Mariya Aleksandrovna Lasitskene (russian: Мария Александровна Ласицкене, ; ; born 14 January 1993) is a Russian

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

who specialises in the

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

. She is the

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

Olympic champion and three-time world champion (

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

and

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

). With her victory in Tokyo, Lasitskene became the fourth female high jumper in history (after

Stefka Kostadinova Stefka Georgieva Kostadinova ( bg, Стефка Георгиева Костадинова; born March 25, 1965) is a Bulgarian retired athlete who competed in the high jump. Her world record of 2.09 metres has stood since 1987. She was the 1996 ...

, Heike Henkel & Anna Chicherova) to win gold at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

Career

Lasitskene won her first international medal at the

2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics The 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the sixth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held at Brixen-Bressanone Sport Arena in Bressanone, Italy from 8–12 July 2009. Athletes had to be aged 16 or 1 ...

, where she cleared a personal best of 1.85 m to take the

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

behind Italian Alessia Trost. She was also the silver medallist at the 2009

European Youth Olympic Festival The European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) is a biennial multi-sport event for youth (14 to 18 years old) athletes from the 50 member countries of the association of European Olympic Committees. The festival has a summer edition, held for the fir ...

and 2009 Gymnasiade. In the inaugural

2010 Summer Youth Olympics The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...

, Lasitskene won a gold medal in the girls' high jump with a clearance of 1.89 m, ahead of Alessia Trost. She started her 2011 season with a major scalp in the form of

Yelena Slesarenko Yelena Vladimirovna Slesarenko, née Sivushenko (russian: Елена Владимировна Слесаренко; born February 28, 1982 in Volgograd) is a Russian high jumper. Largely unknown before 2004, she kick started the season by cleari ...

, who she defeated with an indoor best jump of 1.90 m. A greater effort soon followed on the Moravia High Jump Tour meet in

Třinec Třinec (; pl, Trzyniec ; german: Trzynietz) is a city in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants and is the least populated statutory city in the country. The city is an ...

, as she cleared 1.97 m to claim the world junior indoor best which Desislava Aleksandrova had held since 1994. Lasitskene has also won an ex-aequo gold medal at the 2014 World Indoor Championships and a silver at the 2014 European Championships. At the 2015 European Indoor Championships she won gold as she did later at the 2015 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 the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

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. 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 a neutral athlete until Russia is reinstated was accepted; this allows Lasitskene to resume competition despite the Federation's ban. Her first competition back was the third

Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...

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 in

Hengelo Hengelo (; Tweants: ) is a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the international Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service. Popu ...

. On 6 July 2017 she set a new personal best at the Diamond League in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

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.

International competitions

Personal bests

Winning streak (45)

From 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018 Lasitskene won 45 competitions in a row. On 13 July 2018, her streak was broken in

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

, one of the

IAAF Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...

meetings, where she placed third. # V All-Russian Summer Universiade – Smolensk, Russia (1.90 m) # Russian Cup – Zhukovsky, Russia (2.00 m) # Stars of 2016 –

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia (1.88 m) # Y. Lukashevich and V. Seredkin Memorial –

Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk ( rus, Челя́бинск, p=tɕɪˈlʲæbʲɪnsk, a=Ru-Chelyabinsk.ogg; ba, Силәбе, ''Siläbe'') is the administrative center and largest city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the seventh-largest city in Russia, with a ...

, Russia (1.94 m, indoors) # N. G. Ozolin and V. M. Dyachkov Memorial – Moscow, Russia (2.00 m, indoors) # Governor Cup – Volgograd, Russia (1.95 m, indoors) # Russian Winter Meeting – Moscow, Russia (1.91 m, indoors) # Merited Master of the USSR V. I. Alekseev Memorial –

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia (1.96 m, indoors) # 2017 Russian Indoor Athletics Championships – Moscow, Russia (2.03 m, indoors) #

Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University o ...

–

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

, USA (2.03 m) # 12th Opole Festival of Jumpers –

Opole Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ; * Silesian: ** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole'' ** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole'' * Silesian German: ''Uppeln'' * Czech: ''Opolí'' * Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...

, Poland (2.00 m) #

Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Golden Gala is an annual track and field event normally held at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. Following the 2013 death of Italian sprinting legend Pi ...

–

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy (2.00) # FBK Games –

, Netherlands (2.04 m) # Paavo Nurmi Games –

Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

, Finland (1.95 m) # V. M. Evstratov Memorial – Zhukovsky, Russia (1.97 m) # Bauhaus-Galan –

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden (2.00 m) # Moscow Oblast Championships – Zhukovsky, Russia (2.00 m) #

Brothers Znamensky Memorial The Brothers Znamensky Memorial (russian: Мемориал братьев Знаменских) is an annual track and field competition which is held at the Meteor Stadium in Zhukovsky, Russia. The event is held in memory of Seraphim and Georgy ...

– Zhukovsky, Russia (1.95 m) #

Athletissima Athletissima is an annual athletics meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League. The first edition was held on 8 July 1977 in the Stade Pierre de Coubertin. In ...

–

, Switzerland (2.06 m) #

Anniversary Games The London Diamond League, formerly known as the London Grand Prix and subsequently as the Anniversary Games, is an annual athletics event held in London, England. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Dia ...

–

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Great Britain (2.00 m) # Russian Cup – Yerino, Russia (2.01 m) # Atletica Mondiale – Padova, Italy (2.00 m) # Herculis –

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

(2.05 m) # 2017 Russian Athletics Championships – Zhukovsky, Russia (1.96 m) #

2017 World Athletics Championships Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

– London, Great Britain (2.03 m) # Kamila Skolimowska Memorial –

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, Poland (1.95 m) #

Memorial Van Damme The Memorial Van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now the final event of the Diamond L ...

–

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium (2.02 m) # Christmas Starts –

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

, Belarus (2.00 m, indoors) # Y. Lukashevich and V. Seredkin Memorial – Chelyabinsk, Russia (1.95 m, indoors) # N. G. Ozolin and V. M. Dyachkov Memorial – Moscow, Russia (2.01 m, indoors) # Battle of the Sexes – Moscow, Russia (1.99 m, indoors) # Stalingrad Cup – Volgograd, Russia (2.04 m, indoors) # Banskobystricka latka – Banska Bystrica, Slovakia (2.02 m, indoors) # Madrid Indoor –

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, Spain (2.00 m, indoors) # 2018 Russian Indoor Athletics Championships – Moscow, Russia (1.88 m, indoors) # Copernicus Cup – Torun, Poland (2.00 m, indoors) # Muller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow –

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland (1.95 m, indoors) # 2018 World Indoor Athletics Championships –

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, Great Britain (2.01 m, indoors) # Shanghai Golden Grand Prix –

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, China (1.97 m) #

–

, Italy (2.02 m) # FBK Games –

, Netherlands (2.03 m) # Bauhaus-Galan –

, Sweden (2.00 m) # Opole Festival of Jumpers –

, Poland (1.94 m) # V. M. Evstratov Memorial – Zhukovsky, Russia (2.01 m) # Meeting de Paris –

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France (2.04 m)

Personal life

Lasitskene was awarded the rank of

senior lieutenant Senior lieutenant is a military grade between a lieutenant and a captain, often used by countries from the former Eastern Bloc. It is comparable to first lieutenant. Finland ( sv, premiärlöjtnant) is a Finnish military rank above ( sv, löjt ...

of the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

after winning the

2017 IAAF World Championships Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

. Mariya married Russian sports journalist and

Eurosport Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through Warner Bros. Discovery Sports#Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe properties, its international sports unit, it operates two ...

commentator of

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

n descent Vladas "Tashev" Lasitskas on 17 March 2017.Кучина вышла замуж!
18.03.2017 She then took her husband's family name.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lasitskene, Mariya 1993 births Living people People from Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkar Republic Sportspeople from Kabardino-Balkaria Russian female high jumpers Universiade silver medalists for Russia Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 2013 Summer Universiade Youth Olympic gold medalists for Russia Youth Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for Russia Authorised Neutral Athletes at the World Athletics Championships World Athletics Championships medalists World Athletics Championships winners World Athletics Indoor Championships winners IAAF Continental Cup winners European Athletics Championships medalists European Athletics Indoor Championships winners Russian Athletics Championships winners Diamond League winners European Athletics Rising Star of the Year winners Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the Russian Olympic Committee athletes Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic athletes of Russia