Mahuchikh wins women's high jump at inaugural Absolute World Athletics Championships in Budapest
Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the women's high jump at the first-ever Absolute World Athletics Championships in Budapest, clearing 1.99 m on her second attempt. Ukrainian Mykhailo Kokhan added bronze in the men's hammer throw, and two other Ukrainians placed in the top six of the high jump.
Key points
- Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the women's high jump with a clearance of 1.99 m, taking the title at the inaugural Absolute World Athletics Championships in Budapest on 11 September 2026.
- Australian Nicola Olyslagers finished second with 1.95 m; Eleanor Patterson (Australia) and Angelina Topić (Serbia) shared third at 1.91 m.
- Ukraine's Iryna Herashchenko placed fifth and Yuliya Levchenko sixth in the women's high jump; all three Ukrainians were entered in the event.
- Mykhailo Kokhan won bronze in the men's hammer throw; Merlin Hummel (Germany) took gold with 81.46 m and Bence Halász (Hungary) silver with 80.30 m.
- The tournament featured up to 8 athletes per non-running discipline and 16 per running discipline, with a US$10 million prize fund and US$150,000 for each individual discipline winner.
- Mahuchikh, the reigning Olympic champion (Paris 2024) and world record holder (2.10 m, 2024), earned US$150,000 for the victory.
- Winners received a special trophy and symbolic bracelets; the Absolute World Championships had no traditional medal ceremonies.
Why it matters
Mahuchikh became the first women's high jump Absolute World Champion in history, completing a rare sweep of the Olympic, World and Absolute World titles in the same cycle. Ukraine also had two other athletes in the top six of the high jump and a bronze medalist in the hammer throw, making it a strong national showing at a brand-new global event.
What happened
The inaugural Absolute World Athletics Championships were held in Budapest, with the women's high jump and men's hammer throw finals taking place on 11 September 2026. Mahuchikh cleared 1.91 m and 1.95 m on her first attempts and sealed victory with a 1.99 m clearance on her second, after Olyslagers failed at the same height. Her Ukrainian teammates Herashchenko and Levchenko also started at 1.86 m; Herashchenko cleared 1.86 m and 1.91 m but failed three times at 1.95 m, while Levchenko cleared 1.86 m and was eliminated at 1.91 m. In the hammer throw, Kokhan claimed Ukraine's second medal of the day with bronze.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on Kokhan's best hammer throw distance, reporting either 78.90 m or 79.49 m. Herashchenko's exact finishing height is given as both 1.91 m and 1.95 m, though she is consistently placed fifth. Levchenko's finishing height is reported as 1.86 m in most sources and 1.87 m in one, with a sixth-place finish.
Background
The Absolute World Athletics Championships was launched in 2026 in Budapest as a new season-ending tournament limited to 8 athletes per non-running discipline and 16 per running discipline. Winners receive a special trophy and symbolic bracelets rather than medals, and the overall prize fund is US$10 million, with US$150,000 per individual discipline. Mahuchikh came into the event as the reigning Olympic champion (Paris 2024), world record holder (2.10 m, 2024) and three-time consecutive European champion.