Mariya Lasitskene facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mariya Lasitskene

Lasitskene in 2017
Personal information
Birth name	Mariya Aleksandrovna Kuchina
Nationality	Russian
Born	(1993-01-14) 14 January 1993 (age 32) Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia
Height	180 cm
Weight	57 kg
Sport
Country	Russia Authorised Neutral Athletes (2017–19)
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	High jump
Achievements and titles
World finals	2015 Beijing High jump, 1 Gold 2017 London High jump, 1 Gold 2019 Doha High jump, 1 Gold
Olympic finals	2020 Tokyo High jump, 1 Gold
Personal best(s)	High jump: Outdoor 2.06 m (6 ft 8.97736221 in) (Lausanne 2017/Ostrava 2019) Indoor 2.05 m (6 ft 8.58366142 in) (Moscow 2020)
Medal record Senior level Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships 3 0 0 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 European Championships 1 1 0 European Indoor Championships 2 0 0 Representing  ROC Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo High jump Representing  Authorised Neutral Athletes World Championships Gold 2017 London High jump Gold 2019 Doha High jump World Indoor Championships Gold 2018 Birmingham High jump European Championships Gold 2018 Berlin High jump European Indoor Championships Gold 2019 Glasgow High jump Representing  Russia World Championships Gold 2015 Beijing High jump World Indoor Championships Gold 2014 Sopot High jump Military World Games Gold 2015 Mungyeong High jump Gold 2019 Wuhan High jump European Championships Silver 2014 Zürich High jump European Indoor Championships Gold 2015 Praha High jump European Junior Championships Gold 2011 Tallinn High jump Youth Olympic Games Gold 2010 Singapore High jump World Junior Championships Bronze 2012 Barcelona High jump World Youth Championships Silver 2009 Brixen High jump Representing Europe Continental Cup Gold 2014 Marrakech High jump Gold 2018 Ostrava High jump

Mariya Aleksandrovna Lasitskene, born on January 14, 1993, is a famous Russian athlete. She is best known for her amazing skills in the high jump. Mariya has won many big competitions, including the 2020 Olympic Games and three World Championships (in 2015, 2017, and 2019).

Her Olympic win in Tokyo made her one of only four female high jumpers ever to win gold at both the Olympics and the World Championships. Unfortunately, Mariya was not able to compete in the high jump at the 2024 Summer Olympics because of a rule from World Athletics that prevented Russian track and field athletes from participating.

Mariya's High Jump Journey

Mariya Lasitskene started her international career by winning a silver medal at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics. She jumped 1.85 meters, which was her personal best at the time. She also earned silver medals at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival and the 2009 Gymnasiade.

Youth Olympic Games Gold

In 2010, Mariya won a gold medal at the very first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore. She cleared a height of 1.89 meters in the girls' high jump event.

Setting New Records

In 2011, Mariya showed even more talent. She beat famous athlete Yelena Slesarenko with an indoor jump of 1.90 meters. Soon after, she set a new world junior indoor best by jumping 1.97 meters at a competition in Třinec. This was a record that had stood since 1994!

Winning Major Championships

Mariya continued to achieve great things. She won a gold medal at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships and a silver medal at the 2014 European Athletics Championships. In 2015, she won gold at both the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships and the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, where she set a new personal best of 2.01 meters.

Competing as a Neutral Athlete

After her 2015 World Championships win, many thought Mariya would win gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. However, she was not allowed to compete because the Russian Track and Field Federation was banned from the Games. Even so, she jumped 2.00 meters at a competition in Russia, a height that would have won gold in Rio.

In April 2017, Mariya was allowed to compete again as a neutral athlete. This meant she could join competitions even though Russia's team was still banned. Her first competition back was the Diamond League in Eugene, where she won with a personal best jump of 2.03 meters.

Breaking Personal Bests

Mariya kept improving her jumps. On June 11, 2017, she jumped 2.04 meters in Hengelo. Then, on July 6, 2017, she set an amazing new personal best of 2.06 meters at the Diamond League in Lausanne. This was also a new record for the Diamond League. She then successfully defended her world title in London on August 12, 2017, with a jump of 2.03 meters.

Mariya has spoken about the ban on Russian athletes. She said she was not surprised by the situation. She felt that athletes were left to struggle on their own, and that sports leaders only offered support with words.

International Competitions

Mariya Lasitskene winning silver at the 2014 European Athletics Championships

Mariya Lasitskene at the 2019 World Athletics Championships where she won her third World title

Personal Best Jumps

Mariya Lasitskene has achieved some incredible heights in her high jump career:

Amazing Winning Streak

From July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018, Mariya Lasitskene had an incredible winning streak. She won 45 competitions in a row! This amazing run showed how consistent and dominant she was in the high jump. Her streak finally ended on July 13, 2018, at a Diamond League meeting in Rabat, where she finished third.

About Mariya's Life

Mariya married Russian sports journalist Vladas "Tashev" Lasickas on March 17, 2017. After their marriage, she took her husband's family name, Lasitskene.

See also

In Spanish: Mariya Lasitskene para niños

• Female two metres club
• List of World Athletics Championships medalists (women)
• List of IAAF World Indoor Championships medalists (women)
• List of European Athletics Championships medalists (women)
• List of European Athletics Indoor Championships medalists (women)
• High jump at the World Championships in Athletics
• Authorised Neutral Athletes at the World Athletics Championships