Yaroslava Mahuchikh: Why one of the biggest stars at the Paris Olympics found herself curled up in a sleeping bag when she won gold

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh won gold at the Stade de France on Sunday with her unique way of preparing for each jump, winning a large new fan base.

Australians Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson achieved a historic feat by winning silver and bronze in this event, but Mahuchikh was the star of the show.

Olyslagers had a chance at gold when he competed against the world champion from Ukraine in the 2.02 meter height, but he narrowly missed out on the title.

Mahuchikh entertained fans with her unique routine, which saw the 22-year-old wrap herself in a green sleeping bag between jumps to keep her legs warm and active while her rivals took their turn.

Sometimes she would go a step further and close her eyes, rest her head on her backpack and take a sip from a can of Red Bull.

It was the complete opposite of Olyslagers’ obsessive routine, which involves judging various aspects of her technique by writing in her diary between jumps. She carried this ritual with her to the Tokyo Games, where she won silver, and continued it in Paris.

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh wrapped herself in a sleeping bag between jumps at the Paris Olympics

The gold medal winner was super relaxed at times, even appearing to take naps in the sleeping bag while waiting for her turn to jump

“Obsessed by the way Yaroslava Mahuchikh crawls into a sleeping bag, while Nicola Olyslagers immediately starts scribbling in her notebook after their high jump attempts, the duality of women,” posted one follower on the social media platform X.

“Sleeping bag = pro move,” added another.

“You could see how both approaches worked so well for each of them. I loved how well thought out it all was,” posted another.

While Australians would be disappointed that our athletes couldn’t win gold, Mahuchikh’s journey to the Olympics is legendary.

In February 2022, Yaroslava Mahuchikh got into her car amid gunfire and grenades to escape Ukraine as the Russian invasion intensified.

Since then she has trained and lived in Portugal, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Estonia and other countries, which was a huge preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris.

Viewers loved watching Yaroslava Mahuchikh’s laconic approach to the high-pressure atmosphere in Paris

Australian Nicola Olyslagers angrily took notes on her own performance between jumps

Olyslagers, a devout Christian who prays before every jump, says she jumps with “joy for Jesus.”

Her positivity quickly won over the Stade de France crowd and millions of fans watching at home, as she cheered on the spectators for every attempt and beamed with joy each time she reached her goal.

‘Olyslagers always laughs and that’s so infectious,’ posted one fan.

‘The facial expressions of Olyslagers during matches are something else. Rarely do you see people show such genuine joy during matches,’ added another.

‘Nicola Olyslagers is such an icon, her positive energy, her dedication, her whole vibe is amazing. And she is a legendary athlete,’ posted another.