Queen from the Dnieper: The story of Yaroslav Maguchi from the first jump to the Olympic gold and the world record

A skinny girl with a gray-blue eyes at the age of 7 for the company with her sister first came to the Olympic Reserve Sports School # 3 on the left bank of the Dnieper. Energy raged in it. She tried to run and she liked it. The name of the girl, as you probably guessed, is Yaroslav Maguchikh.

Beginning The girl’s first competitions were not in the jump sector. And on the treadmill of 60 meters, where she immediately won the medal. Not surprisingly, a legendary sprint of Jamaica Usain Bolt was the main star for Yaroslav for a long time. She even had his photo on a phone screen saver.

The debut starts from the height jumps were unsuccessful for Yaroslav. She was barely able to jump 140 cm.

In eleven magicians wanted to go out of sports to do vocal and music. But the situation was saved by her coach Tatiana Stepanova. She was able to fall in love with the changing teenager in light athletics.

“I don’t even know what if we didn’t meet then. Instead of running the barriers, I still decided to jump. I liked the atmosphere in the sector. And yet the flight. I even now imagine myself a bird, flying over the bar somewhere in the sky,” Said Rossi.

In addition to singing, Yaroslav also loved drawing. In her teenage age, she became interested in abstraction, participated in competitions. He plans to return to this case, and now draws for self -reliance.

Well, perhaps the world, instead of the record holder and the Olympic champion, could receive a brilliant drummer, vocalist or artist. And in one of the alternative realities of Yaroslav Maguchi now collects stadiums and has hundreds of thousands of fans on another. But we were lucky to see her “Queen of Height.”

The way to the first victories In 2017, Yaroslav loudly declared herself in the international arena. At 15 years old She won the youth championship of the world with a result of 1.92 m. It was then that she began to perceive sports, because it was the level of master of sports of the international class.

Already a year, Maguchi won the Junior Championship of Europe and the Youth Olympics.

After that she began to compete at an adult level. In 2019, at the Diamond League, Yaroslav was the youngest winner in history. Later, at the competitions in Yudzhin, another age record is the most young jumping, which has conquered a height of more than two meters.

“I thought that Yaroslav is too young for adults in international competitions. But when she won the Diamond League in Dos, I saw an adult athlete in the sector. She was so focused,” Tatiana Stepanova recalls.

Olympiad in Tokyo – the first strength check After the pandemic, Yaroslav continued to compete with even more perseverance.

In 2021, the European Youth Championship and the Continental Championship in the room won. Became the Vice -Employment of the Diamond League finals. And this is only 19 years old.

The most important event was ahead – the debut Olympiad. In Tokyo, she won a bronze medal, overcoming 2 meters in height. In joy she hugged and took a photo with the winner of the Olympic Games, Russian Maria Lasitskene. Their joint photo became more discussed than the Maguchi Olympic medal. After all, during the war with Russia, the younger sergeant of the Armed Forces Yaroslav hugs the captain of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

This case has been a test and tested character for a young athlete. She made conclusions, withstood a wave of gate, rethinking her values, idols and moral landmarks.

“I became more psychologically stable. I was very much helped by coaches and family. It was a difficult period for me. And even my coach said she would understand if I want to throw sports because I already have a bronze award of the Olympic Games.”

Yaroslav remained in sports and in her country. Although she received proposals to change his citizenship. She considers her native Dnieper and her favorite park named after Taras Shevchenko. Among the dozens of cities visited, he considers his best in the world.

The way to the world record and the Olympic gold On the morning of February 24, 2022, Yaroslav, together with the boy Nazar Stepanov, wakes up in the Dnieper from the explosions And the whistle of rockets. Then it was not at all to the competition. But the parents and the team convinced the athlete to go to the World Cup in Serbia.

“It was a chance to talk, shout about the war. Then in Belgrade, probably, it was the first time I dreamed so much and wanted to pick up gold, not any other award. In order to talk to the media about Ukraine then.”

During the full -scale war, Yaroslav Maguchikh became a powerful voice of Ukraine in the world. At each of her start, the athlete talks about rocket firing of Ukrainian cities and in particular, the Dnieper, where her parents live. Due to its victories, the jump is always the focus of the media.

Having won the “gold” of the World Cup in Budapest, Yaroslav shouted all over the world: “Glory to Ukraine!”

“And there is still my coach shouted ”The glory of the Armed Forces”. It all went on air and in Russia, and I am very pleased to hear it, “ – confesses the Ukrainian.

Since 2022, the Ukrainian Gold Medals of the World Cup in Belgrade and Budapest, victories at the European Championships in Munich, Istanbul and Rome, as well as the European Games Championship in Poland. Let’s not forget about three consecutive victory in the finals of the Diamond League.

It was during one of the stages of these commercial competitions, on July 7, 2024 in Paris, Yaroslav Maguchikh set a new world record. She jumped 2 meters and 10 centimeters. For 37 years no one could surpass 2.09 m Stefka Kostadinova. 37! And Yaroslav managed on the first attempt.

“There will be something special today. It was a feeling in the morning when I was making makeup and hairstyle. Before jumping 210 centimeters, I thought what a holiday would be in Ukraine if everything is going Maguchi said after the record.

A month after the world record, Yaroslav returned to Paris to fulfill another dream – the gold of the Olympic Games. In the Maguchi sector was published in the world record holder, the number one in the ranking.

”Finally!” – It was her first thought when she won the gold of the Olympics.

”For me, this motivation is now: we need to win to remind the world about the war. This is my mission as ambassadorine of Ukraine. ”

The owner of a black cat has no prejudice, but … There are several small but important rituals in Yaroslav Maguchikh. And these are not just whims, but important moments that, together with constant workout work, give an overwhelming result, which everyone seems to be too used to.

When Yaroslav does not get gold, he is confronted with criticism and disappointment of some fans. This was the case during the World Cups 2024 and 2025, when the jumper won silver and bronze. Yaroslav herself responds calmly to such results.

“I just did not understand when silver was not a medal. Sometimes, emotionally you can’t handle everything that happens in life – you break a little.”

Since childhood, Yaroslav does not like to wake up in the morning. So now that she plans her schedule – her workouts begin at 10:30. During them, she does not like to listen to music, because it distracts from the process, and the champion wants every action to do thoughtfully.

The usual pre -rinsing day Maguchi starts with breakfast, although he does not like breakfast. Then goes for a walk in the city, rests, listens to music or reads a book (loves printed). An hour before leaving the stadium makes a hairstyle-favorite pigtails, and draws blue-yellow arrows on the eyelids.

“In commercial competitions it is impossible to perform in Ukrainian form. Then I came up with drawing arrows that immediately gave a wow effect: people who passed by were asked: ”Are you from Ukraine? We are with you!”

Before Yaroslav’s release with the trainer Tatiana Stepanova, ten minutes sit in silence in full silence. And then they go to the stadium.

In the Maguchi sector, always in Karemaata and a green sleeping bag. He became a star after the Olympics in Paris. Like Yaroslav, who received a new nickname “Sleeping Beauty”.

“Of course, I do not sleep during the competition. I close my eyes to recover, think about a new jump, sometimes I watch the clouds, I count and breathe. And the rug with me in the sector since 2018, because it is convenient.”

The sleeping bag appeared after the Olympics in Tokyo. Helps with thermoregulation. Under the ordinary blanket I overheated, then, on the contrary, it became cold. I advise other jumps and blankets, because it is really more comfortable in any weather.

During the competition, Dnieper always looks at the coach before jumping. This visual contact gives her confidence.

“Yaroslav can look at me and without words to know what to do now. In 8 years we understand each other with a look”, “ – confirms Stepanova.

Quite simple ”Lavtori” Yaroslav Magchih is engaged with his son, the Barrier-Barrier Runner Nazar Stepanov. They began to meet at the end of 2019. AND Last year, the guy made a proposal to Yaroslav.

“At first we trained in the same group, I saw her daily, fell in love. When I was 16, I began to call her on a date. We have a” labost “enough,” Nazar says.

“Nazar is my native soul that always supports. He doesn’t have to make efforts to understand me. I am very glad that we have found each other and now live together. I hope when the war is over, we will be able to organize a wedding. I want it to be in the Dnieper, to invite family, friends “, Yaroslav says with tenderness.

New Olympic cycle Yaroslav launched a post -sican season with two gold medals during international competitions in Italy and the stage of the continental tour in the premises in the Bank Bystrica.

In March, Maguchi defended the title of European Champions indoors, winning the third consecutive gold. And for two weeks at the Winter World Cup in China, Yaroslav became a bronze medal. For the second time in a row, the jump was left without a golden championship in the room.

“I was injured at the European Championship. I still need to work with the ankle because it is unstable. In one jump, I run well, and in the other I do not run.”

The purpose of the Olympic champion for the new season – updating your own world record. Wants to jump 2,11 or 2.12 m.

Yaroslav Maguchikh’s summer season opened a confident victory at the stage of the Diamond League in Symen, April 26.

Already today, May 3, the Queen of Height will try to protect its victory in the second stage of the most prestigious commercial series, which Shanghai accepts.