Nicola Olyslagers delivered Australia’s first gold medal of the world championships on the final evening in Tokyo, overcoming two rain delays to win the high jump on a countback after clearing 2m. The Australian beat Poland’s Maria Żodzik, who also cleared 2m but had more misses, cementing Olyslagers’s place at the summit of the event.
The evening was marked by extraordinary weather, with incessant rain causing a farcical delay in the men’s discus. Officials used dozens of towels to keep the circle, discus, and athletes’ shoes dry, and the competition was stopped and restarted after the final track event. The saga stretched past 11pm local time, with the stadium nearly empty when the rain finally ceased.
Sweden’s Daniel Ståhl, who had been dancing under an umbrella at the start, claimed discus gold with a throw of 70.47m, while Australia’s Matt Denny slipped off the podium after two late throws. Denny described the conditions as the worst he had ever competed in and later shed tears with his wife. “It was just really hard, really emotional and disappointing,” he said.
Olyslagers, who had already won the world indoor and Diamond League titles in 2025, entered as favourite and quickly moved to 2m without a miss. The rain made the mat slippery, but she maintained her focus, leaning on her Christian faith. “Even if waiting and out there in the rain, I have such a joy because I know these moments are forever,” she said.
Australia’s Eleanor Patterson finished fifth in the high jump on a countback, while Jess Hull was eighth in the 800m final. Ky Robinson recorded an outstanding fourth in the 5,000m, Australia’s best result in the event since 2005. The men’s 4x100m relay team failed to finish after a botched changeover, adding to relay woes after earlier disqualifications and a dropped baton.
Australia finished 15th on the medal tally with one gold and three bronze. The USA topped the table with 16 gold among 26 medals.
