Mariya Lasitskene

Mariya Lasitskene, born Mariya Aleksandrovna Kuchina on January 14, 1993, in Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, established herself as a prominent figure in high jump from a young age. Her international career began with early successes, including a silver medal at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics and a gold medal at the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. These initial achievements set the stage for a career marked by consistent high-level performance.

Throughout her career, Lasitskene garnered numerous titles, including two World Indoor Championships in 2014 and 2018, as well as European Indoor Championship titles in 2015 and 2019. She achieved her first World Championship gold in Beijing in 2015, followed by consecutive World Championship victories in London (2017) and Doha (2019), solidifying her status as a dominant force in her discipline. A notable period in her career was from July 2016 to June 2018, during which she maintained a remarkable winning streak of 45 competitions, a testament to her consistent technical skill and competitive drive. Her personal bests include 2.06m in outdoor high jump, achieved in Lausanne in 2017 and Ostrava in 2019, and 2.05m indoors in Moscow in 2020.

Despite facing significant challenges, including the ban on Russian track and field athletes from major international competitions due to doping sanctions, Lasitskene continued to compete under the Authorised Neutral Athlete status for several years. Her perseverance culminated in winning the Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) Summer Olympics, where she competed representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). This victory made her the fourth female high jumper in history to win both Olympic and World Championship gold. Beyond her athletic pursuits, Lasitskene holds the rank of senior lieutenant in the Russian Armed Forces.