2018

2018 was a breakthrough year. I qualified for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and jumped 1.91m to win the Bronze Medal. My coach , manager, athletics club and I then went to Europe to compete with the world’s best. In our time there, we discovered that my technique for jumping was not at the standard it needed to be. 

We decided to take a risk and change it all.  

2019

2019 saw the first jump at a competition with the new technique: I cleared 1.94m. This competition was a discovery that my body was capable of more than I anticipated. The next few months we began working on my competition mindset, habits and intentions in sport. We travelled to Europe again. This time, we found that I was right at home with the world’s best. In Ostrava Golden Spike, I cleared 1.96m. This jump was an automatic qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and provided entry into the Diamond League. As a highlight to the 2019 season, I placed 3rd in the Herculis Diamond League in Monaco with a clearance of 1.94m.  

2020

2020 anticipated the year of attempting 2 metres. After a training block, I cleared 1.96m at the first competition back and equalled 1.96m again the following fortnight. The anticipation to attempt a new personal best felt within a hand’s reach. Then the COVID19 pandemic cancelled the Olympic selection trials, postponed the Olympic Games and put a question mark on the rest of the season.  

During isolation, we kept training to maximum effort. After months of hard training, I received the phone call from my manager that competitions in Europe were resuming in August. The doors re-opened for me to compete, I decided to take the opportunity and it was the best decision I could have made. The international season highlights were a 1.98 personal best in Germany, a win in the Brussels Diamond League, as well as 3rd place in the Stockholm and Rome Diamond League. The moment to attempt over 2 metres arose both in Germany and Belgium. 

These moments gave me extra fuel to keep pushing myself to new heights.

2021

2021 began with a jump of 1.96m to start the season in Canberra for my first competition back. On this day, I had a feeling this year was going to be special.

On the 18th of April my 2 metre dream came true. At the Olympic Trials and National Championships, I won the selection trials, broke the National Record and qualified for the Olympic Games on my home track. I became the first Australian woman to jump over 2 metres and was awarded the Betty Cuthbert Award for the Best Performance of the Meet. 

My Olympic dream has come to life. With publicity in Australia and around the world of my progression, I was able to surpass the expectations set, and jump a new National Record of 2.02m in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Final. I won the Silver Medal, the first one for Australia since the 1964 Olympic Games also hosted in Tokyo.

Following the Olympics, I continued competing in the WANDA Diamond League. I was able to finish the season ranked #3 in the world, clearing 2m five times and placing on the podium of every event. I won Athletic Australia’s Athlete of the Year 2021.

2022

In 2022 I started my competition season at the Australian National Championships in April where I won with 1.94m. We had pieced together a fantastic training block, yet the impact COVID had on my body took more work than my team had expected. I started my international season, finding the joy of jumping and the challenge to now ‘make it’ on the global high jump scene as my new married name Nicola Olyslagers. At the Oregon World Championships I cleared 1.96m to place =5th in the World. Soon after that, I flew over to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. During the qualification round I tore my calf muscle significantly on my jumping leg, and had to pull out of the final. In the next month I worked closely with my team in Australia and Switzerland, and managed to come back to compete in the Diamond League Final and place third. To this day I believe I was radically healed.

2023

Learning the lessons from the previous year helped set up the best year of my career to date. In January 2023 I opened my season with 1.98m and qualified for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. I later went on to claim the national title in Brisbane, Australia.

My training increased to twice a day and it was very intentional, there were no gaps to assure an injury on the major competition would not occur again. My first competition of the season opened with a victory in Paris Diamond League with a 2.00m clearance. 4 days later I then cleared 2.01m in Turku Finland, then within another 4 days I competed in Brno, Czech Republic and cleared 1.99m. I competed in Lausanne Diamond League later that month and went on to equal my personal best of 2.02m.

Later on in the season I cleared 1.99m in the World Championships Final to receive bronze. It was my first medal in this kind of competition, and with my teammate, made history, with 2 Australians on the podium for the same event. Following the Championships I finished my season in Eugene, USA breaking the National Record with a height of 2.03m and came away with a World Ranking of #2.