TOKYO (AP) — Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine won only a bronze medal Sunday in the high jump on the final day of the world championships in Tokyo.

Of course, she was disappointed. “It wasn't the result I wanted,” she said.

She is, after all, the defending Olympic champion and the world-record holder in the event (2.10 meters). She was also the defending champion from the 2023 worlds in Budapest.

But she has a much more important, high-visibility job.

“I feel I’m an ambassador for Ukraine,” she said. "The war in Ukraine continues and athletes try to do their best to attract attention, to show we are a strong nation, and we’ll never give up.”

“I’m so thankful to the Ukrainian people for supporting and watching in this difficult time," she added, “to find the time to watch track and fi

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