Nicola McDermott (NSW)

Nicola McDermott became the first Australian woman in histroy to clear the elsuive 2.00m barrier in the high jump, achieivng the feat at the 2021 Australian Track and Field Championships. McDermott has since raised the bar again when clearing 2.01m in Stockholm to cement herself as a medal contender in Tokyo. 

McDermott started the sport in primary school and Little Athletics. “I was nine, tall and loved running. High jump was a sport that challenged me physically and mentally, and I enjoyed all the training and the feeling of jumping.” A regular medallist at the Australian Junior Championships, she was selected to compete at the high jump at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene (USA) where she leapt 1.79m in the qualifying round.

She won a bronze medal in the Australian under 20 and open championship in 2015, earning selection to compete atthe World University Games where she placed fourth with a best mark of 1.80m. In 2015 and 2016, she was consistentat 1.88m, ahead of July 2017 when she cleared 1.90m in Brisbane. She was extended an invitation to compete via the IAAF Roll Down Process at the London World Championships, where she, unfortunately, no heighted. In late August she competed at the World University Games, placing seventh with a tremendous height of 1.88m.

Domestically in 2017/18 she was consistent with clearances at 1.85m (twice), 1.86m, 1.88m and a key leap of1.90m over all Commonwealth Games contenders in Canberra on January 27. At the national championships andCommonwealth Games trials, she placed third with a leap of just 1.80m, but received a discretionary selection for theCommonwealth Games. She repaid the selectors faith with a bronze medal clearing a PB 1.91m.

In 2019 she just went from strength to strength. Opened the season with a PB 1.94m in February, won the national title with 1.92m, then in Europe on June 20 she cleared 1.96m at Ostrava. The height moved her to equal third Australian all-time, was the equal highest leap by an Australian for 25 years, moved her to fifth in the world in 2019 and was aTokyo Olympic qualifier. Then on July 12 at the Monaco Diamond league she cleared 1.94m and placed third defeating many athletes with superior PBs.

McDermott improved once again in 2020, flourishing in a consitent European season when clearing 1.98m to come within 1cm of Eleanor Patterson's national record from February. The season provided a solid platform for McDermott to launch into 2021, and she did just that. 

Opening her 2021 campaing with a 1.96m leap in Canberra before raising the bar to 2.00m, it was clear that McDermott was ready to take the next step. The moment came at the 2021 Australian Track and Field Championships, as McDermott sailed over the 2.00m bar to create history whilst booking a ticket to her first Olympic Games. Just months later, she proceeded to set a new national record of 2.01m in Stockholm in her last competition before the Games. 

The consitency at the highest level has McDermott rightfully being discussed as a medal contender in Tokyo. 

Hobbies- plays piano and leads youth groups at her church...

Hero– “I love Blanka Vlasic as a great role model for our sport, and also because I’m half-Croatian.”...

Influence- “The support I received from my school, Greenpoint Christian College. The teachers were passionate about my gift.”