Yaroslava received the main award from European Athletics for the first time in her career.
Olympic high jump champion Yaroslava Maguchikh has been recognized as the best European athlete of 2024.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian received the prestigious prize at the European Athletics Awards ceremony, which took place on October 26 in Skopje (North Macedonia).
Maguchikh received the main award from European Athletics for the first time in her career. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Ukrainian was a finalist in the nomination, but did not become a laureate of the prestigious award.
World record-holders Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Armand Duplantis should be crowned 2024 European Athletes of the Year in Skopje! #GoldenTracks
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) October 26, 2024
Among the finalists in the women's category, Yaroslava beat out British Keeley Hodgkinson and Dutch Femke Ball.
Hodgkinson is the 2024 Paris Olympic champion in the 800m and the current European champion in this discipline.
Bol is a three-time 2024 Olympic medalist, including the Olympic champion in the 4x400m mixed relay. She is also the current European champion in the 400m hurdles, won two gold medals at the 2024 World Indoor Championships, and won the Diamond League final for the fourth time in a row.
Let us recall that this season, Maguchikh won gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, won gold at the European Championships and silver at the World Indoor Championships, and also became the Diamond League champion, winning all stages in which she took part.
In early July of this year, Maguchikh broke the world record in the women's high jump. At the Diamond League stage in Paris, the Ukrainian was the first in history to clear a height of 2.10 meters. Yaroslava surpassed the achievement of Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova, who jumped 2.09 meters at the 1987 World Championships in Rome.
A historic season!
Yaroslava Mahuchikh is your women's European Athlete of the Year!
European champion
Olympic champion
World record clearance of 2.10m #GoldenTracks pic.twitter.com/NaLDOuAQzL— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) October 26, 2024
