Dhaka, May 18 -- Olympic high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh said on Saturday she wants to "show people that Ukraine continues fighting" as she seeks to lay down a marker in Tokyo ahead of September's world championships.

The 23-year-old is competing in Sunday's Golden Grand Prix in the Japanese capital at the same stadium where she will attempt to defend her world title later this year.

Mahuchikh has emerged as one of Ukraine's top athletes since Russia invaded the country in 2022. She set a world record of 2.10m last year before winning gold at the Paris Games.She said: "every competition is important for me because I represent my country".

"I do my best to show people that Ukraine continues fighting for independence," she said."I...