Ukrainian high jumper snuggles inside sleeping bag, takes a 'nap' before getting up and winning Olympics gold medal
Yaroslava Mahuchikh's unique method, which helped her clear a 2-meter bar to secure gold, started in 2018 when she won the Youth Olympic Games.
Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the world record holder, won Olympic gold at the Stade de France and intrigued the world with her unique habit of lying under a green bedroll between jumps, seemingly "napping or meditating."
Surprising one and all with her unique method at the Paris Olympics 2024, Mahuchikh explained her routine as a way to relax and focus by counting numbers or watching clouds. This method, which helped her clear a 2-meter bar to secure gold, started in 2018 when she won the Youth Olympic Games.
"I feel comfortable when I lay and sometimes I can watch the clouds," Mahuchikh told TIME Magazine. “Sometimes I can count numbers, 1,2,3,4, or breathe in, breathe out. It's like, relax, [and] not think about that I'm at [the] stadium.”
Her coach, Serhii Stepanov, told the New York Times it was to prevent blood from pooling in her legs. She always carries a yoga mat, a sleeping bag, and spare socks to competitions, or wears a hoodie. Due to wear and tear from her spikes, she gets a new sleeping bag each season. Mahuchikh recommends this approach for comfort in various weather conditions.
Also Read: Catch HT's comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics here
“Because we have spikes,” she said in the press conference on Sunday. "It's really difficult. But I advise all girls to have this mat and blanket because it's really comfortable to lay on in different weather. When it's raining, it's OK. It never gets hot because it's a camping blanket.”
Relaxing her way to a gold medal
While her ‘sleeping bag’ mantra has gone viral, the win means more than anything to Mahuchikh as she had fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. Ukraine is still under Russian siege. The war has claimed the lives of nearly 500 Ukrainian athletes, making Mahuchikh’s victory an emotional one.
“Almost 500 sportsmen have died in this war,” Mahuchinkh said. “They will never compete. They will never celebrate. They will never fill this atmosphere. I’m happy with the gold medal. It’s really for all of them.”
Australia's Nicola Olyslagers won the silver medal in the high jump by clearing 2.00 meters. However, unlike Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who cleared the height on her first attempt, Olyslagers required three tries. Eleanor Patterson of Australia and Ukraine's Iryna Gerashchenko both earned bronze medals, successfully clearing 1.95 meters but failing to clear 1.98 meters after three attempts.
"I dreamed of this moment when I started my track and field career, and it was a big motivation to me," she told Olympics.com."I thank God that I jumped [over at 2.00m] with my first attempt, and that gave me the gold medal that I want to dedicate to my country."