Ukrainian 13-year-old Herasymchuk sets world pole vault record for under-14 age group
Herasymchuk represented the Donetsk region.
Prior to the start in Lviv, Omelian already held the world's best result among athletes under 13 years old. Last year, he set it at 4.22 meters, and throughout this year, he repeatedly updated his personal best — first to 4.40 meters, then to 4.50 meters.
In Lviv, the athlete began his performance at 4.20 meters and cleared it on his first attempt. His first attempts at heights of 4.30 and 4.40 meters proved equally successful. Following these jumps, Herasymchuk guaranteed his victory in the national competition, as his closest rival completed his performance at 4.10 meters.
The 13-year-old athlete then tackled 4.55 meters, clearing it on his second attempt to set a new personal best. At 4.67 meters, Herasymchuk again achieved success, taking the bar on his third try.
The 4.67-meter clearance surpassed the previous world best among athletes under 14 years old, held by Norwegian Pål Haugen Lillefosse since 2015 with a jump of 4.65 meters.
However, the Ukrainian's performance did not end there. On his third attempt, he conquered 4.70 meters, updating his personal record and setting a new world-best mark in his age category for the second time during the event.
This marks another national victory for Herasymchuk this year. He previously won Ukrainian championships among athletes under 16 and under 18 years old, both indoors and outdoors. Over the course of a year, Omelian increased his personal record by 48 centimeters.
His parents, Nataliia Zabrodska and Artur Herasymchuk, coach the young athlete.
Background
It should be noted that Elina Svitolina advanced to the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, securing a comeback victory over Czech player Kateřina Siniaková. The Ukrainian dropped the first set but managed to turn the match around and win.
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6 of October 2026
