Correspondents of the R-Sport agency Maria Vorobyova and Andrei Simonenko, together with the new world champion in high jump, Russian Maria Kuchina, made their way to the interview site through a crowd of Chinese volunteers who were trying to either take a photo with the athlete, or take her autograph, or rather, both. This “walking with Chinese obstacles” inspired the first question.

- Maria, you probably imagined what your victory at the World Championships in Beijing would look like. Did you think it would be a crowd of Chinese people eager for photographs?

I didn’t imagine anything at all, didn’t understand anything and didn’t make any plans. I was going to show results and be at least in the top three.

- But “at least in three” means a medal. So, you were still thinking about getting into the prize-winners?

The “shiny” the better (laughs). I understood that the title of world champion would be played out at a two-meter height, that everyone was preparing specifically for Beijing. And everyone was ready, we saw it - so many people took 1.99 meters! Therefore, this World Cup turned out to be very tense.

- What was the most difficult? Both in the sector and in the days preceding the competition.

You are probably talking about the tension in the team that everyone is asking about?

- Yes, we don’t know, maybe there is no tension in the team.

I didn't really feel anything. Either I didn’t see anyone, or something else. Everything went calmly for me, there was no pressure - I lived, ate, slept, and didn’t think about acclimatization. This morning I woke up normally. In the sector, I was very worried, my legs were shaking. At the beginning of the competition I was worried, then I was worried too. It was difficult to jump after Blanka (Vlasic) - after her there was such noise, commotion, clapping... It raised my pulse, so I tried to close my ears.

- Also, probably, the fact that she danced her dance added adrenaline?

It's good that I didn't see it. I don’t want to watch jumping, dancing, or hugging (laughs).

By the way, you yourself are not asking for a clap. But there are spectators who do not understand this and try to support the athlete as they see fit. Are you ready for this kind of support?

Ready. If people want and if I’m not eager to show them that “enough is enough,” then I can easily jump. And I will jump. If I feel that I need silence, I ask for silence. Adapted.

Maybe I’m not emotional - or maybe I wanted to win with a clear advantage

Maria, it seems that you somehow took the title of world champion too calmly. We won and we won. Is this a deceptive feeling?

Is that your impression of me?!

We're talking about you. It seems that you perceive this victory as something ordinary. Maybe remember your title of winter world champion in 2014 and try to tell what the difference is?

After the Winter World Championships, it then dawned on me that there were two gold medals, that something was wrong... But I told myself: no, everything is fine. This World Cup in Beijing is already an adult game. Everything is serious. But I’m probably not emotional at all, and it seems to you that I’m thinking - oh well, everything is fine. Or maybe I didn’t want to try to win. Maybe I wanted to be a clear leader. I can’t read this in my thoughts now.

- But after jumping 2.01 meters, you gave free rein to your emotions...

Yes, I understood that this was definitely a medal, that I could take advantage of this and put pressure on my rivals. Therefore, yes, I gave it free rein, and also achieved a personal best on the first try. This made me very happy.

Was it more difficult to take 2.01 or to reach the initial height, remembering that you previously had problems on starting attempts?

Good question. It seems to me that 2.01 is still more difficult. But, of course, at every height there was absolute seriousness, concentration only on the bar, jumping, forgetting, moving on to prepare. Oh, horror, everything was shaking, I don’t know how I survived it!

- You said in the mixed zone that you are still too small for such victories. What then is the “adultness” of games?

Yes, the company was very serious. Anya (Chicherova), Blanka (Vlasic), all the other girls all jumped 1.99 meters. Well, I can’t believe that I’m worthy of this, or that I’ve gotten to this point. There is no such understanding.

- What does it take for it to come? Win a couple more world championships?

Probably... But maybe it’s good that I have such thoughts. I’ll forget everything now, I’ll say - well done, I beat the girls in my attempts, go ahead and keep working so that everything is clear.

- Do you like to engage in self-criticism?

Yes, in general, I’m in shock!

Gennady Garikovich will say “don’t jump” - I won’t jump

We don’t know whether it’s worth remembering or not, but this season there was some very strange European Youth Championships in Tallinn, where you achieved a height of 1.71 meters and three times knocked down the bar by 1.81.

Everyone remembers this championship, as it turned out. I thought everyone would quickly forget. Were you shocked at all? What did they think about me? Probably broken?

- Still in shock. We thought that the organizers accidentally set the bar at 2.81 instead of 1.81.

Eh, this Tallinn... I used to love it, but now I don’t. Seriously, there was a technical glitch. We saw him in time and stopped him in time.

- So what’s wrong? Or is it a secret?

I don't know what's wrong. This is all managed by my coach Gennady Garikovich (Gabrilyan). What Gennady Garikovich tells me, I do. I can say that if Gennady Garikovich wants me not to jump, I won’t jump. So, today he wanted me to jump, he brought me perfectly to this start.

That is, the idea is that in the mode of automatic execution of the coach’s instructions, that failure does not play any role if the coach explained what was wrong and corrected everything?

Yes, that is right. After the start, we didn’t panic, because we figured it out and knew what to do. The only thing is, they didn’t know it would happen like this. And after Tallinn we came home, did technical training, and a few days later in Monaco I jumped 2 meters. There we realized that everything was under our control, that we just needed to work and not look back. This was the most important thing. Because in general, to think like that - I went to Tallinn without selection, to help out the national team and in the end I let it down. This would have tormented me very much, you have noticed that I like to engage in self-criticism. But we managed, Gennady Garikovich explained everything, everything became clear and understandable.

A new pit was given as a gift before the World Championships

- Are there any concerns about what will happen after the World Cup? Receptions, ceremonies...

They have already written to me from Nalchik - “When are you coming and what time? We are getting ready.” I'm ready for this. Moreover, if at home, then it’s only a joy to accept congratulations, to be an example for the children who wrote to me and cheered for me. But I’m not relaxing, because there are still competitions ahead, the World Military Games are ahead, very serious. Well, today I’ll have some fun and go get ready.

-Are you a soldier?

Lieutenant! So everything is great, preparations continue.

- Gennady Garikovich has already told us that you have no rest as such, only training.

Yes, that’s how I train... There are three days of rest.

- On the other hand, they also talk about swimmer Yulia Efimova - she trains little, but she comes and wins.

Well, we also have our own trick.

- Do you have your portraits in Prokhladny?

Yes, Gennady Garikovich and I are so beautiful, with a flag, practically in the city center. There are also guys from our sports school there, and under the photo it is written: “Vivat, Gennady, bravo, Maria, Cool is behind you”...

- Is Russia behind you?

Yes, something like that. Funny.

- And all the residents of Prokhladny understand who is depicted on this poster?

Well, I think so. Now in Prokhladny newspapers write about me not as Maria Kuchina, but as “our Masha.” They know me, they watch the high jump, they bring their children to the stadium. By the way, at our stadium now a lot of people run for health in the evenings, many come with children. I'm delighted with this. I've never seen so many people running around here! I’m glad that there may be some piece of our work in this. They also brought us a new pit for jumping. Our beloved Aslanbek Vitalievich Khushtov, Olympic champion, Minister of Sports of Kabardino-Balkaria, is ready to do anything for us. I think we’ll start jumping into it next year.

- They said - first you will win the world championship, then you will jump, or what?

Oh no! And I already have a donated pit in the hall. I'm all about gifts, you could say. I jump into the pit in the hall donated by the mayor of the city. And now the city and I will also have a pit at the stadium.

Maria Lasitskene-Kuchina about marriage, sports genes and plans for the future

Russian track and field athletes can only dream of such a return to big sport after international isolation. Two-time world champion Maria Lasitskene-Kuchina participated in 13 competitions this season - and won all of them! After another success (this time at the Znamensky Memorial), the world's strongest high jumper answered questions from a Trud correspondent.

— Masha, first, clarify the issue of the origin of your new surname, under which you have been performing since May, although millions of fans of the “queen of sports” know you as Kuchina. What kind of disguise?

- There is no disguise or mystery here. In March I married Vladas Lasickas. On his father’s side he is Lithuanian, although he was born in Russia and is a citizen of our country. Works as a television journalist. We celebrated the wedding in my homeland in Prokhladny quite magnificently, and this joyful event somehow distracted me from the painful expectations: when will we, Russians, be allowed to take part in international competitions.

— Do you have sports genes?

- You can say so. My dad played volleyball well, and my mom loved basketball. Both had good jumping ability, I probably took after them. Well, both of my grandfathers are quite tall. This is how everything came together, accumulated and came in handy... And yet, high jumping became my destiny, primarily thanks to my coach Gennady Gabrielyan. After all, he has been messing with me since childhood, when he was still my physical education teacher.

- Rare case! So that from physical education lessons one mentor would bring an athlete to the pinnacle of big-time sports...

“In my case, that’s exactly what happened.” At the age of 10, I took second place in a school competition. And even then Gennady Garikovich suddenly declared loudly: “Very soon this girl will make us admire!” It is unlikely that anyone took these words seriously. And, fortunately, I didn’t pay much attention to them, otherwise I would have turned my nose up and everything would have been lost... No, I just really liked jumping. It feels like there is a compressed spring sitting inside you. So I jumped high and long, ran hurdles, tried myself in all-around events. And by the age of 14, it became clear that I was best at high jumps. Then specialization began, followed by trips to all-Russian competitions. From the very beginning, the coach strove to put me in adult tournaments - to measure my strength with experienced athletes. In fact, Kabardino-Balkaria, where I grew up, is primarily famous for its wrestlers. But our sports school in Prokhladny has always produced strong athletes. Even now, when I come home, I always try to visit my alma mater. I have a special feeling for her, grateful. And I see how happy the children are with me; it is very important for them to have before their eyes an example of the fact that you can achieve a lot in sports without even leaving your homeland.

— After graduating from school, did you have any thoughts and doubts about what specialty to study?

- No, by that time I already clearly understood that sport was the most important thing in my life and that the physical education institute was mine. Who can combine studying there with a busy training and competition schedule. I am not yet sure about coaching in the future. I love sports very much, but I don’t know if I can give all of myself to the children every day, as my coach does. However, a lot can still change in life, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

- Let's then return to your current successes. You have already received the right to compete at the World Championships in London. Nevertheless, you are going to take part in the national championship at the end of July. For what?

— We need competitive practice. In addition, I would like to please Russian athletics fans. They also went through a lot when we were excommunicated from international competitions. We must repay debts.

— By the way, until recently our athletes were forbidden to take their coaches to London for the World Championships. Is this ban still in effect?

— Official permission came this week: every Russian athlete admitted to the World Championships can bring one accompanying person. It's important for me. The tips in the sector during jumps are not so significant - I myself can regulate my run-up and other working moments. For me, debriefing after the competition is much more important. Gennady Garikovich conducts a thorough analysis, and in subsequent training we take everything into account. In general, I’m not speeding up my preparations for the World Championships in London. The coach scheduled each training session in advance. Yes, this is the main start of the season, where I really want to confirm my status. I hope that before the start in London, the representation of the Russian team at international competitions will increase. So far, only 14 Russians have been admitted, the rest of the guys are training hard and waiting in the wings in the dark. I understand well what is going on in their souls. So you have to jump “for yourself and for that guy”...

— Besides the fact that our athletes have not yet received permission to compete at the World Championships under the Russian flag, the IIAF excludes the use of Russian symbols in any form. What does this mean?

— As long as I know about this from publications, they promise to send us the rules on this matter. In the meantime, no stripes, ribbons, or rubber bands in the colors of the Russian tricolor. I even removed the checkbox from my suitcase to eliminate reasons for quibbles. After the long absence from international competitions that we experienced, we don’t want to take risks. I love Russia with all my heart and I beg the fans not to suspect anyone from our team of lacking patriotism. We have been driven into this impasse, but I believe that together we will find a way out of it. Now we are competing in a neutral status, but I hope that soon we will officially represent our flag. In the sector, I continue to feel at one with Russia. So cheer for us and wish us success!

— You haven’t taken part in big tournaments for a long time. But since you were admitted, you confidently beat everyone. Did sports anger play a role?

— Of course, the desire to return to the international arena provides great motivation. But what’s more important is the training work done, which is quite non-standard. My coach is a thinking person, and our physical and technical training is original. And my merit is that I am a diligent and disciplined performer.

— How did your rivals perceive your return and your successes?

— I don’t communicate much with my foreign rivals - the English language is still a sore subject for me. Everyone in the sector behaves quite friendly, but it doesn’t amount to friendship. However, I have enough friends in Russia. And I get along great with all our jumpers, although during competitions our friendship stops for a couple of hours. That's how sports work!

Maria Kuchina was born on January 14, 1993 in the city of Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The girl began training in athletics and high jumping at the age of ten with Gennady Garikovich Gabrilyan. After graduating from school, the girl moved to Volgograd to study at the State Academy of Physical Culture and trained with Boris Gorkov for two years, after which she returned to work with Gabrielyan. While training under his leadership, I achieved significant success. The athlete was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports of the Russian Federation.

In 2009, Maria won a silver medal at the Youth World Championships in the Italian city of Bressanone with a score of 1.85 meters. In 2010, she won the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore with a score of 1.89 meters. In 2014, Maria Kuchina won the overall Diamond League. She also helped the European team confidently win the IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakech, jumping 1.99 meters.

In August 2015, Maria won the World Championships in Beijing, clearing a height of 2.01 meters. In the same year, the Russian woman finished second in the overall Diamond League standings. And a month before the games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Kuchina jumped 2 meters in Zhukovsky near Moscow at the Russian Cup, but was forced to miss the Olympics due to the temporary suspension of the All-Russian Athletics Federation.

During the 2017 winter season, Maria also won the Yuri Lukashevich and Vyacheslav Seredkin Memorial in the city of Chelyabinsk, the All-Russian Governor's Cup competition in Volgograd, the Russian Winter tournament in Moscow and the Victor Alekseev Memorial of Honored Trainers of the USSR in St. Petersburg.

On March 17, 2017, Maria Kuchina married Russian sports journalist and commentator on the Eurosport TV channel Vladas Lasickas. Taking her husband’s last name, she began performing under the last name Lasitskene in the summer season of 2017.

At the Diamond League competition in London on July 9, 2017, Maria won another victory with a score of 2.00 meters. Three days earlier, at the same competition, she set a personal record of 2.06 meters, which became a new Diamond League record. At the World Championships on August 12, 2017, Lasitskene won gold. The Russian woman became the only athlete at these competitions to clear the bar at a height of 2.03 meters.

At the end of 2017, the European Athletics Association included Lasitskene on the shortlist of four nominees for the title of best female athlete of the year. The International Association of Athletics Federations included the Russian in the Top 10 best athletes of the year.

On March 1, 2018, the Russian jumper won the World Indoor Championships for the second time in her career. At the tournament in Birmingham, Maria achieved a height of 2.01 meters, and her closest rivals lost eight centimeters to her. As a result, the prestigious American magazine Track and Field News named Lasitskene the best athlete in the world based on the results of the 2018 winter season.

At the IAAF World Challenge tournament in Hengelo, the Netherlands on June 3, 2018, she achieved a height of 2.03 on her second attempt, updating her best result of the season in the world. On June 10, 2018, Lasitskene won the competition in Stockholm with a jump of 2 meters. Thanks to this, she managed to reach the Diamond League finals in Zurich ahead of schedule. Then the athlete won on June 17, 2018 at the 43rd tournament, winning in Polish Opole with a result of 1.94 meters. Then she extended her winning streak on June 23, 2018, winning the All-Russian athletics competition “Vyacheslav Evstratov Memorial” in Zhukovsky with a score of 2.01 meters.

On June 30 of the same year, Lasitskene won the 11th stage of the Diamond League in a row and the 16th in her career, winning in Paris with a tournament record and the best result of the season in the world: 2.04 meters. Later, on August 10, at the European Olympic Sports Championships, Maria also won a gold medal, clearing a height of 2 meters exactly.

Lieutenant Maria Lasitskene represents Kabardino-Balkaria and the Moscow region, playing for the Central Sports Club of the Army. Has a personal contract with the sportswear and footwear manufacturer Nike.

At the Diamond League stage in the Swedish city of Stockholm May 30, 2019, Lasitskene, performing in a neutral status, took first place, clearing a height of 1.92 meters on her first attempt. The 26-year-old Russian athlete’s rivals were unable to surpass her result.

Maria Lasitskene July 1, 2019 became the winner of the Diamond League stage in the American Stanford. The girl demonstrated a result of 2.04 meters. The athlete won victories at all three stages of the Diamond League in which she took part.

Russian high jumper Maria Lasitskene July 16, 2019 won the athletics tournament in Padua, Italy. The athlete showed a result of 1.94 meters.

At the Russian Championship in Cheboksary Lasitskene July 24, 2019 won a gold medal. The athlete achieved a height of 2 meters on her second attempt. Then Maria tried to improve the country's record by raising the bar by 2.08, but all three attempts ended in failure.

Maria Lasitskene July 25, 2019, the first Russian athlete to top the overall ranking of the International Association of Athletics Federations, scoring 1433 points. The Russian won all five stages of the Diamond League this season.

European indoor champion (2015).

Champion of Russia (2014).

Silver medalist of the Russian championships (2015, 2016).

Russian indoor champion (2014, 2015).

Silver (2016) and bronze (2011, 2012) medalist of the Russian indoor championships.

Winner of the World Military Games (2015).

Winner of the IAAF Continental Cup (2014).

Silver medalist of the World Universiade (2013).

Athlete's height: 182 cm; weight: 60 kg.

At the World Athletics Championships in the Chinese capital Beijing on August 30, 2015, Maria Kuchina won, just like in the textbook. On my first attempts I took all the heights from 1.88 to 2.01 - a new personal record.

Already in the rank of winner, Kuchina tried her teeth at the height of 2.03. The second attempt was, as they say, very close, easy. But Maria hit the bar a little harder, and this time she still fell.

Maria was born on January 14, 1993 in the village of Prokhladny in Kabardino-Balkaria. In her homeland she is called nothing less than the princess of heights from Prokhladny! Everyone in the car family is an athlete! Mom is a volleyball player, father played basketball. The girl inherited good characteristics - good health and a love of sports. And most importantly, her parents understand her!

Even in junior school, at the age of 9, the girl was noticed by a coach who worked as a physical education teacher, Gennady Garikovich Gabrilyan. He became almost a second father for her, teaching her to use the best qualities given by nature and her parents in sports. At first everything was standard, the curriculum, all-around. Then it became clear: The view of the car is height. And then serious individual work began. In which Gennady Garikovich and Masha achieved the maximum.

Masha achieved her first serious success by winning silver at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Bressanone (Italy).

Maria became the winner of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore with a score of 1.89 m.

In October 2010, the girl moved to Volgograd to continue training with the famous Boris Gorkov at Lokomotiv. Her parents went with her. In addition, Maria entered the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture. But after a year and a half she returned to Gabrielyan.

At the Universiade in Kazan in 2013, the athlete won a silver medal.

In March 2014, at the XV World Indoor Athletics Championships in Sopot (Poland), Maria became the World Champion.

On February 7, 2014, Maria overcame a height of 2 meters for the first time in her career! At the international tournament “Grand Prix of Stockholm” in Sweden, already in the rank of tournament winner, she stormed a height of 2.01 m and achieved success in the third attempt.

Kuchina is a lieutenant and plays for CSKA. Represents Kabardino-Balkaria and the Moscow region.

“The Youth Olympic Games were a great event in my life. There is still a huge amount of emotion left. When we were going to Singapore, to be honest, it didn’t even dawn on me what it would be like. But it turned out to be the Olympic Games in a mini-format! Everything was real, adult. And what a burden of responsibility! The composition of the Russian team was not very large. But already being on the team was a victory for every athlete. Therefore, it was necessary to perform with great dignity, to give 1000 percent. We knew that the whole country was rooting for us. It’s good that my coach was next to me, so we managed with great excitement through joint efforts. Future participants in the Youth Olympic Games should not fuss, but do their work clearly and confidently. Of course, to capture the Olympic spirit, to feel every moment.”

High jumper Maria Lasitskene, whom fans should remember under her maiden name Kuchina, has had a very successful start to the current summer season. Forced to compete under a neutral flag, for 11 months now the Russian has been the only athlete in the world capable of jumping to a height of two meters in open stadiums.

Lasitskene began demonstrating her brilliant form back in February, when she cleared the bar at the Russian Winter Championships at 2.03 m. For comparison: Spaniard Ruth Beitia jumped only 1.97 m when she won Olympic gold in Rio, where the Russian woman was not allowed to join her team. national team due to collective disqualification for doping.

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For a long time, Lasitskene could not obtain permission to compete at international competitions. Because of this, the current world champion in the high jump also missed the European Winter Championships, where Lithuanian Irene Palshyta won gold with a “ridiculous” jump of 1.96 m, which she later improved by five centimeters.

It was only in April of this year that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) realized that it was no longer possible to keep the best high jumper in the world in a cage. Lasitskene, already under a new name and with the status of a neutral athlete, began to clearly show that she was the uncrowned Olympic champion.

At her first start, which was the Diamond League stage in Eugene, America, the Russian woman secured first place at a height of 1.98 m and then added another five centimeters. The result of 2.03 m could already be considered sensational - there has been nothing like this in the women's high jump since July 2015, when the same figure was recorded by Anna Chicherova.

“To be arrogant, I expected such a result. I felt great, I realized that today I could jump high. All preparations went well and smoothly. The winter season went well. Psychologically, I managed to throw everything away, forget, stop being offended and start very cheerfully with a new leaf. And, of course, with good anger - without this you can’t jump in the same sector with Olympic champion Beitia,” Lasitskene told R-Sport after the victory.

Within a few days, the Russian won two more victories, conquering the two-meter bar: at a tournament in Opole and at the Diamond League stage in Rome. This height is not even close to all her main rivals. Olympic champion in heptathlon Nafissatou Thiam from Belgium jumped 1.98 m during a profile tournament in Götzis, Pole Camilla Litswinko, 31, storms 1.96 m. Last season's queens, such as American Chante Lowe, Bulgarian Mirela Demireva and Spaniard Ruth Beitia, the results so far are completely unenviable.

Lasitskene does not stand still, and on June 11, at the Fanny Blankers-Kuhn memorial tournament in Hengelo, she completely cleared 2.04 m - this is the best result in the world over the past four years. The Russian woman did not stop there and tried to break the world record for the first time in her life. All three attempts to reach the height of 2.10 m were unsuccessful, but the very fact that an athlete without her native flag is ready to rewrite history can be called one of the brightest events of this athletics season.

“At the beginning of the competition, I was a little sleepy and inattentive, so I took the debut height of 1.85 m only on the second attempt. This, of course, is a lesson for me for the future, because you can’t do that and you have to immediately get involved in the fight. But gradually I jumped up, even though it was raining a little. It's a pity that the girls finished performing quite early. I took the remaining heights confidently and calmly, even 2.04 m. And this surprised me. After which we decided to try to jump at the height of the world record,” Lasitskene told Rusathletics.

The athlete admitted that after such an outstanding result, doping officers did not come to her, and the last time she took a test was after the competition in Rome. Now the Russian plans to compete at a tournament in Turku, Finland, and in her homeland in Zhukovsky, near Moscow.

It is interesting that the best jumper of the last four years and the undisputed leader in her discipline is not expected at the Diamond League stage in London. Its organizers announced in advance that they did not want to invite Russian neutral athletes. Under the old competition formula, this would mean that Lasitskene would be unable to continue fighting for the league's top prize. Fortunately, the new rules allow her to skip one stage and remain a contender for the $50 thousand prize at the end of the season. She will come to London to defend the title of world champion, and so far she does not have a single worthy rival in the sector who can prevent this.