Australian Nicola Olyslagers Claims World High Jump Title After Dramatic Delays
Budapest, hungary – Nicola Olyslagers of Australia soared to gold in the women’s high jump at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, overcoming significant rain delays to secure victory with a clearance of 2.02m. The win marks Australia’s first gold medal of the championships and a career highlight for the 27-year-old athlete.
The competition was repeatedly halted by heavy rain, testing the patience and resilience of the competitors. Despite the disruptions, Olyslagers remained focused, consistently clearing heights as the field thinned. Ukraine‘s Yaroslava Mahuchikh took silver with 2.00m, and Russia’s Maria Lasitskene claimed bronze, also at 2.00m.
“It was a really tough competition, with the weather being so up and down,” Olyslagers said. “I just tried to stay focused and do what I needed to do.”
Elsewhere at the championships, Ky Robinson finished fourth in the men’s 5,000m final, recording a time that stands as Australia’s second-best result in the event at a World Championships, surpassed only by Craig Mottram’s bronze medal in 2005. Robinson expressed a mix of joy and regret, acknowledging his strong effort while contemplating what might have been. “Instantly, over the line, it’s just sheer joy, sheer happiness,” Robinson said.”A minute later, the ‘what ifs’ start kicking in, and it’s like: ‘Man, I’m one spot off a medal, what if I found a little bit more?’ But that’s hindsight.”
Australia’s relay teams endured a challenging competition,with the men’s 4x100m team failing to finish due to a botched baton exchange between Calab Law and Rohan Browning. The men’s 4x400m team were disqualified for a changeover violation, and the women’s 4x100m team dropped the baton during their race.
The World Athletics Championships concluded with Australia finishing 15th on the medal tally,with one gold and three bronze medals.The United States topped the standings with 16 gold medals and a total of 26 medals, followed by Kenya and Canada.
