On August 10, 2026, in Eugene, USA, one of the brightest days for Ukrainian junior athletics came to a close. In the final of the World U20 Championships in the hammer throw, Ukrainian athlete Polina Dzerozhinska demonstrated incredible progressive dynamics. The 17-year-old not only won the final but also broke her personal record three times in one evening, entering the top five strongest athletes on the planet.
Historic final: three records in one evening
Polina Dzerozhinska's performance was a true masterclass in psychological resilience and technical execution. After a confident qualification, where she met the standard on her first attempt (64.39 m), the athlete entered the final with ambitious goals. Already in the first throw of the decisive round, the Ukrainian threw the implement 65.78 meters, setting a new career record and immediately rising to third place in the results table.
The second attempt did not bring improvements, but in the third throw, Dzerozhinska took revenge on her own record again, improving the result to 65.85 meters. The climax of the evening was the sixth and decisive throw. Polina achieved a result of 67.01 meters, overcoming the psychologically important 67-meter mark for the first time in her career. This result allowed her to become one of only five athletes in the final who managed to clear this high barrier.
Competition results and podium composition
At the end of the competition, Polina Dzerozhinska took fifth place, which is a significant step forward compared to previous experience. The winner of the World Championships was German Clara Ghegemann, who showed the best result in the history of the final with a throw of 68.99 meters. The "silver" was won by Finnish athlete Pinja Kärkky (68.51 m), and the "bronze" was won by another representative of Germany, Nova Kinast (67.89 m).
It is important to note that the Ukrainian national team finished the World Championship in Eugene with one medal in the overall standings. The "silver" was won by pole vaulter Olga Belchenko. Thus, Ukrainian athletes were able to confirm their status as one of the leading teams in the junior segment of athletics.
Athlete evolution: from Lima to Eugene
For Polina Dzerozhinska, this was already the second consecutive U20 World Championship final. Two years ago, at the championship in Lima, she stopped a step away from the podium, taking fourth place. The current result in Eugene, where she took fifth place but with a result exceeding many world standards, testifies to stable growth and the maturity of her throwing technique. The ability to update records three times during one evening indicates that the athlete is in excellent form and has huge potential for further development in the elite division.
