Ukrainian world champion in high jump: "The army protects us at home, I defended on the track"

The crowd in Belgrade cheered for a long time for Yaroslavla from Hochich, who escaped from Dnipro, hid in the basement and went on a three-day journey to win gold at the World Indoor Championships

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19/03/2022

Saturday, 19 March 2022, 15:58

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Exciting moments today (Saturday) at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Belgrade, where the crowd rose to their feet and applauded for a long time for Ukrainian Yaroslavan from Hochich who won a gold medal in the high jump.

The 20-year-old jumper, who is set to dominate the industry for the next decade and has won a bronze medal in Tokyo, needed three days to make the trip to Belgrade in the midst of the war in the country and in the absence of Olympic champion Maria Lasitzkana from Russia, achieving gold with a 2.02-meter jump.

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A grueling journey on the road to gold.

Jaroslava from Hochich (Photo: Reuters)

Mahochich, who fled her home in Dnipro about three weeks ago and hid in basements before embarking on a 2,000-kilometer journey to Belgrade, said she was on her way: "Hundreds of phone calls, many destination changes, explosions, fires and airstrikes."

After winning the gold she said excitedly: "I want to show that the Ukrainians are strong people, they never give up. Our army defends the country at home and today I defended my country on the track."

Against all odds.

Jaroslava from Hochic in the winning jump (Photo: Reuters)

Mahochich had previously failed once when the bar was 1.92 meters and twice more when it was raised to 2.00, but did so in 02.02 and saw her Australian rival Eleanor Patterson raise the bar to 2.4 and fail in trying to cross it.

The new world champion is one of six girls sent to the competition as the Ukrainian team.

Countrywoman Irina Gershenko, who fled Kiev with her husband and dog after the bombings, finished fifth with a personal best of 1.92 meters.

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