Nicola Olyslagers Eyes World Title in Sentimental Tokyo Return
TOKYO - High jumper Nicola Olyslagers enters the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 with a deep personal connection to the city, fueled by a desire to build upon her already impressive international career.Olyslagers, who claimed Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021 and again in Paris last year, also holds two world indoor championships and a world bronze medal.
The Australian athlete credits a significant part of her success to the unwavering support of her coach, whom she’s known since childhood. “It’s really refreshing for me to have that after all this time, to know that she’s not getting sick of it,” Olyslagers shared. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive and supportive surroundings, hoping to instill those values in her training group. “There are no airs and graces, and Nic has always been the same from when I’ve had her as a young kid. She would be the same with any person that meets her. She’s just a great person and that’s what I love. I hope as a coach, that’s what I’ve passed on to the athletes – to aspire to be like that.”
Olyslagers remains a dedicated student of the sport, recognizing the need for continuous learning and enjoyment. “As soon as I don’t keep learning or I still don’t keep enjoying it, it’s over, you know?” she stated. She actively seeks inspiration from her peers, citing Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh and fellow Australian Eleanor Patterson as role models. “My physiotherapist printed out a photo of Yaroslava running and put it there,so every day I train he is like: ‘look at how she runs – this is what we are working towards.’ She changed her run up last year and it takes a lot of courage to change something in an Olympic year, but she has courage and she’s inspiring. And then Eleanor – she has always been with me. I’ve been jumping with her for over a decade now, and she’s still doing new things.”
Olyslagers believes in fostering a collaborative spirit within the high jump community. ”High jump’s one of those things where it’s really not about you versus another competitor, it’s you versus the bar, and you get to have friends to do it with you the whole way.” She hopes to establish a lasting legacy of mutual support for future generations of athletes.
Returning to Tokyo holds particular importance for Olyslagers,prompting a later start to the season to ensure she arrives mentally prepared.”Tokyo has a big place in my heart and that’s why I started it so late, this season, because I didn’t want to turn up mentally flat for Tokyo,” she explained. Reflecting on her past performances at the World Championships, beginning with a no-height in 2017, she embraces the journey of continuous advancement. “Every championship since then, I’ve gotten a little bit better. I love progressions and I love seeing that – the progress, even as me as an athlete versus two years ago, and I think we’ve got so much more to give.”
