Nastya Kulakovskaya

Happy birthday to Russia’s Anastasia Kulakovskaya, who took a national record on her final attempt with the title already won.

At the Russian Championships in Cheboksary in July 2024, Anastasia was sitting on 4.07m in the long jump with one jump left, and it was not enough. Her coach, Larisa Privalova, told her she had one last chance and to use it. She jumped 4.22m, which won the competition and set a Russian record in the T44 class. Her own account of it afterwards was matter-of-fact in a way that only athletes manage: her main rival had fouled, she had jumped better, and on the sixth, already knowing the gold was hers, she gathered herself and went for the record. So I’m very happy with the jumps, she said.

Seven months later at the Russian Cup in Tula she pushed it to 4.25m, and won the 200m at the same meet. She has also set Russian records in the 100m, taking it to 14.90, and in the 200m. Her record at the national championships reads: double champion in 2024, long jump champion in 2025, and long jump silver plus 100m bronze at Chelyabinsk this July. Her own bio counts nine Russian titles.

The long jump for a T44 athlete is the same event everyone else contests, with the same board, the same sand and the same rules, executed with a different set of physical constraints and the same requirement to hit the take-off at full speed. The technical margin is smaller and the consequences of getting the run-up wrong are larger. Doing it on the sixth attempt with a national record in mind is a fairly complete demonstration of nerve.

She competes for Kursk oblast, studies at Kursk State University, holds the title of Master of Sport of Russia, and is a member of the national team.

С днём рождения, Анастасия! Желаю здоровья и счастья на долгие годы, и ещё много сантиметров впереди. 🎂🎁🎉🫶🫶🇷🇺