Olympic viewers are buzzing over a high jumper’s unusual relaxation technique between rounds before clinching gold.
Athletes frequently have a pre-event routine to ensure peak performance.
Often, sports stars immerse themselves in music before the action begins.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh, however, opts for something a bit unconventional.
The Ukrainian world-record holder has been excelling at the Olympics, capturing a gold medal in the games on Sunday evening.
Additionally, she has gained viral attention online for her distinctive relaxation method used between rounds.
Mahuchikh was spotted comfortably lying under a green sleeping bag between her jumps.
At times, it even appeared she might be dozing off, although some on social media speculated she could have been meditating.
One X user commented: “Obsessed with climbing into a sleeping bag in between Olympic high jumps.”
Another remarked: “Yaroslava Mahuchikh being so calm in sleeping bag before getting gold medal and making the highest jump is iconic.”
After securing the gold over the weekend, Mahuchikh was asked by Time about her unique relaxation method.
“I feel comfortable when I lay and sometimes I can watch the clouds,” she shared with the outlet.
“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.”
According to a report by the New York Times, Mahuchikh began taking sleeping bags to competitions in 2018.
“Serhii Stepanov, who helps to coach her along with his wife, Tetiena Stepanova, suggested that sitting too long between jumps allowed the blood to pool in Mahuchikh’s legs,” the outlet noted.
That’s when the sleeping bag became a regular part of her routine and has stayed with her since.
Discussing it during a press conference on Sunday, the high jumper advised: “It’s really difficult. But I advise all girls to have this mat and blanket because it’s really comfortable to lay in different weather, because when it’s raining, it’s OK. It never gets hot because it’s a camping blanket.”
Mahuchikh has garnered significant support at the Paris Olympics, especially considering the challenging past few years for the Ukrainian.
She had to flee her homeland when Russia invaded, making her Olympic participation two years later all the more remarkable.