improve and show better results because it was Olympic year, and the Olympics is the most important competition.
“I wanted to jump higher at the Olympics, I was ready. My coach was a little bit disappointed! But I said we should enjoy the gold medal. At the next Games I would like to break the Olympic record of 2.06m.”
What are your big targets for 2025?
“The indoor season, we have the European Indoor Championships and the World Indoors. I’m looking forward to it because it was postponed from 2020 and finally it will happen. I know that I have a lot of fans from China – when I was at the Diamond League in Xiamen a lot of fans came to me and wrote to me. My manager gave me a lot of letters from fans. I am looking forward to going back.
"I just want to enjoy the atmosphere and produce a good result. I already have a gold medal and a silver medal from the World Indoor Championships, so of course I want to win a second gold medal. That is my ambition.”
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics
