EUGENE, Ore. — In an interview four years ago, 16-year-old Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh was asked to name her sporting hero.
"I like watching Maria Lasitskene," she replied.
Lasitskene is the Russian high jump queen, who at the time had won back-to-back outdoor world championships and was in the midst of a 45-meet win streak. She's since added another world title and an Olympic gold medal, and she's one of nine women in history to clear 6-foot-9 — or jumping over LeBron James.
