The victory of Russia’s Maria Lasitskene (Kuchina) in the high jump at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics will become part of the world athletics history, as it is the first time a sportsman performing under a neutral flag become a winner.
Lasitskene herself admitted that she would like to hear the hymn of Russia in honor of her victory while standing on the winners’ podium and not the hymn of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Lasitskene, who did not play a single start this season, became the only sportsman at the world championships who covered the 2.03 meter bar, having managed to jump over it at the first try.
