Mahuchikh Returns to Paris Diamond League a Year After Breaking the World Record: What to Expect

The last time Yaroslava Mahuchikh jumped at Stade Charléty, she cleared 2.10 meters and set a new world record. Now, a year later, she returns to the same stadium for the first time since that performance.

In an interview with Diamondleague.com at the start of the season, she said, “When I jumped [the record], I didn’t immediately recognise what it meant. I didn’t grasp it until October, when my coach and I were back in Ukraine, and the National Olympic Committee nominated me as athlete of the year and showed the video of my world record and my Olympic gold medal. That was the moment I understood what a fantastic year it had been.”

It took nearly 40 years for somebody to break Stefka Kostadinova’s world record of 2.09m, but it seems likely that we may see the new record broken again sometime in the next few seasons.

In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com earlier this week, Mahuchikh said, “My expectations for this season are so high, so high. Of course, I want to improve myself and jump higher than 2.10 meters, I think it’s possible.”

Last October, Mahuchikh suggested in an interview with European Athletics that she thought that 2.15 meters was possible. If anybody is poised to reach these heights in the near future, it’s Mahuchikh. She’s been remarkably consistent over the past two seasons. In 2024, she went undefeated the entire season, except for a second-place finish at the World Indoor Championships. Including her world record jump, she has broken the 2.00-meter barrier nine times over the past two seasons.  

Nicola Olyslagers Look to Play Spoiler

Before breaking the world record again, Mahuchikh will have to get past a stacked field of competitors. Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers is the only other woman in the field to jump over 2.00 meters this season. She cleared 2.01 meters at the BAUHAUS-Galan four days ago, bettering Mahuchikh by two centimeters. 

Mahuchikh maintains a one-centimeter world lead over Olyslagers, having jumped 2.02 meters at the What Gravity Challenge in Doha on May 9^th. If she wants to defend her title from last season, she’ll likely need to go over 2.00 meters for the fourth time this season. 

The Rest of the Field

Also joining the field is Angelina Topić, the young Serbian who last year jumped 1.98 meters as an 18-year-old. She’s currently ranked fifth in the World and is still a junior. She has already cleared 1.95 meters or higher four times this season, and she’ll be looking to finally break the 2.00-meter barrier.

The only women to break 2.00 meters as a junior are Mahuchikh, who has the U20 World Record of 2.04 meters, Olga Turchak, Heike Balck, Stefka Kostadinova, and Alina Astafei.

Eleanor Patterson, the former World Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist, will also be jumping this weekend. She currently has a season’s best of 1.97 meters.

Here’s a look at the full field:

The women’s high jump starts on Friday, June 20, at 21:06 CET (15:06 EST).