---
title: "Shadow before the start: Injury to Iryna Budzynska threatens her European Championship debut"
description: "Ukrainian long jumper Iryna Budzynska risks missing her debut European Championship in Birmingham due to a leg injury. Despite a personal record at the start of the season, the athlete is forced to fight pain that has already lowered her results. 🏃‍♀️🇺🇦 #sports #trackandfield"
date: 2026-07-20T10:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/injury-to-iryna-budzynska-threatens-her-european-championship-debut
tags: [iryna-budzynska, birmingham, european-athletics-championships, long-jump, sport-rbc-ua]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Shadow before the start: Injury to Iryna Budzynska threatens her European Championship debut

![Iryna Budzynska mid-jump with bib 334, facial expression shows tension before the start — injury threatens her European Championship debut](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/20/travma-iriny-budzinskoy-ugrozhaet-vystupu-na-chempionate-evropy/travma-iriny-budzinskoy-ugrozhaet-vystupu-na-chempionate-evropy-1.webp)

On the eve of one of the major events in the world of athletics — the European Championships in Birmingham — Ukrainian long jumper Iryna Budzynska finds herself in a difficult situation. The 25-year-old athlete, who has been showing outstanding form this season, is forced to fight a serious injury that could hinder her participation in the tournament scheduled for August 10–16.

### Fighting the pain: how the injury affected results

Health problems caught up with Budzynska back in late June. A hamstring injury prevented the athlete from reaching peak form before the start in Jerusalem. On Instagram, the athlete admitted that pain limits her abilities and hinders the realization of her technical potential.

"Technical jumps, but not the ones I wanted," wrote the track and field athlete, describing her condition. Despite the discomfort, Iryna continued to compete, trying not to lose her competitive rhythm. However, the statistics are relentless: if in May and June she consistently showed a result of 6.80 meters, then in July, at the tournament in Madrid, her best jump was only 6.51 meters. This became the first case in the current season when Budzynska did not make it to the podium.

### Debut at the senior level under threat

The European Championships in Birmingham have special significance for Iryna. This will be her first start at the senior level in such a prestigious tournament. She earned the right to compete by meeting the qualifying standard back in May, when she set a personal record of 6.81 meters.

Specializing in the long jump, Budzynska also tried her hand at hurdles and sprinting at the beginning of her career. Born on January 4, 2001, she has repeatedly become the champion of Ukraine both on open stadiums and in indoor arenas. On the international arena, she regularly participates in World Athletics Continental Tour events.

### Breakthrough season and future plans

The current season has been truly breakthrough for Iryna. In particular, she won prestigious commercial competitions in Sabadell, Saint-Polten, Kalamata, Limassol, and Essen. It was these successes that allowed her to announce herself as a serious competitor at the European level.

Despite the difficulties, the athlete maintains a fighting spirit. "We have done a lot to not drop out of the season, and we continue to do so. Injuries are a phenomenon that one must know how to fight, no matter how difficult it is," emphasized Budzynska. Now everything depends on whether she will be able to fully recover before the start of the tournament in Birmingham.