Ukraine secures gold, bronze in women's Olympic high jump
Ukrainian athletes Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Iryna Gerashchenko won gold and bronze at the women's high jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 22-year-old Mahuchikh, currently the world record holder for women's high jump, beat out the competition with a jump of 2.00 meters.
Australia's Nicola Olyslagers won the silver medal also on a jump of 2.00 meters but took more attempts to clear the bar. Gerashchenko shared the bronze podium with Australia's Eleanor Patterson after both of them jumped 1.95 meters.
Mahuchikh entered the competition as the main favorite to win at the Paris Olympics. Last month, she beat the world record in women's high jump by jumping 2.10 meters, surpassing the 2.09 meter record that stood on the books since 1987.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Mahuchikh won a bronze medal at the age of 19.
Ukraine has been a powerhouse in high jump competition in recent years. Since 2013, Ukrainian high jumpers have won at least one medal at every World Championship and every Olympics.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ukraine won the maximum number of place quotas for both the men's and women's high jump – three each, and the only country to do so.
The qualifications for men's high jump competition will take place on Aug. 7, and the finals on Aug. 10.
Ukraine has so far won five medals at the Paris Olympics. Shooter Serhiy Kulish won a silver medal in the 50m rifle three-position event. Fencer Olga Kharlan won bronze in the individual saber event. And Ukraine's women's saber fencing team won the country's first gold medal.
Kateryna Hodunova
