PARIS: Yaroslava Mahuchikh headlines the Diamond League meet in Paris on Friday as athletes continue to fine-tune their form ahead of Septe-mber’s world championships in Tokyo. Mahuchikh has conquered the world of high jumping at the age of 23. The world and Olympic champion set the current world record of 2.10 metres at last year’s Diamond League meet in Paris. It was a jump that erased the legendary world record of 2.09m set by Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova at the worlds in Rome way back in 1987 “I don’t like the world ‘pressure’,” said the Ukrainian, adding that her coach insisted she focus on herself and jumping technique. “It’s so exciting to jump here again after the world record, I want to do my best and give a memory to spectators on Friday.” Mahuchikh, looking ahead to the worlds, added: “Every Diamond Lea-gue and every competition now shows what we did, what we should do better, and get in better shape for the season. “I think something special is coming.” Also vying to top the podium will be the Australian pair of Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers, a two-time world indoor champion who has won twice in Paris (2021, 2023) and beat Mahuchikh in Stockholm last weekend. In the men’s 110m hurdles US star Grant Holloway makes his return to the track after flopping in the opening Diamond League meet in China. Holloway finished last after leading for much of his race but losing momentum disastrously after the eighth hurdle. The three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist trailed across the line in 13.72sec, way behind fellow American Cordell Tinch. “Everybody wants to win every track meet they go to,” Holloway said. “But you’ve got to be able to give and take. “The ultimate goal is definitely the world championships in Tokyo.” Back competing, he added, would allow him to “re-evaluate and attack and do the same thing again”. Tinch is absent from the French capital, but Holloway will feel the heat from compatriots Trey Cunningham and Freddie Crittenden, Japan’s Rashid Muratake, and the French trio of Wilhem Belocian, Just Kwaou-Mathey and Sasha Zhoya. In the women’s 400m, Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino tops the field and will be up against a strong field including last summer’s runner-up, Bahraini Salwa Eid Naser and Dutch athlete Lieke Klaver. Paulino, gold medallist at last year’s Paris Olympics and the 2023 worlds in Budapest, has been the star of the show for the past two years. She won the one-lap race in Paris meets in 2023 and 2024. However, it is Eid Naser, world champion in 2019 and victor at Charlety in 2018, who has set the standard this term thanks to a time of 48.67sec in Kingston. “I believe I can continue to be the star of the show,” Paulino said. “I’ve worked hard to be strong and in track, fans like the show, and between me and Salwa we’re capable of putting on a show. “It’s been a packed season, preparing for the worlds, that’s the focus.” Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma lit up the 2023 edition of the Meeting de Paris by smashing the previous world record (7:52.11) of men’s 3000m steeplechase. There was disaster at the Paris Olympics, however, after Girma fell heavily in the last lap of the Stade de France track. “I’m very happy to be able to come back here,” said Girma. “Paris is like my home! After falling in Paris, the feeling was very bad and my head hurt for a long time. It took some months to return to training. I’m happy to be healthy and back competing.” Morocco’s Sofiane El Bakkali is the two-time Olympic steeplechase champion. He will also be at Charlety, but this time around he’ll be lining up for the 5,000m, alongside the Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, who boasts no fewer than 10 Diamond League victories. Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2025