byLarry EderThis is Nike Talks World Indoors 2018: Week 4, Day 3. Here is our European athlete for the week (we write about US, British, European, African, Asian, then, on weekends, history of world indoors)! We are writing about the Nike athletes who are planning on competing in Birmingham, March 1-4, 2018. For Wednesday, we are writing about Mariya Lasitskene, the World Champion from 2015 and 2017. For more on the World Indoors 2018, please go to www.wicbirmingham2018.com. We thank Nike for sponsoring this three month long program!
Mariya Lasitskene, photo by PhotoRun.net
At the Lausanne Athletissima pressers last summer, it was easy to see what questions that Mariya Lasitskene did not want to answer. She was not interested in politics, the issues between Russia and the IAAF and doping. But, Mariya would speak on her high jumping with her jumping.
Mariya won the Beijing 2015 World Champs. She was not allowed to compete in 2016, as the IAAF and IOC banned Russian athletes from Rio 2016. She was allowed to compete as an ANA athlete, from April 2017, which meant that she competed as a non aligned athlete. Obviously proud of her Russian nationality, Mariya was in a quandary. Does she take the IAAF offer and compete, but not be able to hear her national anthem and wear her national uniform.
Mariya Lasitskene decided to take the IAAF offer. At her first competition, at Pre Classic, Mariya Lasitskene cleared 2.03m, a personal best, and 2017 was on!
Lasitskene’s jumping in Lausanne was tremendous. In Hengelo, at the FBK Games, Mariya (formerly Kuchina) Lasitskene cleared 2.04 meters on 11 June 2017.
In front of the Athletissima crowd, Mariya Lasitskene cleared 2.06 meters and tried gamely at 2.08 meters.
In the London World Champs, Mariya Lasitskene defended her title, clearing 2.03 meters. She also won the Diamond League in 2017.
With PBs outdoors of 2.06 meters and indoors of 2.03 meters, Mariya focused on 2018. She was cleared to compete in the World Indoors and her 2018 started off great, clearing 2.01 meters in December 2017.
On January 27 (this was updated), Mariya Lasitskene cleared 2.04 meters, the world leader in Volgograd.
Mariya Lasitskene looks poised for greatness in 2018. The high jump World Champion is focused on Birmingham and we , the media and fans should see a great performance in five weeks in Arena Birmingham!
