University of Georgia Athletics
Kulichenko’s Olympic Dream ‘Actually Came True’
July 25, 2024 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Elena Kulichenko had a big goal and a big dream for this spring and summer. Winning an NCAA title in the high jump was the goal, and earning her spot at the Olympic Games in Paris was the dream. Done and done.
"It's been an amazing season," the Georgia senior said. "This was my goal from the beginning of the year, and that's why I'm extra happy about it. I worked really, really hard to get it. It's just amazing."
The 5-foot-10 Kulichenko had been building toward her NCAA breakthrough throughout the spring, including winning the SEC Outdoor title with a school- and personal-record leap of 6 feet, 4.75 inches. And she did a lot more than win a national title at the NCAAs in June. She also bettered her and Georgia's record in the event and, most importantly, cleared the Olympic qualifying standard with her winning jump of 6 feet, 5.5 inches (1.97 meters).
"I definitely was in the best form of my life in that meet, and hopefully the Olympics goes even better," said Kulichenko, who is from Odintsovo, Russia, but has dual citizenship with Cyprus and is representing Cyprus in the Olympics.
"None of this surprised me," said Georgia jumps coach Ryan Baily, who joined the coaching staff in December. "When I first got here, one of the first comments I made ... was, 'You can be a 2-meter high jumper.' I kept reiterating that."
She's not quite there yet, but she's close. And Baily said he was looking forward to working with her in the fall, tweaking her approach and some other things, to get her to 2 meters and beyond.
"She's very adaptable, and her other talent is her durability," he said. "It's really rare to have that kind of durability. She's never missed a practice this year. That makes a difference."
While Kulichenko's spring and early summer went according to plan, what she didn't expect was being named one of Cyprus' two flag bearers at the opening ceremonies. When the parade of nations floats down the Seine River on Friday, Kulichenko and Milan Trajkovic, a hurdler, will be front and center, holding the flag, as the Cypriot delegation passes through the city.
When she sat down for an interview last week, Kulichenko had only learned she'd been selected a few days before.
"I just saw the announcement and was like, 'Wow! Thank you so much," she said. "It was very unexpected."
Kulichenko won't be the only Bulldog among the flag bearers on the Seine, either. Former Georgia sprinter Cejhae Green, a sprinter in his third Olympics, will be one of Antigua & Barbuda's flag bearers, as well.
Kulichenko said she first expressed a desire to compete in the Olympics while in elementary school, "so it's been on my mind for a while." That was a dream, with little reason at the time to think it might come true. But that started to change a few years ago as she soared higher and higher.
"The dream actually came true," said Kulichenko, who won the Cyprus national championship in the high jump earlier this month. She was also the European U23 champion in 2023.
After some rocky years when she wasn't setting new personal bests and her affinity for the sport waned at times, Kulichenko has found again her passion and love for the high jump in the past 18 months or so. In 2023, she was the runner-up at the SEC indoor and outdoor meets and placed third at the NCAA indoor and outdoors.
Her NCAA-winning jump of 1.97 meters this year — she actually shared the national championship Illinois' Rose Yeboah who also hit 1.97 — came soon after setting a new school record and personal best of 6 feet, 4.75 inches at the SEC Outdoors.
After the opening ceremonies on Friday, Kulichenko will have a week to get ready for the women's high jump qualifying round on Friday, Aug. 2. She and Baily, who will coach multiple Bulldogs in Paris, will work on fine-tuning everything, but some things she will have to deal with on her own.
"I know that nerves and excitement are definitely going to be there, and it's just, you need to do what you need to do in the moment," she said. "You can't really prepare yourself for such things. I've done everything I could to be there and to earn the spot, and now it's just time to enjoy the atmosphere and the incredible moment."
Staff Writer
Elena Kulichenko had a big goal and a big dream for this spring and summer. Winning an NCAA title in the high jump was the goal, and earning her spot at the Olympic Games in Paris was the dream. Done and done.
"It's been an amazing season," the Georgia senior said. "This was my goal from the beginning of the year, and that's why I'm extra happy about it. I worked really, really hard to get it. It's just amazing."
The 5-foot-10 Kulichenko had been building toward her NCAA breakthrough throughout the spring, including winning the SEC Outdoor title with a school- and personal-record leap of 6 feet, 4.75 inches. And she did a lot more than win a national title at the NCAAs in June. She also bettered her and Georgia's record in the event and, most importantly, cleared the Olympic qualifying standard with her winning jump of 6 feet, 5.5 inches (1.97 meters).
"I definitely was in the best form of my life in that meet, and hopefully the Olympics goes even better," said Kulichenko, who is from Odintsovo, Russia, but has dual citizenship with Cyprus and is representing Cyprus in the Olympics.
"None of this surprised me," said Georgia jumps coach Ryan Baily, who joined the coaching staff in December. "When I first got here, one of the first comments I made ... was, 'You can be a 2-meter high jumper.' I kept reiterating that."
She's not quite there yet, but she's close. And Baily said he was looking forward to working with her in the fall, tweaking her approach and some other things, to get her to 2 meters and beyond.
"She's very adaptable, and her other talent is her durability," he said. "It's really rare to have that kind of durability. She's never missed a practice this year. That makes a difference."
While Kulichenko's spring and early summer went according to plan, what she didn't expect was being named one of Cyprus' two flag bearers at the opening ceremonies. When the parade of nations floats down the Seine River on Friday, Kulichenko and Milan Trajkovic, a hurdler, will be front and center, holding the flag, as the Cypriot delegation passes through the city.
When she sat down for an interview last week, Kulichenko had only learned she'd been selected a few days before.
"I just saw the announcement and was like, 'Wow! Thank you so much," she said. "It was very unexpected."
Kulichenko won't be the only Bulldog among the flag bearers on the Seine, either. Former Georgia sprinter Cejhae Green, a sprinter in his third Olympics, will be one of Antigua & Barbuda's flag bearers, as well.
Kulichenko said she first expressed a desire to compete in the Olympics while in elementary school, "so it's been on my mind for a while." That was a dream, with little reason at the time to think it might come true. But that started to change a few years ago as she soared higher and higher.
"The dream actually came true," said Kulichenko, who won the Cyprus national championship in the high jump earlier this month. She was also the European U23 champion in 2023.
After some rocky years when she wasn't setting new personal bests and her affinity for the sport waned at times, Kulichenko has found again her passion and love for the high jump in the past 18 months or so. In 2023, she was the runner-up at the SEC indoor and outdoor meets and placed third at the NCAA indoor and outdoors.
Her NCAA-winning jump of 1.97 meters this year — she actually shared the national championship Illinois' Rose Yeboah who also hit 1.97 — came soon after setting a new school record and personal best of 6 feet, 4.75 inches at the SEC Outdoors.
After the opening ceremonies on Friday, Kulichenko will have a week to get ready for the women's high jump qualifying round on Friday, Aug. 2. She and Baily, who will coach multiple Bulldogs in Paris, will work on fine-tuning everything, but some things she will have to deal with on her own.
"I know that nerves and excitement are definitely going to be there, and it's just, you need to do what you need to do in the moment," she said. "You can't really prepare yourself for such things. I've done everything I could to be there and to earn the spot, and now it's just time to enjoy the atmosphere and the incredible moment."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
High Jump
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