Mahuchikh Reclaims World Indoor Gold in Toruń

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh has reclaimed her World Indoor Championships crown, winning gold in Toruń four years after making her senior debut in the same arena.

Mahuchikh, who first captured the indoor title in 2022, returned to the top of the podium with a commanding performance.

‘Before Toruń, I had already collected the full set of World Indoor medals, but coming here I realised how hungry I was for the gold one,’ she said post event.

The 21-year-old nearly cleared 2.06m, which would have set a new championship record, but instead celebrated her second career indoor gold alongside fellow Ukrainian high jumper, ensuring two Ukrainians stood on the podium.

‘My next dream is to see three Ukrainian high jumpers in the top slots of a European or World Championships. We are a really strong team and we’re capable of doing it,’ Mahuchikh added.

Her preparation was marked by resilience. Choosing to remain in Ukraine despite the challenges of war, she trained in freezing halls without electricity.

‘We trained without electricity in really cold halls but the sweet feeling that I can finally be at home is much more important,’ she reflected.

Mahuchikh also expressed gratitude for the support of Ukrainian fans in Toruń, many of whom had relocated to the city after the war began. ‘They gave me a lot of energy and motivation to raise the bar higher even though I’d already won the gold. It was amazing,’ she said.