Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh wins European high jump title
Yaroslava Mahuchikh (photo: Getty Images)
The Ukrainian athlete won the gold medal at the European Championships. She cleared 1.97 meters, which was enough to secure victory. Another Ukrainian in the event, Iryna Gerashchenko, finished fifth, according to the competition results.
How Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Iryna Gerashchenko performed
The first height the finalists had to clear was 1.83 meters. Mahuchikh entered the competition later and did not attempt this height, while Gerashchenko cleared it on her first attempt.
Gerashchenko cleared 1.88 meters on her second attempt, while Mahuchikh entered the competition at 1.92 meters, which she also cleared on her first attempt.
The first decisive moment came at 1.95 meters. Gerashchenko failed to clear the bar and finished fifth. Poland's Maria Żodzik cleared the height on her first attempt, while Yaroslava Mahuchikh did so on her second.
The decisive height was 1.97 meters. Mahuchikh cleared it on her first attempt, while Maria Żodzik and Marija Vuković of Montenegro failed to clear the bar three times. As a result, Mahuchikh became the 2026 European champion.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh at the European Championships
For the 25-year-old Ukrainian, this is her third consecutive gold medal at the European Athletics Championships outdoors. She previously won in Munich in 2022 and Rome in 2024.
Mahuchikh also remains the world record holder in the high jump: last year, she cleared 2.10 meters. Yaroslava's achievements also include the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
European Athletics Championships in Birmingham
The competition runs from August 10 to 16. A total of 50 sets of medals are being awarded at the tournament, with 1,645 athletes from 49 countries taking part.
The next European Championships will be held in 2028, with the Polish city of Chorzów serving as the host.
Earlier, Ukrainian athlete Mykhailo Kokhan won a bronze medal at the European Championships in Birmingham with a successful performance in the hammer throw
