Ukrainian high jumper Yulia Levchenko started her performances in the 2026 winter season with a victory. In Cottbus, Germany, the Ukrainian won the “gold” of the local tournament.
Yulia Levchenko opened the 2026 winter competitive season with an international high jump tournament in Cottbus. Levchenko's competitors at the German start included Germany's Imke Onnen and the 2024 World Indoor Championships bronze medalist, Slovenia's Lia Apostolovski.
How was the tournament in Cottbus?
- Levchenko started her competition with a height of 1.75 m, which the Ukrainian cleared on her first attempt. At the starting height, only the jumper from Kazakhstan, Kristina Ovchinnikova, used two attempts, while the rest of the athletes cleared the bar on their first jump.
- The next bar of 1.80 m was also cleared by all seven jumpers, but two athletes completed the competition at a height of 1.84 m — Tuuri Heta from Finland and Ovchinnikova.
- The next height of 1.88 m determined the podium of the competition – Levchenko, and Germans Bianca Stichling and Imke Onnen cleared the bar, with only Yulia conquering the bar on the first attempt. The rest of the athletes completed their performances at the tournament.
- Levchenko was able to continue her successful jump streak at 1.91 m, clearing the bar with her first jump. Onnen also cleared the height on her first attempt, while Stichling, after three attempts, failed to clear the bar and was eliminated.
- In the end, the winner of the tournament was Yulia Levchenko – the only one to conquer the height of 1.94 m.
Internationales Springer-Meeting. High Jump (Women)
- Yulia Levchenko (Ukraine) — 1.94 m
- Imke Onnen (Germany) — 1.91 m
- Bianca Stichling (Germany) — 1.88 m
In the 2025 season, Levchenko finished fourth four times at the Diamond League stages. Also, the Ukrainian was able to conquer a height of 2.00 m for the first time since 2020, and at the main start of the year – the World Championships – the Ukrainian fought for awards to the last, but in the end took fifth place.