Aussie-Croat becomes world indoor high jump champion again
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Australian Nicola Olyslagers has defended her world indoor high jump title, winning gold in Nanjing on Sunday with a best clearance of 1.97 metres.
It was an all-Australian battle for gold, with Olyslagers and her teammate Eleanor Patterson both clearing 1.97m.
However, Olyslagers took the title on countback, as Patterson had one miss at 1.92m.
Ukraine’s Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh secured bronze with a jump of 1.95m.
Although a proud Australian, Olyslagers also has strong Croatian roots.
“My mother’s maiden name is Marinovic, and both of her parents were born and raised in Blato on the island of Korčula. They moved to Sydney after World War II for new opportunities. My Baba helped raise me, so every day we ate Croatian food, talked to our relatives, and embraced the Croatian culture while living in Australia,” Olyslagers told us in a previous interview.
Nicola in Croatia a number of years ago (Photo supplied/Private album)
Olyslagers has long admired Croatian high jump legend Blanka Vlašić and believes the Croatian way of life plays a role in sporting success.
“I believe Croatian genetics help in sports due to height, but I also think the Croatian lifestyle contributes. We learn to work hard, value family, and honour our community. When that is combined with talent, it creates a great formula for success,” she explained.
(Photo supplied/Private album)
With this victory, Olyslagers adds another major title to her growing list of achievements. She now has two consecutive world indoor gold medals, silver from the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, and a bronze from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
