Yaroslava Mahuchikh just wants to go home. As with any Olympic Games, there are many emotional backstories about the athletes involved. And these Olympics are no exception. From Norwegian runner Gjert Ingebrigtsen and his brothers escaping their abusive father to the Clark Kent/Superman of gymnastics, Stephen Nedoroscik. And, of course, the comeback stories of gymnasts Simone Biles and Suni Lee would bring a tear to any eye.
But there is one story that transcends all of these. This story is where athletics meets the cold, hard story of the Ukraine/Russian conflict. It involves family separation, survival in a war-torn environment, and perseverance and dedication. When we look back at some of the most important backstories of these games, this one will be near the top. This is the story of Yaraslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine.
About Yaroslava Mahuchikh
Yaroslava Mahuchikh is a high jump specialist from Ukraine. She started her career at the age of 13 and won gold at the Ukrainian National Junior Athletics Championships two years later. Then, a couple of years later, she followed that up with a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
Fast-forward to 2019, and Mahuchikh won the silver medal at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she broke the Under 20 world record. She also broke the indoor high jump record in 2020 and was the overall winner of the World Indoor Tour.
Olympics Bound
In 2021, Mahuchikh won both the European Indoor Championships and the European Under 23 Championships, setting the stage for her Olympics debut in Tokyo. She burst onto the scene, winning a bronze medal. At age 20, there seemed to be no stopping her.
She finished the year by winning silver at the Diamond League Final in Zurich in September. But then, world events occurred that would shake up her entire world.
Russan Invasion of Ukraine
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On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. This was part of a larger conflict that started in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. For Yaroslava Mahuchikh, this turned her whole world upside down. That morning, she awoke to bombs landing in her hometown of Dnipro, which is located in east-central Ukraine.
She quickly drove to her coach’s house in a neighboring village, assuming it would be safer there. A system was developed where she would train at an indoor gym, and when the sirens went off, she would seek shelter. Eventually, she and her coach determined that this regimen was dangerous and counterproductive. They were forced to flee the country.
Training in Exile
Mahuchikh’s training was not the only thing she left behind. Her father and grandmother remain in Ukraine, and her mother, sister, and niece have sought refuge in Poland. She escaped through Serbia and eventually set up her training headquarters in Germany. With this as a backdrop, she competed in the World Championships four months later in Eugene, Oregon.
Despite all of this turmoil, she won a silver medal at the Championships, and later in the year, she won gold at the European Championships in Munich, Germany. 2023 brought more success as she won gold medals at the European Indoor and Outdoor Championships and also gold at the World Championships. Due to her success, she was nominated for Women’s European Athlete of the Year and Women’s World Athlete of the Year
Mahuchikh accomplished all of this training in distant lands away from her family. In addition to Germany, she has trained in Portugal, Estonia, and Belgium. She gets back to Dnipro from time to time, but she is never certain if she will be able to come home again.
Mahuchikh Thinks Ukraine and Olympics
2024 brought more success as she won gold at the Millrose Games and the European Championships, as well as placing second at the World Indoor Championships. This, of course, all led to her Gold Medal winning performance earlier this week at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
And to top it all off, Iryna Gerashchenko, her Ukrainian teammate, won a bronze medal in the same competition. After the race, the two of them ran on the track joyously waving Ukrainian flags. The Stade de France crowd responded with a standing ovation.
Athletes Think of Ukraine
Yaroslava Mahuchikh and the 140 other Ukrainian Olympic athletes are physically in Paris, but emotionally and spiritually, they are miles away in their home country. Thinking about Ukraine after the race, she said, “The Olympic Games are about peace. But Russia didn’t stop, and during these Games, there were massive attacks on Ukrainian cities.”
Reflecting further on the Games and their beleaguered country, Mahuchikh best summarized the thoughts of all her Ukrainian Olympic teammates when she said, “It is very important to win and keep winning. It is difficult for Ukrainian athletes to focus solely on sports. Our thoughts are at home with our families.”
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