"An Olympic Champion Right After Waking Up?"... Ukrainian Athlete Wins Gold Medal After Taking a Nap [Paris Olympics]

Ukrainian Athlete Yaroslava Mahuchyk Takes a Nap on a Sleeping Bag Before the Final
"Sleeping to Maintain Physical Flexibility"

A Ukrainian athlete who took a nap at the stadium ahead of the women's high jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympics has become a hot topic. The protagonist is Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won the gold medal after waking up from her nap.

Gold medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine is celebrating with the Ukrainian flag after competing in the women's high jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympic athletics event.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to foreign media including Cosmopolitan on the 6th (local time), a photo of Mahuchikh posted on the 2024 Paris Olympics social media (SNS) account on the 4th has attracted attention. The released photo shows Mahuchikh taking a nap with a sleeping bag laid out and using her bag as a pillow. The Olympic account posted the phrase, "You can rest, but can you take a nap during the Olympic final?"

After waking up from her nap, Mahuchikh cleared the 2.00m high bar in the final and won the gold medal. She holds the women's high jump world record and is also called the 'Human Bird.' The photo of Mahuchikh posted on the official Olympic account received more than 10,000 'likes.'

[Image source=Official Olympic X account]

Hong Kong magazine Cosmopolitan posted this photo online with the title "Olympic Champion as Soon as She Opens Her Eyes." Japan's Kyodo News reported in an article titled "Nap during the final?" that the high jump athlete was not nervous at all.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Regarding her habit of taking naps before competitions, Mahuchikh explained, "I started following my coach's advice during my junior years," adding, "Since waiting times can be long, I sleep to improve blood flow and maintain body flexibility."

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, she voiced that Russia's large-scale airstrikes continue even during the Olympics. Mahuchikh criticized, "The Olympics symbolize peace. However, Russia has not stopped (the bombings). Large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities occurred during the Olympic period."

It is known that she has been training in neighboring countries such as Estonia, Portugal, Belgium, and Germany to avoid Russian airstrikes. Mahuchikh said, "To achieve good results in international competitions, I have no choice but to train abroad," adding, "It is very sad. I hope to be able to train in Ukraine for the next Olympics."