Mariya Aleksandrovna Lasitskene (Russian:Мария Александровна Ласицкене,pronounced[mɐˈrʲijələsʲɪtsˈkʲenɨ][citation needed];née Kuchina; born 14 January 1993) is a Russianathlete who specialises in thehigh jump. She is the2020 Olympic champion and three-time world champion (2015,2017 and2019). With her victory in Tokyo, Lasitskene became the fourth female high jumper in history (afterStefka Kostadinova,Heike Henkel &Anna Chicherova) to win gold at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Lasitskene was not able to defend herOlympic high jump title due to aWorld Athletics ruling banning Russiantrack and field athletes from competing in the2024 Summer Olympics.[3]
Lasitskene won her first international medal at the2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics, where she cleared a personal best of 1.85 m to take thesilver medal behindItalianAlessia Trost.[4] She was also the silver medallist at the 2009European Youth Olympic Festival and 2009Gymnasiade.[5][6]
In the inaugural2010 Summer Youth Olympics, Lasitskene won a gold medal in the girls' high jump with a clearance of 1.89 m, ahead of Alessia Trost.[7]
She started her 2011 season with a major scalp in the form ofYelena Slesarenko, who she defeated with an indoor best jump of 1.90 m.[8] A greater effort soon followed on theMoravia High Jump Tour meet inTřinec, as she cleared 1.97 m to claim theworld junior indoor best whichDesislava Aleksandrova had held since 1994.[9]
Lasitskene has also won an ex-aequo gold medal at the2014 World Indoor Championships and a silver at the2014 European Championships. At the2015 European Indoor Championships she won gold as she did later at the2015 World Championships with a personal best of 2.01 m.
Following her world championships win, she was considered a favorite to win the Olympic title at the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. However, she was barred from competing when the CAS upheld their decision to ban the Russian Track and Field Federation from the Games for systematic doping.[10][11] At a domestic competition she jumped a height of 2.00 m—a height that would have easily won gold in Rio. In April 2017, her application to compete as aneutral athlete until Russia is reinstated was accepted; this allows Lasitskene to resume competition despite the Federation's ban. Her first competition back was the thirdDiamond League in the series at Eugene. She won the women's high jump with a personal best and world leading height of 2.03 m.
She improved to 2.04 m on 11 June 2017 inHengelo. On 6 July 2017, she set a new personal best at the Diamond League inLausanne with a height of 2.06 m, a Diamond League record. She followed up her strong performances in the Diamond League competitions by defending her world title later in London on 12 August 2017 with a height of 2.03 m.
Lasitskene wrote on Instagram regarding Russia's ban from international athletics that she was "totally not surprised about this outcome" and planned to compete under a neutral flag. "The only thing that confuses us is that the athletes are alone in their struggle, and the leaders of our sport all this time have been protecting us only in words," Lasitskene said. She denies the existence of state-sponsored doping in Russia, but puts the blame on the Russian officials for "insufficiently defending the Russian athletes against the West."[12]
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | World Youth Championships | Brixen, Italy | 2nd | 1.85 m |
European Youth Olympics | Tampere, Finland | 2nd | 1.85 m | |
2010 | Youth Olympic Games | Singapore | 1st | 1.89 m |
2011 | European Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 9th | 1.92 m |
European Junior Championships | Tallinn, Estonia | 1st | 1.95 m | |
2012 | World Junior Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 3rd | 1.88 m |
2013 | Universiade | Kazan, Russia | 2nd | 1.96 m |
2014 | World Indoor Championships | Sopot, Poland | 1st | 2.00 m |
European Championships | Zurich, Switzerland | 2nd | 1.99 m | |
Diamond League | 1st | details | ||
2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | 1st | 1.97 m |
European U23 Championships | Tallinn, Estonia | 12th | 1.71 m | |
World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 2.01 m | |
Diamond League | 2nd | details | ||
Military World Games | Mungyeong, South Korea | 1st | 1.95 m | |
2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 2.03 m |
Diamond League | 1st | details | ||
2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | 2.01 m |
European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 1st | 2.00 m | |
Diamond League | 1st | details | ||
2019 | European Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 1st | 2.01 m |
World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 2.04 m | |
Diamond League | 1st | details | ||
Military World Games | Wuhan, China | 1st | 2.01 m | |
2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | 2.04 m |
Diamond League | 1st | details |
Event | Best (m) | Venue | Date |
---|---|---|---|
High jump (outdoor) | 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) | Lausanne | 6 July 2017 |
High jump (indoor) | 2.05 m (6 ft8+1⁄2 in) | Moscow | 9 February 2020 |
From 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018 Lasitskene won 45 competitions in a row. On 13 July 2018, her streak was broken inRabat, one of theIAAF Diamond League meetings, where she placed third.[13]
Lasitskene was awarded the rank ofsenior lieutenant of theRussian Armed Forces after winning the2017 IAAF World Championships.[14]
Mariya married Russian sports journalist andEurosport commentator ofLithuanian descent Vladas "Tashev" Lasitskas on 17 March 2017.[15] She then took her husband's family name.
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by | Women's High Jump Best Year Performance 2014 (tied withAnna Chicherova andRuth Beitia) | Succeeded by |