Russian Olympic champion in women's high jump Mariya Lasitskene told Sputnik on Monday she did not contact Ukrainian bronze medalist in the discipline, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, after their joint photo at the Tokyo Olympics, which has since drawn harsh criticism from Ukrainian politicians
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2021) Russian Olympic champion in women's high jump Mariya Lasitskene told Sputnik on Monday she did not contact Ukrainian bronze medalist in the discipline, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, after their joint photo at the Tokyo Olympics, which has since drawn harsh criticism from Ukrainian politicians.
Lasitskene claimed gold in the high jump at the 2020 Games with a score of 2.04 meters, while Mahuchikh finished third. While celebrating, Ukrainian athletes congratulated their Russian counterpart on the title, and Lasitskene and Mahuchikh took several joint photos. The act was heavily criticized in Ukrainian media, while the country's defense ministry promised to "talk" with the athlete about the photo.
"Honestly, I haven't contacted her [Mahuchikh] yet, because I'm not quite aware of the reaction that this photo has caused. I don't have time to read everything, I didn't even follow our Olympians. I finally saw everyone during the celebration [in Moscow]," Lasitskene told Sputnik.
The welcoming ceremony for the Russian Olympic team was held earlier on Monday on Red Square in Moscow upon their return from Tokyo.
