Olympic medallist Nicola Olyslagers has capped a career-defining year with gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, adding a sixth global medal to her collection and underscoring her status as one of Australia’s greatest ev er athletes.

In the pouring rain, which disrupted competition throughout the evening session, the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder claimed the world outdoor crown in the same city where she won her first Olympic medal four years ago.

At 1.97m, the field was cut down to five, with Olyslagers facing Ukrainian world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Angelina Topic (SRB), and Poland’s Maria Zodzik, who all sailed clear at the first attempt, as well as 2022 world champion and fellow NSWIS athlete Eleanor Patterson (NSW) who cleared the bar on her second attempt

With the bar raised to 2.00m, Olyslagers raised her arms before clearing the bar. Her rivals all attempted, but as the downpour came, officials halted the contest. When competition resumed, Zodzik took her chance, clearing 2.00m on her third attempt to guarantee a medal, with Mahuchikh and Topic settling for joint bronze.

Olyslagers, who came into the championships ranked one in the world, came closest to clearing  2.02m but it wasn’t to be. Having navigated all other heights with perfection from 1.93m to 2.00m, Olyslagers was declared the winner.

“This was just pure joy, even in the rain. I’ve seen so many bars fall off just by that small amount but when it stays on, what else could you say but ‘Thank you, God.’ High jump is a bit of luck but tonight was so special,” Olyslagers said.

The triumph continues a golden run of form for Olyslagers who this season has claimed World Indoor gold, the Diamond League trophy, a new Oceania record of 2.04m and now, her first global outdoor title. Her six global medals now include two Olympic podiums, two World Championship medals and two World Indoor titles.

“I think this season I have had many hard competitions but the whole year was really great. I realised I had to stop holding onto my goals really tightly and be spontaneous, take risks and really move by faith and not sight.”

Olyslager’s gold is Australia’s second world title in the Women’s High Jump after Patterson’s win in 2022, and it is also Australia’s 15th world title at the World Athletics Championships. 

Teammate and 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson also rose to the occasion, finishing fifth with a clearance of 1.97m to continue Australia’s recent dominance in the event, and this being one of the deepest fields in high jump history.

Patterson had a clean sheet until a first-up miss at 1.97m, before clearing on her second-attempt. At 2.00m, she could not muster up the speed and strength in the rain to clear the bar – a height that would have guaranteed her a medal.

“It’s bittersweet in so many ways, but that’s the nature of high jumping. If I had one clearance a little bit earlier, it would have been incredible but it’s the part of the sport,” Patterson said.

“I’m ready to jump high and I just didn’t bring it out today. Hats off to Nicola though, it’s really wonderful seeing her win gold.”

Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny (QLD) endured extremely wet and challenging conditions to fall just short of another global medal, finishing fourth with a best of 65.57 metres. 

The torrential rain meant the competition commenced for two throws, was then postponed for almost two hours, and then restarted even as the rain kept falling. In unbelievable scenes, officials were trying to dry the circle with towels after every attempt in the competition. 

Some athletes fell and many had the discus slip out of their hands. Denny was fortunate to not injure himself like others but his final two attempts, when he was pushing hard to stay in the race for a medal, were fouls as he slipped in the circle. 

“I’m pretty fortunate that I walked away without a concussion or an injury,” Denny said. 

“It’s obviously hard the way it went down in these conditions. I’ve never felt more ready for a comp but it was a bit of a war of attrition. It was one of those things you can’t control. 

“You had to give yourself to it and hope that you catch one and you know some boys did and some boys didn’t. I am fortunate to be one of the boys who was at least in the fight and could kind of manage.  

“It really sucks and I feel for everyone as a collective because if that was dry that was going to be the best competition of all time. Respect to those guys that medalled, for Daniel to catch that and make do with what we had, hats off to them.” 

Daniel Stahl (SWE) defended his world title and added to his Olympic gold from Tokyo in 2021 with a season best of 70.47 metres on his final attempt. World record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU) secured silver with 67.84 metres, and Alex Rose secured Samoa’s first World Championship medal (66.96m).   

World Indoor medallist Ky Robinson (QLD) underlined his rise as one of Australia’s brightest middle-distance stars, storming to fourth place in the Men’s 5000m final. The 23-year-old capped a breakthrough season, which already includes the national indoor 3000m record and a global bronze medal, with the fastest ever time by an Australian over 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships at 12:59.61.

Robinson showed no fear against the event’s heavyweights, surging to the front from the gun before settling back when the pace shifted at 900m. Composed and unflustered, the Boulder-based athlete bided his time before unleashing a furious final-lap kick, picking off rivals around the final bend and home straight to finish less than 0.3-seconds behind Frenchman Jimmy Gressier (12:59.33) who claimed bronze. American 1500m Olympic champion Cole Hocker claimed gold in 12:58.30, with Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli taking silver in a season’s best time of 12:58.78.

“I walk away from these Championships basically as happy as I could be,” Robinson said.

“It was such a fast race from one kilometre and I don’t know how I managed to be there with 400 metres to go. I thought I’ve got to kick now and see what’s left in the tank and finish on empty. 200 to go 150 to go I was sprinting as fast as I could, but unfortunately, three people can sprint a little bit faster.”

Only Craig Mottram’s bronze in 2005 is a better finish by an Australian at the World Championships and Robinson’s time was 13 seconds faster than Mottram ran to make his breakthrough podium.  Robinson will have a brief rest before resuming training for next year, where breaking Mottram’s Australian Record of 12:55.76 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are priorities for 2026. 

Olympic and world medallist Jessica Hull (NSW) closed off her Tokyo Championships,  delivering the country’s best ever result in the Women’s 800m at the World Athletics Championships. Racing to eighth place in 1:57.30, the time was just shy of her Australian record set two nights ago in the semi-final.

Backing up from her sensational 1500m bronze medal, the NSWIS scholarship holder ran her sixth race in nine days and did so with a smile on her face as her steep learning curve over the two-lap event continued. 

“I’d still like to get on the track tomorrow if I could. It’s really refreshing to finish the Championships feeling this way, where I wish I could still go again. It was a good, very hard race among the top 800m women but it was basically similar times to the other night, so I’m officially a 1:57-low woman.”

The race was won in dramatic fashion by Kenyan Lilian Odira, who came through in the closing stages of the race to win gold in 1:54.62, breaking the oldest championship record. Defending champion Mary Moraa led for the first lap with Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson tucked behind. While the two global champions kicked with 300m to go, so too did Odira who surged to battle for first place. Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell caught teammate Hodgkinson before the finish line in 1:54.90 to Hodgkinson’s 1:54.91.

In torrential rain, the Men’s 4x100m relay team were unable to get the baton safely around the track, coming unstuck at the final change when in fifth or sixth spot. They finish the World Championships ranked eighth place but disappointed not to finish the season on a high.

Connor Bond (NSW) changed to Jacob Despard (brought in for an injured Josh Azzapardi), Calab Law (QLD) chased hard around the final bend and then couldn’t reach NSWIS Olympian Rohan Browning (NSW, Jack Edwards) in the final change area, when sitting in sixth or seventh but close to the minor medals.  

The Australian team finished 13th on the placing table and 15th on the medal table, with one gold and four bronze medals. 

Tags Eleanor PattersonJess HullNICOLA OLYSLAGERS
RECOMMENDED LINKS

Recommended Articles