Yaroslava Mahuchikh facts for kids

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Yaroslava Mahuchikh

Mahuchikh at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Native name	Ярослава Олексіївна Магучіх
Full name	Yaroslava Oleksiivna Mahuchikh
Nationality	Ukrainian
Born	(2001-09-19) 19 September 2001 (age 23) Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (now Dnipro)
Height	1.80 m
Weight	55 kg
Sport
Country	Ukraine
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	High jump
Club	Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces
Coached by	Tetiana Stepanova (2013–present) Serhii Stepanov(2022–present)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1st (2022-now)
Personal best(s)	High jump: Outdoor 2.10 m (6 ft 10.55216536 in) WR (Paris 2024) Indoor 2.06 m (6 ft 8.97736221 in) NR (Banská Bystrica 2021)
Medal record Senior level Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 1 World Championships 1 2 0 World Indoor Championships 1 1 1 Diamond League Final 3 1 0 World Athletics Indoor Tour 1 0 0 European Championships 2 0 0 European Indoor Championships 3 0 0 European Games 1 0 0 Women's athletics Representing  Ukraine Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris High jump Bronze 2020 Tokyo High jump World Championships Gold 2023 Budapest High jump Silver 2022 Eugene High jump Silver 2019 Doha High jump World Indoor Championships Gold 2022 Belgrade High jump Silver 2024 Glasgow High jump Bronze 2025 Nanjing High jump Diamond League Final 2024 High jump 2023 High jump 2022 High jump Second 2021 High jump World Athletics Indoor Tour 2020 High jump European Championships Gold 2024 Rome High jump Gold 2022 Munich High jump European Games Gold 2023 Chorzów High jump European Indoor Championships Gold 2025 Apeldoorn High jump Gold 2023 Istanbul High jump Gold 2021 Toruń High jump European U23 Championships Gold 2021 Tallinn High jump European U20 Championships Gold 2019 Borås High jump Youth Olympics Gold 2018 Buenos Aires High jump World U18 Championships Gold 2017 Nairobi High jump European Youth Olympic Festival Gold 2017 Győr High jump European U18 Championships Gold 2018 Győr High jump Event 1st 2nd 3rd Diamond League Series 21 6 3 World Indoor Tour Meetings 4 0 0

Yaroslava Mahuchikh is a famous Ukrainian high jumper. She holds the world record for women's high jump. She won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics and has also won gold at the World Athletics Championships and World Indoor Championships. Yaroslava has also earned silver and bronze medals at other major events. She is a three-time winner of the prestigious Diamond League series.

In 2024, at a competition in Paris, she set a new world record by jumping an incredible 2.10 meters!

Early Life and Training

Yaroslava was born on September 19, 2001, in Dnipro, Ukraine. Her parents were also athletes. Her dad was a canoeist, and her mom was a gymnast and did athletics. Her older sister, Anastasia, was into karate and athletics.

Yaroslava started sports at age seven, following her sister. She first tried karate but didn't enjoy it. Her sister then took her to an athletics club. There, Yaroslava began training under her sister's coach, Olena Kutsenko. What started as fun classes slowly became serious training.

She first competed in sprinting, hurdling, and long jump. When she was 11, her current coach, Tetiana Stepanova, came to the club. Yaroslava trained with both coaches for a while. At 13, she began training only with Tetiana Stepanova. Under Stepanova's guidance, Yaroslava discovered her talent for high jump and quickly improved.

Besides sports, Yaroslava also took singing and art lessons when she was younger. She loved drawing and painting and even entered art contests until about 2016. She once dreamed of being an artist or singer. But that changed when she found her passion for track and field. She later studied at the Dnipro Higher School of Physical Education to become a coach herself.

Amazing Achievements in High Jump

Youth and Junior Success (2016–2018)

Mahuchikh at the 2017 European Youth Olympics

In 2016, Yaroslava won gold at the Ukrainian National Juniors Athletics Championships. She also won a silver medal at an international youth competition in Lutsk.

At just 15, she competed internationally in Minsk, jumping 1.82 meters. In 2017, she won her first youth gold medal in Bursa, clearing 1.88 meters. That July, she won gold at the 2017 IAAF World U18 Championships in Nairobi. She jumped 1.92 meters, setting a personal best and a world record for her age group. A few weeks later, she won the high jump at the European Youth Olympic Festival.

In 2018, Yaroslava continued to shine. She jumped 1.94 meters at the European U18 Championships, winning gold and setting a new championship record. In October, she won gold at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. She set a new personal best of 1.95 meters there. A month later, she improved her personal best to 1.96 meters indoors, matching the world record for athletes under 18.

Breaking Records and World Medals (2019–2020)

Mahuchikh at the 2019 World Athletics Championships

In 2019, Yaroslava jumped 1.99 meters indoors, matching the world indoor record for athletes under 20.

In May 2019, she won her first Diamond League event in Doha. At 17 years old, she became the youngest athlete ever to win a Diamond League competition. In June, she cleared 2.0 meters for the first time, becoming the youngest high jumper in history to do so.

In September, she won a silver medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. She jumped 2.04 meters, breaking the world record for athletes under 20. This made her the youngest field event medalist in World Championships history.

In 2019, Yaroslava joined the Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She was also named the European Athletics Female Rising Star and World Athletics Female Rising Star.

In January 2020, she broke her own world indoor U20 record twice, jumping 2.01 meters and then 2.02 meters. She won the World Indoor Tour in February, earning a spot at the World Indoor Championships.

Olympic Medal and European Titles (2021)

Mahuchikh at the 2020 Summer Olympics

In January 2021, Yaroslava matched her Ukrainian indoor record by jumping 2.02 meters. In February, she cleared 2.06 meters in Banská Bystrica. This was the highest jump by any woman indoors since 2012 and a new Ukrainian national record. This amazing jump placed her among the top three indoor high jumpers of all time.

In March, she won her first gold medal at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń. In July, she won the Diamond League stage in Stockholm with a world-leading outdoor jump of 2.03 meters. She also won gold at the European U23 Championships, setting a new championship record of 2.00 meters.

In August 2021, Yaroslava won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This was a proud moment for Ukraine.

World and European Champion (2022)

Mahuchikh at the 2022 European Athletics Championships

In March 2022, after facing challenges due to the situation in her home country, Yaroslava won the gold medal at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade. She had to travel a long distance from Ukraine to compete. After this, she moved to Germany to continue her training.

In April, she won the Diamond League stage in Eugene, USA, with a world-leading jump of 2.00 meters. In July, she won a silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. In August, she earned a gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, becoming the first Ukrainian woman to win this high jump title.

In September, she won the Diamond League meeting in Brussels with a world-leading jump of 2.05 meters, which was also a new Ukrainian national record. Later that month, she won her first Diamond League title in Zürich. She won five of the seven Diamond League high jump events in 2022.

First World Title and More Wins (2023)

Mahuchikh at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships

In January 2023, Yaroslava started her indoor season with a world-leading jump of 2.00 meters. In March, she won her second gold medal at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

In June, she won a gold medal at the 2023 European Games. This was a big win for the Ukrainian athletics team.

In August, Yaroslava won her first gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. She became the first Ukrainian to win a world title in athletics in 10 years. After her win, a demining robot was named "Yaroslava" and given to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In September, she defended her Diamond League title in Eugene, USA, with a world-leading jump of 2.03 meters. She became the first Ukrainian to win two Diamond League trophies.

World Record and Olympic Gold (2024)

Mahuchikh clearing the bar at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Yaroslava started 2024 strong, jumping 2.04 meters in January. In March, she won a silver medal at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

In June, she won the Diamond League stage in Stockholm, jumping 2.00 meters. Later, she won her second gold medal in a row at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.

In July, she made history by breaking the world record in high jump! She jumped an incredible 2.10 meters at the Diamond League in Paris. The previous record had stood for 37 years. After setting the record, Yaroslava shared that the ongoing situation in her country made it hard to fully enjoy her achievement.

In August, Yaroslava won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, jumping 2.00 meters. This was Ukraine's first individual gold medal at those Games. She became the third Ukrainian Olympic champion in athletics. Yaroslava also became the first Ukrainian sportswoman to win both the Youth Olympic Games and the main Olympic Games. Media outlets noted her unique habit of resting in a sleeping bag during jump breaks, which helped her win. A song was even created about her!

In September, she won the Diamond League stage in Zürich and then her third Diamond League title in Brussels.

In October, Yaroslava was named the European Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Ukrainian sportswoman to win this award. In November, she was crowned the Balkan Female Athlete of the Year.

In December, Yaroslava was named the World Female Field Athlete of the Year, the first Ukrainian to receive this honor. Her Olympic kit from Paris was added to the World Athletics Heritage collection, showing her major accomplishments.

By winning Olympic gold in Paris, Yaroslava completed a "grand slam" of major high jump titles: Olympic, world outdoor, world indoor, European outdoor, and European indoor. She achieved this at just 22 years old, making her the youngest high jumper to do so. She also became the first woman in 48 years to win Olympic gold and set a world record in the same season.

Continuing Success (2025)

In February 2025, Yaroslava started her indoor season by winning the International High Jump Meeting in Udine, Italy. She then cleared a world-leading jump of 2.01 meters in Slovakia, becoming the first athlete of the season to jump over 2.00 meters.

In March, she won a gold medal at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, becoming a three-time European indoor champion. Later that month, she won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing. This ended her streak of 10 consecutive wins at international competitions. She later shared that she had an ankle injury. Yaroslava was the only Ukrainian athlete to win a medal in Nanjing.

In April, Yaroslava began her outdoor season with a win at the Xiamen Diamond League, marking her 20th victory at Diamond League events. In May, she won the What Gravity Challenge in Doha with a world-leading jump of 2.02 meters.

In June, she placed second at the Diamond League stage in Stockholm, her first outdoor loss since July 2023.

Supporting Ukraine

Views on Russian Athletes

In March 2022, after the situation in Ukraine began, World Athletics banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions. Yaroslava supported this decision. In July 2022, she spoke out in favor of keeping Russian athletes excluded from the World Championships.

In June 2023, when there was a discussion about allowing some neutral Russian athletes back into competitions, Yaroslava publicly disagreed. She argued that it was unfair when Ukrainian athletes faced many difficulties and lacked safe training facilities. She believed Russian athletes should not compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In February 2024, when the International Olympic Committee decided to allow some neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus at the Paris Olympics, Yaroslava expressed her disappointment. She said it would be hard to compete against them because they would remind her of the destruction in Ukraine. However, World Athletics maintained its ban, so Russian and Belarusian track and field athletes were not allowed at the Paris Summer Games.

In June 2024, Yaroslava also spoke about athletes who used to be Russian but now compete for other countries. She felt it was important to highlight this issue.

Helping Her Country

Yaroslava has actively supported her country. In November 2023, she helped an art project called "Stolen art" to raise awareness about the damage to Ukrainian culture.

In August 2024, after winning her Olympic gold medal, Yaroslava donated part of her prize money to help animals and support military needs in Ukraine. She gave money to animal rescue organizations and shelters. She also donated to groups that help wounded soldiers.

In October 2024, Yaroslava shared that her competition bib from the Paris Olympics was sold at a charity auction for a large sum of money. This money went to help with rebuilding efforts. She also spoke at a conference about Ukrainian sports during the ongoing situation. Later that month, she became an ambassador for a project focused on helping wounded soldiers recover.

In November 2024, Yaroslava mentioned in an interview that she has been privately donating to Ukrainian troops since 2022.

International Competitions

Representing  Ukraine

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Result	Notes
2017	World U18 Championships	Nairobi, Kenya	1st	1.92 m	CR
	European Youth Olympics	Győr, Hungary	1st	1.89 m
2018	European U18 Championships	Győr, Hungary	1st	1.94 m	CR
	Youth Olympic Games	Buenos Aires, Argentina	1st	1.92 m + 1.95 m
2019	European U20 Championships	Borås, Sweden	1st	1.92 m
	Diamond League Final	Brussels, Belgium	6th	1.89 m
	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	2nd	2.04 m	WJR
2021	European Indoor Championships	Toruń, Poland	1st	2.00 m
	European U23 Championships	Tallinn, Estonia	1st	2.00 m	CR
	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	3rd	2.00 m
	Diamond League Final	Zürich, Switzerland	2nd	2.03 m
2022	World Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	1st	2.02 m
	World Championships	Eugene, USA	2nd	2.02 m
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	1st	1.95 m
	Diamond League Final	Zürich, Switzerland	1st	2.03 m
2023	European Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	1st	1.98 m
	European Games	Chorzów, Poland	1st	1.97 m
	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	2.01 m
	Diamond League Final	Eugene, USA	1st	2.03 m
2024	World Indoor Championships	Glasgow, United Kingdom	2nd	1.97 m
	European Championships	Rome, Italy	1st	2.01 m
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	1st	2.00 m
	Diamond League Final	Brussels, Belgium	1st	1.97 m
2025	European Indoor Championships	Apeldoorn, the Netherlands	1st	1.99 m
	World Indoor Championships	Nanjing, China	3rd	1.95 m
	European Team Championships	Madrid, Spain	1st	2.00 m

Personal Life

Yaroslava is engaged to Nazar Stepanov, who is also a Ukrainian hurdler and the son of her coach. In October 2024, Yaroslava shared that they had to postpone their wedding. They want to celebrate with all their family and friends in Ukraine, but this is not possible right now.

Yaroslava enjoys reading. She read the Harry Potter books to help her learn English. She also likes science fiction, romance, and books about successful companies and people. One of her favorite books is about how Starbucks was built.

Yaroslava is also an ambassador for big brands like Puma, Omega SA, and Red Bull. She sometimes models for her sponsors and for fashion magazines like Elle and Vogue Ukraine. She has even appeared at New York Fashion Week. In October 2024, she starred in an advertisement for a famous cafe in Kyiv.

Awards and Recognition

Mahuchikh with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2024

Yaroslava Mahuchikh has received many awards for her incredible talent:

• World Athletics Awards
  • World Female Field Athlete of the Year: 2024 Winner
  • Rising Star of the Year (Women): 2019
• European Athletics Awards
  • European Athlete of the Year (Women): 2024 Winner
  • Rising Star of the Year (Women): 2019
• Balkan Athletics Awards
  • Female Athlete of the Year (2024)
• Ukrainian Athletic Federation Awards
  • Best Athlete of the Year (2019, 2021)
• The EOC Piotr Nurowski Prize for Best European Young Athlete (2019)
• Ukrainian Civil Decoration
  • Member of the Order of Princess Olga (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Class)
• National Olympic Committee of Ukraine Awards
  • Best Athlete of the Year (2023, 2024)
  • "Women in Sports" – The Harmony of Success (2024)
  • The Olympic Hope of Ukraine (2019)
• Sports Title
  • Merited Master of Sports of Ukraine (2019)
• Ukraine Sports Press Association Awards
  • Best Athlete of the Year (2023, 2024)
• Other Recognitions
  • Top 15 of the greatest teenage athletes in the world by Business Insider (2019)
  • Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe List – Sports & Games (2024)
  • Ukrainska Pravda Awards: Top 100 Ukrainian leaders (2024)
  • L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 2024 (5th)

See also

In Spanish: Yaroslava Mahuchij para niños

• List of Youth Olympic Games gold medalists who won Olympic gold medals
• Female two metres club
• Women's high jump world record progression