Olga Rypakova took up athletics at the age of eight, inspired by her father, who was a decathlete. She spent several years competing in the heptathlon (the 100-metre hurdles, the 200- and 800-metre races, the long jump, the high jump, the shot put and the javelin throw). In 2007, she decided to focus on the triple jump. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, she proved that this was the right decision. She initially finished fourth but was awarded the silver medal a year later following the disqualification of two medallists. Rypakova became Olympic champion at the London 2012 Olympics. Four years later, at Rio 2016, a bronze medal completed her impressive collection of Olympic medals. At the 2020 Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, she had the honour of carrying the national flag during the opening ceremony. Olga Rypakova never had any role models and tried to forge her own path. Having successfully balanced her sporting career with motherhood, she has become a role model for many young Kazakhstani athletes. For example, a sports centre in her hometown is named after her. Donated by the athlete