Nicola Olyslagers has had the best worst night of her career after missing out on becoming a new “Ultimate” athletics high jump champion, only to learn to her surprise that she had still leapt to the biggest payday of her life. Australia’s world champion managed to only clear 1.95m on the first night of World Athletics’ inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Friday (Saturday AEST), struggling with her approach on a difficult surface on a cold night as Ukraine’s Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh beat her to the title with a 1.99m leap. Olyslagers’ runner’s-up spot earned her US$75,000 (AU$105,000) – US$5,000 more than she pocketed for winning the world title last year – as part of the record $US10 million ($14m) prize pot for the streamlined new event that World Athletics hopes will attract a host of new fans.
Only when speaking to reporters afterwards did Olyslagers realise just what she would be taking home. I genuinely thought it was just first prize got the 150k and second was like 10,000,” she said. That’s fantastic.” Olyslagers, wrapped in a scarf and still shivering 40 minutes after her event, said she struggled with her approach on a firm-surface run-up but, with more than half the field exiting very early, she realised that after two fails at 1.95 a clearance would be enough for second place.
She duly sailed over at the final attempt, punching the air in delight. I think I celebrated as if I’d won the whole competition and it was a really good jump,” she said. Really, really frustrating,” said Commonwealth champ Patterson.
With the title secure after a faultless run to 6.20m, the spellbound full house of 20,000 willed him to clear a world record 6.32, but he narrowly failed in what would have been a remarkable 16th world best in six years. Earlier, Australia’s Ky Robinson gave it a real go in the 5,000m, leading at the bell, but got swallowed up in the run for home as Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen roared back to his best with a superbly judged victory charge. Sarah Billings ran well in her 800m semi-final to qualify for Saturday’s (Sunday AEST) final when there will be four more Australians in action.
Abbey Caldwell and Jess Hull will go in the women’s 1500m, Mackenzie Little in the javelin and Oceania record holder Lachlan Kennedy in the men’s 100m.
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