World Athletics Championships 2023: Yaroslava Mahuchikh soars to women's high jump gold
The Ukrainian sensation upgraded the silver medals from the last two World Championships to gold. Defending champion Eleanor Patterson claimed silver with Nicola Olyslager finishing third for a historic Australian podium.
Athletics
Ukrainian sensation Yaroslava Mahuchikh came out on top in a three-way tussle to win her maiden women’s high jump title at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday (27 August) clearing 2.01m.
Mahuchikh delivered on the immense promise she showed as a junior athlete finally graduating to the top of the podium after settling for silver at the last two editions of the global showpiece in 2019 and 2022.
The 21-year-old Mahuchikh overcame a strong Australian challenge in defending world champion Eleanor Patterson and Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers. Patterson in second place and Olyslagers in third made history by becoming the first Australians to share a podium in an individual event at the World Athletics Championships.
But the night belonged to Mahuchikh, who bowed out as the only athlete to soar over 2.01m adding the outdoor title to her 2022 world indoor gold. Patterson settled for silver with Olyslagers bagging the bronze medal - both managing 1.99m.
Mahuchikh, Olyslagers, Morgan Lake and Patterson were the only four jumpers still in the hunt for silverware clearing the bar at 1.97m to set up a mouth-watering battle for the world title.
Mahuchikh, failed on her first attempt at 2.01m before she sailed over the bar with her second jump at the height. Patterson and Olyslagers were still in with a shot after Lake failed at 1.99m. Neither could match Mahuchikh leaving the Ukrainian to set the bar at 2.07m which proved out of her reach.