Olyslagers’s sweet Sweden victory

Australia’s charge towards the World Athletics Championships surged ahead in Stockholm overnight, as New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship athlete Nicola Olyslagers and Linden Hall delivered golden performances on the Diamond League stage, while global medallists Kurtis Marschall, Matthew Denny and rising star Ky Robinson also climbed the podium at the world’s premier one-day athletics meet.

Olyslagers once again proved her class in the Women’s High Jump, soaring to a season-equaling 2.01m to claim another win over Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR). The pair were locked in a tight battle, matching each other through to 1.99m, before Olyslagers pulled ahead, becoming the only athlete to clear 2.01m.

Mahuchickh was unable to respond at 2.01m, passing in her remaining attempts to try for 2.03m, only to leave the Australian as the last woman standing.

“The competition was great,” said Olyslagers. :It was the first time I’ve skipped so many heights. I skipped 1.97m to go to 1.99, and it required me to be bold. I was a bit afraid in doing it but I had the faith to keep going.”

“This victory has taught me a lot about myself and that the best is still to come. I got injured here last year and it took courage to come back and go: ‘no, this is a great competition, so to win was to win over my fears,’ so it was a really great day.”

Olympic bronze medallist and fellow NSWIS scholarship athlete, Eleanor Patterson, also featured in the event, clearing 1.91m on her first attempt before bowing out at 1.95m to finish equal fourth.

Just moments before, Linden Hall (VIC) produced one of the most impressive runs of her career, storming to victory in the Women’s 3000m in 8:30.01.

Hall unleashed an impressive final-lap kick to defeat Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat (8:31.27), slashing more than five seconds from her personal best and seizing her first Diamond League win over the distance.

“I ran a big 5km PB recently so I was hoping that would translate into a good 3km. I didn’t feel too good in the early stages of the race but luckily, I came good at the end. I did a lot of the work mostly by myself in the last kilometre so it was really encouraging to get a 5-second personal best.

“It’s been a good season so far and a nice confidence-booster. I’m racing the 1500m in the Paris Diamond League on Friday, which is actually on my birthday, so that will be a great way to celebrate and I’m really proud of myself for still running so well at this stage of my career.”

Pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall (WA) delivered his best outdoor result of the season, clearing 5.90m on his second attempt to claim silver behind Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis (SWE), who thrilled his home crowd by setting a new world record of 6.28m.

Marschall made three solid attempts at the elusive six-metre barrier, highlighting that the best is yet to come for the 2023 global medallist. Back on the track, Ky Robinson (QLD) continued his breakout season with a brave run for bronze, clocking a massive personal best of 12:58.38.

The Stanford standout dug deep behind Swden’s Andreas Almgren, who smashed the European record with a solo 12:44.27, and Ethophia’s Kuma Girma (12:57.46). Robinson’s time moves him to third on the Australian all-time list behind Craig Mottram (12:55.76) and Stewart McSweyn (12:56.07) and qualified him for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Consistent performer Matthew Denny (QLD) also rounded out the podium, with the Men’s Discus star throwing a best attempt of 68.14m, to place him third behind world champion Kristjan Ceh (69.73m) and Sweden’s Olympic champion Daniel Stahl (69.53m).

In other results, Sarah Carli (NSWIS) finished seventh in the Swedish capital, clocking 55.42 in the 400m Hurdles as she builds towards Tokyo, while Torrie Lewis (QLD) also featured in the pre-program, running the 200m in 23.50 (+2.2) to earn eighth place.

The Diamond League is the world’s premier athletics circuit and sits in the top tier of World Athletics one-day meets, offering athletes significant prize money and world ranking points. The Diamond League will make its next stop in Paris on June 21.

Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics