Ukrainian race walker Olianovska sets new 5000m world record

Ukrainian race walker Liudmyla Olianovska has set a new indoor world record in the 5,000 metres, becoming the first woman ever to cover the distance in under 20 minutes.

Source: Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne Sport

Details: Olianovska's historic achievement came on day one of the Ukrainian Athletics Championships in Kyiv, where she finished with a time of 19:53.

She beat the previous world record, which Italy's Eleonora Giorgi had held since 2014, by eight seconds.

Commenting on her success, Olianovska did not hide her emotions, although she noted that breaking her own record again would be difficult.

Quote from Olianovska: "What did I feel on the last lap? It's an incredibly strong result – for a woman, it's a cosmic result. I'll truly understand what this result means when I try to surpass it again – I realise how many fast segments I'll have to complete, how much I'll have to sweat, how much time I'll need to invest to go back to the arena and break it. But for now, I'm just very happy and content."

Background: In January, Yaroslava Mahuchikh became the first female high jumper in the world to clear 2.00 metres in 2026.

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