DPA
Paris
High jump world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine bettered one of the longest standing marks in athletics and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon her own 1,500 metres time for two world records at the Paris Diamond League meet on Sunday.
Mahuchikh cleared 2.10 metres on her first attempt, one cetimetre higher than the 2.09m Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova recorded almost 37 years ago for the 1987 world title in Rome.
European champion Mahuchikh won the competition from Australia’s Nicole Olyslagers who recorded 2.01m and then missed over 2.03 which Mahuchikh cleared.
The Ukrainian first bettered the national record to 2.07m before also claiming the world record which underlines her status as top favourite for Olympic gold next month in the French capital.
“Coming into this competition, I had feelings that I could jump 2.07m and maybe 2.10m. Finally I signed Ukraine to the history of world athletics,” Mahuchikh said.
Kipyegon cemented her middle distance dominance when she bettered her 1,500m world record from last year by seven-hundredths to 3 minutes 49.04 seconds.
She will be aiming for a third gold over the distance at the Paris Games, and also has four world titles, including a 1,500m and 5,000m double from last year.
