Less than three weeks before the Olympics kick off in Paris, the French capital staged a brilliant Diamond League meeting with two world records.
When Yaroslava Mahuchikh was born in 2001, Stefka Kostadinova’s world high jump record of 2.09m was already 14 years old. Kostadinova’s mark came at the World Championships in Rome in 1987 but it finally fell on Sunday, July 7 when Mahuchikh soared over 2.10m at the Diamond League in Paris.
The Bulgarian’s record lasted 36 years and 10 months in total and was one of the longest standing records in athletics. But the Ukrainian Mahuchikh is a rare talent and after winning the competition with 2.03m, she cleared a personal best of 2.07m on her second attempt and then 2.10m first time.
“Coming into this competition, I had feelings that I could jump 2.07m and maybe 2.10m,” said Mahuchikh. “Finally I signed Ukraine to the history of world athletics.”
The 22-year-old is the reigning world and two-time European champion but will be looking to claim her first Olympic title in the French capital in August after having taken bronze in 2021 in Tokyo.
Mahuchikh came into this season with a best of 2.06m set indoors in 2021. Her best this season prior to the Paris Diamond League was 2.04m but she found another 6cm on Sunday to create history.
Nicola Olyslagers of Australia was third in 2.01m with Angelia Topic equalling the Serbian record of 1.98m in third as Britain’s Morgan Lake jumped 1.92m in ninth.
Source: AW
