Olyslagers Crowned Diamond League Champion

Dual Olympic medallist and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Nicola Olyslagers has soared to a new Oceania record to clinch the Women’s High Jump crown on Day One of the Diamond League Finals, stamping herself as the woman to beat just weeks before the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, while World Indoor medallist Liam Adcock also impressed with a podium finish to complete his debut Diamond League season in style.

In one of the strongest Women’s High Jump competitions of the season, Olyslagers (NSW) cleared 2.04m, placing her as the new world leader this year as four athletes cleared 2.00m or higher, highlighting the calibre of her victory.

The Central Coast product outclassed Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh who showed a glimpse of timing her comeback to form with a season’s best of 2.02m, while Great Britain’s Morgan Lake and Ukraine’s Yuliia Levchenko sailed over 2.00m in a contest that showcased the very best of global high jumping.

“It’s very special. I didn’t ever imagine when I was a child that I would get to this height and I look back to when I was 20-years-old, when I decided to take off control of my sport and just put it into the hands of God. I’ve just seen that when I play, there’s something beautiful that comes out every time,” Olyslagers said.

“It was so nice having Yaroslava jump with me the whole way. Jumping with her is one of my favourite things in the world so having her and me really go for it was wonderful. I think I have some notes of what I need to change in order to go higher. The 2.04m was 10 out of 10 but I still need to work on my run in the last three steps.”

Australian teammate and fellow NSWIS athlete Eleanor Patterson (NSW) placed sixth overall, with a jump of 1.91m continuing her steady build towards Tokyo, where she will look to claim her seventh consecutive global medal.

World Indoor medallist Liam Adcock (QLD) continued his breakthrough year in Zurich, finishing with bronze in the Men’s Long Jump with a leap of 8.24m (-0.3), reinforcing his status as a medal threat in Tokyo.

Having never competed in a Diamond League meet before this season, Adcock arrived in Zurich as the top qualifier and delivered again when it counted. His third-round leap secured the bronze behind Swiss star Simon Ehammer (8.32m) and Italian teen Mattia Furlani (8.30m), with Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock fourth at 8.15m.

Kurtis Marschall (WA) battled hard in the Men’s Pole Vault, finishing equal fourth alongside Menno Vloon (NED) with a clearance of 5.65m.

Unable to find his usual rhythm in Zurich, the global medallist fell short of the heights that have made him a regular contender on the Diamond League stage this season. With Tokyo fast approaching, Marschall will look to rebound and return to the 5.90m+ form that has defined his season for a chance at the podium once more.

The meet was won by Swedish star Mondo Duplantis with a 6.00m performance, while Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis finished second on countback while USA’s Sam Kendricks (5.80m) completed the podium.

The Diamond League Finals continue tonight from 1.30am AEST, with eight more Australians eyeing the crown, a $50,000 prize and a wild card entry to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Australian viewers can watch live and free on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel.