Olyslagers seizes silver at Selesia Diamond League

High jumper Nicola Olyslagers, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athlete, celebrated her ninth podium of 2025 by securing the silver medal at the Selesia Diamond League in Poland.

Olyslagers, who returned to competition after electing to have a solid training block at her base on the Central Coast, cleared 1.97m, falling three centimetres short of Ukraine’s Olympic and world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

The pair’s latest duel was held in blistering heat and before of a big crowd that was packed into temporary stands at the main square of the Polish city of Katowice.

The event turned into a shoot-out between Mahuchikh and Olyslagers, the two-time defending indoor champion who won silver medals at the last two Olympics.

Despite missing her first attempt of 1.91m as she entered competition, Olyslagers remained composed, clearing two consecutive attempts at 1.94m and 1.97m.

Mahuchikh’s leap of 2.00 metres set a new meet record and also allowed her to record her 22^nd Diamond League meet victory.

While Germany’s Imke Onnen was a distant third with a best of 1.91m, only three other jumpers of the 10-strong field cleared the 1.88m mark.

Daniel Lane, NSWIS.