KARLSRUHE, Germany (Feb 8) — Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh continued her strong start to the 2026 season on Sunday, clearing 2.01 metres to win the women’s high jump at the INIT Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe — a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold event in Germany.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian was making her second appearance of the year after opening her campaign with a world-leading 2.03m performance in Lviv on Jan. 17. She maintained her dominance in Karlsruhe, navigating cleanly through 1.94m and 1.98m before taking two attempts to secure her winning mark.
Mahuchikh then made three bold attempts at a new world lead of 2.04m but came up just short.
“I am happy I jumped over two meters again, but of course I wanted to clear 2.04m,” she said on the World Athletics website. “It was so close, especially the third attempt. But I am happy to come back to international level and start my season in Europe.”
The reigning world and Olympic champion said her early-season shape bodes well ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, from March 20–22.
“I know I’m in really good shape,” she added. “So I’m ready to fight at the World Indoor Championships in Poland.”
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Compatriot Yuliya Levchenko finished second with 1.96m, while France’s Solene Gicquel placed third after clearing 1.88m, equal with Germany’s Christina Honsel.
Larissa Iapichino dominates long jump
In the field, reigning European indoor champion Larissa Iapichino of Italy won the women’s long jump at 6.84m. The 23-year-old set the tone early with opening jumps of 6.77m and 6.60m before extending to her winning distance in the third round and closing with 6.61m.
France’s world and Olympic finalist Hilary Kpatcha took second with a personal best 6.73m, while Serbia’s Milica Gardašević was third at 6.46m. Two-time world champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany managed 6.45m for fourth, and Sweden’s Khaddi Sagnia finished eighth with 6.25m.
Sondre Guttormsen vaults to victory
Norway’s 2023 European indoor champion Sondre Guttormsen captured the men’s pole vault title with a first-time clearance of 5.84m before failing at 5.90m. American Cole Walsh set a personal best of 5.78m for second place, ahead of Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines, who cleared 5.70m less than 24 hours after winning the Asian indoor crown in Tianjin.
Algeria’s Yasser Triki, the 2024 World Indoor silver medallist, triumphed in the men’s triple jump with 16.67m.
