Ukrainian hammer thrower Mykhailo Kokhan won the bronze medal at the 2026 Absolute World Athletics Championships. In the final, where eight of the planet's strongest athletes competed for the medals, the Ukrainian failed to overcome the psychological and technical 80-metre mark: his best throw of the competition day was 78.90 m, which earned him third place. The competition was held in an updated format, significantly different from the familiar classical system, and it was this format that largely determined the course of the fight for the podium.
Updated Format: Fewer Attempts, Higher Cost of a Mistake
Eight athletes competed in the hammer throw at the Absolute World Championship, and they competed under revised rules that reduced the number of attempts for each athlete. Under the new conditions, each thrower had a maximum of four throws. After the first two attempts, the two worst results were eliminated from the competition, the top six earned the right to a third attempt, and only the four strongest athletes advanced to the final, fourth attempt. This format raised the stakes of every throw: from the very start it became clear who was in contention for the medals and who was forced to leave the sector early.
The Course of Kokhan's Performance: From Sixth Place to the Top 3
In his first attempt, Mykhailo Kokhan sent the implement to 73.18 m, which at the intermediate stage gave him only sixth place — on the verge of elimination. However, already in his second throw the Ukrainian made a quality leap, recording 78.50 m and entering the top three. The third attempt brought an improvement of 40 centimetres — 78.90 m — but this was not enough to displace his rivals: after three throws, Kokhan held onto third place. In the decisive fourth attempt, the Ukrainian failed to improve his result and finished in the bronze position.
The Outcome: Hummel and Galasz Above, No Improvements in the Fourth Attempt
It is worth noting that Kokhan's direct rivals also failed to improve their results in the fourth attempt: Germany's Merlin Hummel and Hungary's Bence Galasz botched their final throws. Nevertheless, it was their previous attempts that guaranteed them the first two lines of the protocol — Hummel won the competition, while Galasz took second place. Thus, the podium of the 2026 Absolute World Championship in the hammer throw consisted of: 1 — Merlin Hummel (Germany), 2 — Bence Galasz (Hungary), 3 — Mykhailo Kokhan (Ukraine, 78.90 m).
Context: The Ukrainian Block at the Absolute World Championship 2026
Kokhan's result was part of a successful performance by Ukrainian athletes at the 2026 Absolute World Championships. It was previously reported that Yaroslava Mahuchikh became the first absolute world champion in the high jump in history, which underscores the high competitiveness of the Ukrainian team in the final competitions of the tournament. The bronze in the hammer throw cements the country's position among the leaders of the world season at the end of the absolute championship.
