Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh has been named among the contenders for the title of Europe's best female athlete of 2026. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing the official European Athletics website, the athlete made the top 10 of nominees following an outstanding season in which she reaped the main harvest at both the world and continental levels.
2026 season: world and European gold
In the current season, Mahuchikh delivered impressive results. She won the gold medal at the 2026 World Championships, became the first absolute world champion in the history of the high jump, and took the continental title in the outdoor championship. According to Ukrainian media, it was at Euro 2026 that the Ukrainian claimed her third European title, replicating a historic record and bringing the Ukrainian team its first gold medal of the tournament, which made her the second three-time champion of the continent in history.
The only one vying for a second award
It is worth noting that Yaroslava Mahuchikh was already recognized as Europe's best female athlete in 2024. Among all this year's nominees, she is the only athlete vying for her second such honor in her career. Alongside her, nine other star athletes will compete for the prestigious award, although their names are not disclosed in the provided materials.
How the winner will be chosen
The names of the three finalists for the award will be announced on October 1, and the winner will be revealed at a ceremonial event on October 24. The final result will be formed on the basis of four types of voting, each carrying a weight of 25%: fan voting, voting by European Athletics member federations, the choice of media representatives, and the assessment of an expert committee.
Men's list of nominees
European Athletics also published the list of contenders for the title of best male athlete. It includes Armand Duplantis, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Gianmarco Tamberi, Karsten Warholm, Andy Diaz Hernandez, Christian Chech, Simon Ehammer, Bence Galas, Massimo Stano, and Miltiadis Tentoglou.
