Soaring Nicola Olyslagers Gears Up For Worlds With Diamond League Crown

Nicola Olyslagers has enjoyed different triumph successful her progressively spectacular career, winning nan Diamond League Final pinch an Australian and Oceanian grounds precocious jump successful Zurich.

The double Olympic metallic medallist’s winning leap of 2.04cm – nan champion successful nan world this twelvemonth – added a centimetre to her nationalist and continental grounds connected Wednesday, while demonstrating she is besides successful bully style to return nan outdoor world title for nan first clip successful Tokyo successful a fortnight.

“I’ve been trying to get that tallness for a fewer years now – and coming I sewage nan Diamond trophy connected apical – what a day!” said Olyslagers, who is shaping arsenic nan outstanding Australian dream successful nan Japanese capital.

“It’s very special. I didn’t ever ideate erstwhile I was a kid that I would get to this height. I had this bid wrong my bosom and I’m still discovering what’s imaginable for me.”

The 28-year-old outduelled world grounds holder, Ukraine’s Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who equalled her season’s champion pinch a 2.02m leap but still succumbed to Olyslagers for nan 4th clip successful this campaign.

Olyslagers became only nan 3rd Australian female – aft hurdler Sally Pearson (2017) and rod vaulter Nina Kennedy (2022, 2024) – and seventh Australian jock to return a Diamond League title, and it came aft a superb play successful which she had already won successful Stockholm, Paris and Lausanne.

Olyslagers clears astatine Sechselaeutenplatz successful Zurich. Photograph: Michael Buholzer/EPA

Like Kennedy past year, she recovered her champion shape successful Zurich’s main Sechselautenplatz quadrate successful nan protector of nan city’s Opera House, connected nan first of 2 days of title earlier nan way action moves to nan Letzigrund Stadium connected Thursday.

She seemed inspired from nan start, clearing six heights without a failure, topped by her 2.04m leap, which bettered her erstwhile champion of 2.03, which she first group successful Eugene successful September 2023.

Mahuchikh had a chance to snatch triumph aft Olyslagers grounded 3 times astatine 2.06m, but nan Ukrainian couldn’t get complete either, moreover arsenic her sporting Australian rival clapped and shouted for her connected her last attempt.

“It was truthful bully having Yaroslava jump pinch maine nan full way,” said Olyslagers. “Jumping pinch her is 1 of my favourite things successful nan world, truthful having her and maine really spell for it was wonderful.

“I deliberation I person immoderate notes of what I request to alteration successful bid to spell higher,” she added, aft scribbling successful her celebrated notebook astatine nan broadside of nan apron. “The 2.04m was 10 retired of 10 – but I still request to activity connected my tally successful nan past 3 steps.”

Olyslagers’ Australian teammate Eleanor Patterson vanished past of nan six finalists, clearing 1.91m.

Later, world indoor medallist Liam Adcock leapt to 3rd spot successful nan agelong jump, pinch a last-round champion of 8.24 metres.

The 29-year-old Brisbane jumper vanished conscionable 8cm down section leader Simon Ehammer, who delighted nan crowd pinch his third-round 8.32m winner, which conscionable pipped Italian Mattia Furlani’s 8.30m.

Armand Duplantis, who took nan rod vault crown arsenic usual, was still smiling moreover though measurement disconnected his champion form. ‘Mondo’ prevailed connected countback aft clearing 6.00m, nan aforesaid tallness arsenic Greek Emmanouil Karalis.

When told it was his 118th clearance astatine 6m and above, Duplantis beamed: “118? Oh, that is really special. I shouldn’t return it for granted.

“Today? Well, I’m a quality being I don’t break world records each day. There are days erstwhile I consciousness decent and days erstwhile I consciousness bad. Today I felt location successful between.”

Australian Kurtis Marschall had to settee for 4th pinch 5.65m.