Only five Ukrainians have reached Poland for the March 22-24 meet – Mahuchikh and fellow high-jumper Iuliia Levchenko, men’s high-jumper Oleh Doroshchuk and hurdlers Oleh Kukhta and Dmytro Bahinskyi – after four years of conflict that has scattered training bases and drained resources.
“I feel responsible for telling the world what is happening in Ukraine. I want to show we exist and fight, and to bring positive emotions to my people”, Mahuchikh told Rzeczpospolita after winning the outdoor world title in 2023.
World Athletics continues to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes; organizers say their absence and Mahuchikh’s eye make-up will underline Kyiv’s message. “Their presence has a deeper meaning than sport,” regional governor Piotr Całbecki said. “For me they already hold gold medals for courage, resilience and the spirit of freedom.”
Mahuchikh, 22, who once idolized Russian star Mariya Lasitskene, said she severed all ties with Russian athletes after the invasion: “When I see them, I see destroyed Ukrainian cities”.
Ukrainian officials hope any medal – Mahuchikh has cleared 2.10 m indoors this season – will echo back home, though political scientist Wojciech Peszyński cautioned such boosts are “largely symbolic and short-lived”.
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Source: PAP