Ukrainian athletes reflect on impact of war with Russia ahead of 2024 Olympics

For Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Bogdan Iadov, competing in the Olympics while their country is at war with Russia gives them even more motivation to win for Ukraine.

Wearing her trademark blue-and-yellow eyeliner, Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh smashed a 37-year-old high jump world record earlier this week.

The world and European champion is now hoping for gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she said she would be honored to represent her country’s soldiers battling Russian forces on the front lines.

“It’s only because they protect us I have the opportunity to jump,” Mahuchikh, 22, said in one of several interviews she gave to NBC News between last September and April. She added that she took inspiration from letters she’d received from some of the troops.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/2024-olympics-ukraine-war-athletes-impact-rcna156919

---