Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh will headline a star-studded high jump field at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene next month, a meet which will also see the return of Mondo Duplantis and a world record attempt from Joshua Cheptegei.
Mahuchikh has firmly established herself as one of the world’s top jumpers since breaking onto the professional scene in 2019. The Ukrainia has been on quite an impressive run, medaling in every single championship meet she has competed in.
She brought home silver in her first World Athletics Championships, clearing 2.04m (6-8.25) to break the world U20 record in Doha, and secured bronze at the Tokyo Games last year. In September, she was on course to claim a first ever Diamond Trophy before eventually succumbing to a brilliant fightback from Mariya Lasitskene.
Following her breakout 2021 season, Australia’s Nicola McDermott is set to return to Hayward Field at the University of Oregon for the first time since competing at the World Junior Championships in 2014. Last season she set the Australian and Oceanian records three times and ultimately jumped 2.02m (6-7.5) to take silver at the Tokyo Games.
Rounding out the field are home star Vashti Cunningham and two more Ukrainian stars in Iryna Gerashchenko and Yuliya Levhceko. Switzerland’s Salome Lang is also featured in the competition.
There will also be stars galore in the men’s pole vault, with Diamond League champion Mondo Duplantis eyeing his first win in Eugene.
Duplantis, the Olympic Champion and world record-holder, will return to Hayward Field for the first time since finishing second at the Pre Classic in 2018.
He will jump against a field that includes the American record-holders, Chris Nilsen (indoor) and Sam Kendricks (outdoor), Olympic bronze medalist Thiago Braz, Renaud Lavillenie and KC Lightfoot.
On the track, Ugandan long-distance star Joshua Cheptegei will attack his own 5000m world record in a non-Diamond League race the night before the meet proper.
Cheptegei broke the world record at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco in 2020, clocking 12:35.36.
He will be joined in Eugene by fellow Diamond League world record breaker Keni Harrison, who heads a sparkling line-up in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Harrison, whose world record of 12.20 was set at the London Diamond League in 2016, will face off against the likes of Diamond Trophy holder Tobi Amusan, rising US star Anna Cockrell and Olympic silver medallist Nia Ali.