Stratford Stories: Mariya Lasitskene
Over the past few years we’ve seen some of the globe’s hottest rivalries converge on Stratford’s London Stadium, where a vociferous crowd has inspired a whole host of memorable performances.
In the run up to the mouth-watering summer event we’re taking a look back at a few athletes who always produce in London, which takes us to double world champion Mariya Lasitskene.
Diamond 2017
The world’s No.1 ranked high jumper, now 26, has been winning major titles since her teens but missed out on debuting at the London Stadium when injured ahead of the 2012 Olympics.
Five years later though, she would light up the capital and enjoy her moment in the Stratford sun.
In 2014 Lasitskene had claimed the high jump IAAF Diamond Trophy but would go one better in 2017 as she repeated the feat with a clean sweep of the Diamond League, including of course the Muller Anniversary Games.
That year the competition came in early July and the Russian-born high jumper cleared two metres to top the podium, just ahead of USA’s Vashti Cunningham and Sweden’s Erika Kinsey.
Her Stratford gold would prove to be perfect preparation for the World Championships just a month later in the same stadium, where she successfully defended her 2015 crown with a stunning 2.03m jump.
Vallortigara battles all the way
Having become a crowd favourite with those two impressive crowns in 2017, Lasitskene returned to the London Stadium a year later determined to grab a third Stratford gold.
Once again, heroics followed.
The women’s high jump produced one of the best battles of the 2018 Muller Anniversary Games weekend.
After the rest of the field failed at 1.95m it left only Lasitskene and Italian Elena Vallortigara to battle it out for victory.
Lasitskene was successful on her second attempts at both 2.00m and 2.02m, but successful final efforts from Vallortigara at both heights, smashing her personal best in the process, kept the pressure on the world champion.
Raising the bar
Lasitskene thrived under the pressure, clearing 2.04m at the first attempt to set a world leading height and claim the win, after Vallortigara retired following two failed attempts at 2.04m.
“I feel very strong after today,” said Lasitskene. “Everything went really well and I feel in good shape. I have the power to keep going forwards and going higher.”
The London result did indeed power Lasitskene to move forwards as she claimed a third Diamond Trophy in 2018, the only female high jumper to achieve this feat.
The Authorised Neutral athlete has been in Diamond League action this year, claiming an incredible 19th win in Sweden just a few weeks ago – so expect more to follow this summer.
Get your tickets to see the world’s best athletes in action here