At the Austrian tournament in Eisenstadt, part of the "silver" series of the Continental Tour, an event took place that will go down in the history of athletics. Ukrainian athlete Lyudmyla Olyanovska set a new world record in race walking, demonstrating incredible form and will to win.
Historic Result in the Mile Distance
The 33-year-old from Kyiv competed in the one-mile distance (approximately 1.6 km). Olyanovska's result exceeded all expectations: she finished first in 6 minutes 10.09 seconds. This achievement became an absolute world record in this discipline.
The Ukrainian athlete managed to beat the previous world record by 6 seconds. Until now, the best result on the planet was considered to be the achievement of Lithuanian athlete Sade Eidikyte (6:16.72 minutes), set back in 1990 in Kaunas when she represented the USSR. Surpassing a result from 35 years ago, Olyanovska proved that the Ukrainian school of race walking remains at the forefront of world sports.
Double Record Holder of 2026
For Lyudmyla Olyanovska, this is not the first historic achievement of the current season. Back in February, at the Ukrainian Championships, she set a world record in the 5000 meters indoors, covering the distance in 19 minutes 53 seconds.
Thus, the Ukrainian is the current holder of two world records at once. This success confirms her status as one of the strongest athletes of modern times in her discipline.
The Road to the Top: From Disqualification to Records
Born on February 20, 1993, in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Olyanovska is a leading Ukrainian athlete specializing in race walking. At the national level, she represents Kyiv Oblast. To her credit are awards of the highest international level in the 20 km distance, making her one of the most decorated race walkers in Ukrainian history.
However, the path to current success was not simple. From November 30, 2015, the athlete served a four-year disqualification for violating anti-doping rules. Her return to big sports and subsequent achievements show that Olyanovska was able not only to rehabilitate herself but also to reach a new level of mastery, becoming a role model for young athletes.
