Nicola Olyslagers has spent the past year turning potential into inevitability. The dual Olympic silver medallist has stacked up results that speak louder than any predictions: a record of podium finishes across Europe, World Indoor gold and an Australian record of 2.04m that reconfirms her place alongside the best high jumpers in history.
It’s the kind of resume that makes her Australia’s brightest chance for gold, but Olyslagers sees things differently. For her, the story of this season is less about medals but about growth, faith and the pursuit of something higher.
What makes her season so compelling is that none of it has been left to chance. Her schedule was meticulously chosen – not overloaded, not rushed but constructed to give her the chance to refine every element of her craft.
“Every competition was picked on purpose,” she says.
“Each had its own value and we could prepare specifically to bring the best I had to offer for this season.”
That strategy showed early dividends. She nearly skipped the World Indoor Championships to focus on strength but with her qualification already secured, she lined up anyway and left with gold.
The win didn’t just set the tone for her year, it shifted her mindset.
“To come away with great jumps and a gold was beyond what I imaged. It gave me an opening to anticipate greater things for the competitions we decided to peak for.”
Her peak came just at the right time, breaking through at 2.04m – a height she had flirted with for many years but was never able to clear. That changed in the Diamond League final against the best in the world where she executed a perfect approach and finally soared over.
“I just let go of trying to control any outcome and gave all of that to the Lord,” she recalls.
“Every step was perfect and the jump had the timing I lacked for years.”
The clearance gave her a new Australian record but more importantly, it gave her proof that she can deliver her very best when the lights are brightest.
If Olyslagers’ achievements seem remarkable, consider the field she’s up against. Women’s high jump is experiencing a new golden era, stacked with Olympic and world champions and with more than five women with the ability to surpass the 2.00m barrier. Every meet becomes a battle, but that’s how she likes it.
“I love that it is competitive. There’s no such thing as an easy win now. Every jump I do, I do it out of an overflow of love.”
In the past 12 months, Olyslagers has beaten the one that many thought was unbeatable for some time, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the reiging Olympic and world champion and the world record at 2.10m. Beating the unbeatable on many occasions gives her belief but not arrogance.
“It’s a real possibility,” she says of Tokyo gold, “but my goal is not a colour of medal. It’s about being jump focussed and enjoying the journey.”
Part of what sets Olyslagers apart is how she frames success. For her, results are a by-product of something deeper.
“I feel like I don’t lack anything. There are heights I have not reached but I have a love that sustains me to pursue them boldly without being attached to the outcome.”
That grounding gives her freedom to take risks and to think beyond herself. She talks often of legacy and the responsibility to inspire the next generation.
“What I am doing now is creating a shift and building legacy. I’m no longer seeing the short-term goals as a focus.”
For Olyslagers herself, the goal is both simpler and more profound: to line up in Tokyo with peace, joy, and the knowledge that she has prepared for this.
“Every time I put 100% in, that level becomes the new normal,” she says. “The bar raises, and I always find something more to give.”
On a day when anything can happen, that combination of preparation, perspective, and presence may be exactly what lifts her to the top step of the podium.
By Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics
Posted: 9/9/2025
