Duel for Olympic Gold: Mahuchikh vs Olyslagers in Women’s High Jump

The Anticipated Duel for Olympic Gold in Women’s High Jump

The upcoming showdown on Sunday for the Olympic gold medal in the women’s high jump is set to be a thrilling spectacle, featuring the talented Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine and Nicola Olyslagers of Australia. The outcome of this highly anticipated event may hinge, in part, on how each athlete manages their time between jumps.

At prestigious competitions such as the Olympics, the intervals between attempts can extend anywhere from 20 minutes to half an hour as the field narrows down. During these waiting periods, athletes have the freedom to engage in activities that help them stay focused and calm. Olyslagers, for instance, maintains her alertness by jotting down her thoughts and reflections in a journal. On the other hand, Mahuchikh opts for a more relaxed approach, often wrapping herself in a cozy sleeping bag she purchased from a camping store.

Both athletes have found these strategies to be remarkably effective. At 27 years old, Olyslagers earned a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, while 22-year-old Mahuchikh secured a bronze medal. More recently, Mahuchikh triumphed at the world outdoor championships in Budapest in 2023, while Olyslagers clinched the top spot at the world indoor championships held in Glasgow earlier this year. Further solidifying her prowess, on July 7, Mahuchikh shattered a long-standing world record with an astonishing leap of 6 feet 10¾ inches (2.10 meters) during a meet in Paris.

For Nicola Olyslagers, her journal serves not only as a training diary but also as a valuable reference tool, allowing her to revisit and analyze her past performances. Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

In this weekend’s competition, both athletes will face a significant challenge as their primary rival for the gold medal, reigning Olympic champion Mariya Lasitskene of Russia, will not be competing. Due to the ongoing conflict stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, no Russian athletes—regardless of their neutral status—are permitted to participate in track and field events at the Paris Games.

Both Mahuchikh and Olyslagers embody the quintessential image of a high jumper, characterized by their tall and slender physiques. Although Mahuchikh’s world record surpasses Olyslagers’s personal best of 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) by more than two inches, both athletes have consistently proven their reliability in high-pressure situations, having earned Olympic medals and world championships throughout their careers.