Nicola Olyslagers just won her second-straight gold medal in the women’s high jump! She accomplished this incredible triple at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. The 28-year-old Australian athlete won gold on countback over compatriot Eleanor Patterson, with both athletes clearing a height of 1.97 meters. This victory represents Olyslagers’s second consecutive indoor world title after winning previously in Glasgow in 2024.
Olyslagers’s incredible streak remains in tact as she now piles on an even more awe-inspiring resume of high jump honors from international competitions. She’s the reigning silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics and Paris Olympics. On top of that, she’d earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. The complex in Nanjing allowed the Australian competitors to test different run-up lengths, a move that proved to be successful for Olyslagers.
Australian Duo Shines
The competition became an extremely tight race between Olyslagers and Patterson. Neither of them had previously cleared the height of 1.97 meters. Patterson failed on her one attempt at 1.92 meters — a height that would have won her the gold medal.
"It's such an incredible honour to win my fifth global medal," said Eleanor Patterson.
The duo's performance highlights their dominance alongside Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the women's high jump scene over recent years. Since the start of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, at least two of these athletes have made it to the podium each time. They excel at world cup-type international events.
Mahuchikh Claims Bronze
For Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, it was her first podium finish at the World Indoor Championships, securing her bronze medal. Though she had long enjoyed successes at other international competitions, the Nanjing competition was a momentous first for the Ukrainian athlete.
The trio’s intense rivalry has created a unique competitive environment that has forced each athlete to raise their own performance bar.
“We really bring the best out of one another,” said Olympic high-jumper Nicola Olyslagers.
Record-Breaking Performance for Australia
Australia’s success in Nanjing doesn’t just stop with how well each athlete performed. The remarkable country produced its best ever performance – including a record five medalists – at the 2025 World Indoors. That achievement breaks the old high mark of four medals, first achieved in Toronto in 1993. This accomplishment highlights Australia’s burgeoning athletic excellence on the world stage.
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