Mariya Lasitskene facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mariya Lasitskene

Mariya 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 Lasitskene (born 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 Olympic Games in 2020. She is also a three-time world champion, winning in 2015, 2017, and 2019.

Mariya is one of only four female high jumpers in history to win gold at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics due to a rule by World Athletics that banned Russian track and field athletes.

Mariya's Early Career and First Medals

Mariya Lasitskene started her international career by winning a silver medal at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics. She jumped 1.85 meters, coming in second place. That same year, she also won silver medals at the European Youth Olympic Festival and the Gymnasiade.

Winning Gold at the Youth Olympics

In 2010, Mariya competed in the very first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. She won a gold medal in the girls' high jump, clearing 1.89 meters. This was a great start to her career.

Becoming a World Champion

Mariya continued to achieve great success in her high jump career. She won a gold medal at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships. She also earned a silver medal at the 2014 European Athletics Championships.

Winning Gold at Major Championships

In 2015, Mariya won gold at the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships. Later that year, she became a world champion for the first time at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. She jumped an impressive 2.01 meters.

Competing as a Neutral Athlete

Mariya was expected to win at the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, she was not allowed to compete because the Russian Track and Field Federation was banned due to doping issues. Even so, she jumped 2.00 meters in a local competition, which would have won gold at the Olympics that year.

In 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. She quickly showed her talent, winning her first competition back with a jump of 2.03 meters.

Setting New Records

Mariya kept improving her jumps. On July 6, 2017, she set a new personal best at a competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. She jumped 2.06 meters, which was a new record for that event series. She then successfully defended her world title in London in August 2017, jumping 2.03 meters.

Mariya's Thoughts on the Ban

Mariya shared her feelings on social media about Russia's ban from international athletics. She said she was "totally not surprised" by the decision. She also said that athletes felt alone in their struggle. Mariya believes Russian sports leaders did not do enough to protect the athletes.

Mariya's 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 ended on July 13, 2018, when she placed third in a competition in Rabat.

Personal Life

Mariya Lasitskene was given the rank of senior lieutenant in the Russian Armed Forces. This honor came after she won the 2017 World Championships.

In March 2017, Mariya married Vladas Lasitskas, a sports journalist. She then started using her husband's family name.

International Competition Results

Lasitskene winning silver at the 2014 European Athletics Championships

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

Personal Best Jumps

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