At just 19, Lake made history by becoming the first woman to reach an Olympic high jump final since 1992. She stands as a six-time British champion, with breaking barriers now a routine part of her career. Despite her impressive track record, including multiple national titles, the Olympic medal has remained just out of reach for the high jumper. 

However, with her recent victory at the UK Athletics Championships in June, the 27-year-old is poised to make a breakthrough and achieve that elusive Olympic success on the grandest stage.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport in my eyes,” she said. “Being a young kid and watching sport on the television, the Olympics was always the thing that got me into sport and into athletics. It’s everything.”

From a young age, Morgan Lake had a clear role model in her father, Eldon Lake, a former GB junior international triple jumper. He introduced her to athletics long before she could walk. Born in Milton Keynes, Lake has always been captivated by the Olympics, admiring its grandeur and the chance it provides for less prominent sports to shine.

In a time when field events struggle for prominence, especially with Michael Johnson’s new Track League focusing less on jumps and throws,  Lake's role is crucial. Alongside pole vaulter Molly Caudery, Lake aims to captivate British audiences and seize the opportunity to become a household name this summer.

“There’s so many different sports at the Olympics which I love,” she said. “The fact that it only happens every four years makes it feel like a time where the whole country is loving sport and loving watching the athletics.

“Of course, all the other major championships are super exciting, but we have them every year. Even though I’m against the same competitors, in the same event and the same sport, the Olympics is just that bit more special.” A foot injury kept Lake from competing in the final in Tokyo, despite having cleared 1.95m to reach that point. However, she has shown strong form throughout this Olympic cycle.

“After coming fourth at the 2023 World Champs (in Budapest), that was the time when I really allowed myself to start thinking about Paris and what I could achieve there.

“To get so close to a medal was amazing but that also really fuelled me for this year. It was a case of thinking: ‘Wow I got so close; I know I can do that next year.’ It’s really exciting. I just love the Olympics," Lake concluded.