Latest news with #Olyslagers
News.com.au
04-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Aussie women shine on world stage with Diamond League podiums
Gout Gout has lifted athletics to a place in the Australian sports consciousness where it hasn't been for more than 50 years. But the teen tyro won't be doing the heavy lifting alone, with a gaggle of track and field athletes excelling on the world stage. Victorian Sarah Billings became the second-fastest Australian woman over 800m over the weekend when she finished second in the Shanghai Diamond League in a personal best time. Her 1min 57.83sec behind Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma (1:56.64), made her the only Aussie woman beside two-time Olympian Catriona Bisset to break the 1:58 barrier for the distance after crossing just 0.05sec outside Bisset's national record. It was a second Diamond League podium in a row for Billings, who was third in the 1000m at the opening Diamond League round of the year in Xiamen. The breakthrough campaign of Sarah Billings has rolled on at the Shanghai Diamond League which saw her become the second fastest Australian woman in history over 800m, finishing in second place as high jumpers Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson also landed on the podium ðŸ'ŽðŸ'¥â€¦ — Australian Athletics (@AustralianAths) May 3, 2025 The 27-year-old, who has already qualified for the 1500m at the world championships in Tokyo later this year, heeded the advice of coach Nic Bideau, stepping on the gas in the final laps and waiting for gaps to open down the straight. 'Today I had a really clear race plan, I just wanted to go really hard at 300m (to go),' Billings said. 'My coach Nic told me this morning that gaps open up with 100m to go on the inside and to watch for it; I watched for it and some opened up. 'I have been picked for the World Championships in the 1500m already so that's still the main goal, but I think that (800m) was pretty close to the national record, so I'm just really happy.' High jump duo Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson also stepped on to the podium in second and third place respectively, only bettered on the night by world record holder and Olympic champion, Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh. Olyslagers cleared 1.98m on her second attempt to separate herself from Patterson who finished with 1.95m. Mahuchikh was the only woman in the field to clear 2m, with a clean sheet to 2.00m, where Olyslagers missed all three attempts before the Ukrainian lifted the bar to 2.03m, missing her attempts. 'The competition today was a big improvement from last week (Xiamen Diamond League), I enjoyed it,' Olyslagers said. 'Today I had courage and I am thankful for that. 'This is the first time I have started my season a bit later, so every jump of course I want to be over 2m and getting personal bests but I have great faith that God will get me ready. I don't worry about the past, I just go forward.' In other results, pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall (5.72m) was fourth behind Olympic champ Mondo Duplantis, who set a meet record 6.11m, while Mackenzie Little was ninth in the javelin and Liam Adcock seventh in the pre-program long jump. On the track, South Australia's Matthew Clarke was 10th in the 3000m steeple chase, while rising Queensland middle distance runner Jude Thomas was 16th in the 5000m in his Diamond League debut.
West Australian
03-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Sarah earns Aussie top Billings in Diamond League
Sarah Billings has come perilously close to breaking the Australian 800 metres record as she enjoyed another breakthrough two-lap outing at the latest Diamond League meeting in China. Following her third place in the 1000m in the previous week's meeting in Xiamen, the improving Melbourne athlete finished runner-up in the 800m at the Shanghai-Keqiao meet on Saturday, clocking a new lifetime best of 1 minute 57.83 seconds as she chased home Ethiopian winner Tsige Duguma. The 27-year-old's time was just five-hundredths of a second outside Catriona Bisset's national mark of 1:57.78, set in London six years ago, as she powered through the pursuing pack to become just the second Australian woman to crack the 1:58 barrier. "I couldn't be happier! I've been picked for the world championships in the 1500m already, so that's still the main goal, but that was pretty close to the national record, so I'm really happy," said Billings, who knocked over a second off her best of 1:58.94 but was no match for 24-year-old Duguma's new Ethiopian record of 1:56.64. "I had a really clear race plan, I just wanted to go really hard at 300m to go. My coach Nic (Bideau) told me this morning that gaps open up with 100m to go on the inside and to watch for it. I watched for it and some opened up," Billings said. She wasn't the only Australian woman on the podium, with the brilliant high jump duo of runner-up Nicola Olyslagers and third-placed Eleanor Patterson again having to give best to Ukraine's Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh. Olyslagers cleared 1.98m on her second attempt to finish ahead of Patterson (1.95m) but Mahuchikh's 2.00m clearance again put her on top as it had in Xiamen. "The competition today was a big improvement from last week. I enjoyed it! Today I had courage and I am thankful for that," said Olympic double silver medallist Olyslagers. "This is the first time I have started my season a bit later, so every jump of course I want to be over two metres and getting personal bests, but I have great faith that God will get me ready. I don't worry about the past, I just go forward." Olympic and world champion Armand Duplantis soared 6.11 metres to win the pole vault as usual, but missed out on his single crack at a world record attempt at 6.28m. Australian Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.72m to claim fourth place. Matthew Clarke clocked 8:28.86 for 10th place in the 3000m steeplechase while Mackenzie Little (NSW) was ninth in the javelin with a 56.85m throw. Rising middle-distance prospect Jude Thomas marked his Diamond League debut over 5000m by finishing 16th in 13:32.99. International performance of the night was American Cordell Tinch becoming the fourth fastest high hurdler of all time as he scorched to victory in 12.87 seconds. South African Akani Simbine backed up his win in Xiamen last week by running down Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson in the last few strides to win the 100m in 9.98 seconds. Karsten Warholm, who ran a world best time in the 300m hurdles in Xiamen, confirmed his fine form by dominating the more familiar 400m in 47.28. With Reuters
Perth Now
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Sarah earns Aussie top Billings in Diamond League
Sarah Billings has come perilously close to breaking the Australian 800 metres record as she enjoyed another breakthrough two-lap outing at the latest Diamond League meeting in China. Following her third place in the 1000m in the previous week's meeting in Xiamen, the improving Melbourne athlete finished runner-up in the 800m at the Shanghai-Keqiao meet on Saturday, clocking a new lifetime best of 1 minute 57.83 seconds as she chased home Ethiopian winner Tsige Duguma. The 27-year-old's time was just five-hundredths of a second outside Catriona Bisset's national mark of 1:57.78, set in London six years ago, as she powered through the pursuing pack to become just the second Australian woman to crack the 1:58 barrier. "I couldn't be happier! I've been picked for the world championships in the 1500m already, so that's still the main goal, but that was pretty close to the national record, so I'm really happy," said Billings, who knocked over a second off her best of 1:58.94 but was no match for 24-year-old Duguma's new Ethiopian record of 1:56.64. "I had a really clear race plan, I just wanted to go really hard at 300m to go. My coach Nic (Bideau) told me this morning that gaps open up with 100m to go on the inside and to watch for it. I watched for it and some opened up," Billings said. She wasn't the only Australian woman on the podium, with the brilliant high jump duo of runner-up Nicola Olyslagers and third-placed Eleanor Patterson again having to give best to Ukraine's Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh. Olyslagers cleared 1.98m on her second attempt to finish ahead of Patterson (1.95m) but Mahuchikh's 2.00m clearance again put her on top as it had in Xiamen. "The competition today was a big improvement from last week. I enjoyed it! Today I had courage and I am thankful for that," said Olympic double silver medallist Olyslagers. "This is the first time I have started my season a bit later, so every jump of course I want to be over two metres and getting personal bests, but I have great faith that God will get me ready. I don't worry about the past, I just go forward." Olympic and world champion Armand Duplantis soared 6.11 metres to win the pole vault as usual, but missed out on his single crack at a world record attempt at 6.28m. Australian Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.72m to claim fourth place. Matthew Clarke clocked 8:28.86 for 10th place in the 3000m steeplechase while Mackenzie Little (NSW) was ninth in the javelin with a 56.85m throw. Rising middle-distance prospect Jude Thomas marked his Diamond League debut over 5000m by finishing 16th in 13:32.99. International performance of the night was American Cordell Tinch becoming the fourth fastest high hurdler of all time as he scorched to victory in 12.87 seconds. South African Akani Simbine backed up his win in Xiamen last week by running down Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson in the last few strides to win the 100m in 9.98 seconds. Karsten Warholm, who ran a world best time in the 300m hurdles in Xiamen, confirmed his fine form by dominating the more familiar 400m in 47.28. With Reuters
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Athletics world blown away by 26-year Aussie first not seen since Cathy Freeman
Fans have taken to social media in droves to congratulate Australia's athletes on a record medal haul at the world athletics indoor championships in China. The women's 4x400m relay team emulated a feat not seen since Cathy Freeman's glory days after claiming the nation's first medal in the event for 26 years, to cap off a record haul of seven medals for Australia at the athletics meet in Nanjing. Sprinter Lachlan Kennedy, distance runners Jessica Hull and Ky Robinson, high jumpers Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson and longjumper Liam Adcock had already combined to make it Australia's most successful indoor championships of all time, with medals in their respective events. But the 4x400m relay team of Ellie Beer, Ella Connolly, Bella Pasquali and Jemma Pollard claimed bronze to wrap up the nation's seventh medal and smash the previous record in style. The relay result was the first time an Australian team has scored a medal in the event since Olympic legend Cathy Freeman anchored the green and gold to silver at the 1999 world indoor championships in Japan. In an incredible final session on Sunday night in Nanjing, Georgia Griffith also set a new Australian indoor record for the 1500m after finishing fourth in a time of 4:00.80. 🚨 MEDAL ALERT! 🚨For the first time in 26 YEARS, 🇦🇺 Australia have won a medal in the women's indoor 4x400m relay! 🥉🙌2025 #WorldIndoorChamps | March 21-23 | SBS On Demand 📺 — SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) March 23, 2025 High jump queen Olyslagers grabbed the headlines after becoming the nation's first multiple world indoor gold medallist after downing countrywoman Eleanor Patterson in a gripping one-two finish for Australia. Both Aussie women recorded a best clearance of 1.97m, with Olyslagers taking out the gold on count-back, as Patterson had missed one attempt at 1.92m. Ukraine's world record holder and reigning Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (1.95m) claimed the bronze, also on count-back. Olyslagers is also a two-time Olympic silver medallist from the Tokyo and Paris Games, and her latest triumph follows two world indoor crowns in Glasgow last year. "This is the first time I've come from a gold-medal position to try and defend something outside of Australia," a beaming Olyslagers said after her victory. "I knew that if I wanted to jump as high as I wanted, to be as competitive as I wanted, I needed to do things outside of my normal comfort zone. I needed to do something new, like start a world championships as my first competition of the season - to do something crazy. Going into it, I was really inspired by Yaroslava's world record attempts last year, and how she changed her new run-up, so I was jumping with a new run-up today. I want to jump as high as Yaroslava. If I want to be competitive, I needed to be trying and changing things up." In the evening session, Aussie longjumper Adcock earned a first major medal in his maiden appearance at a world indoor competition, courtesy of whopping 8.28m leap. It could have been even better as his opening-round leap ended up being just one centimetre behind Jamaican silver medalist Wayne Pinnock's 8.29 and two adrift of Italian winner Mattia Furlani's 8.30. With Kennedy finishing second in the men's 60m on Friday and Jess Hull and Ky Robinson grabbing bronze in the two 3000m races on Saturday, it set the stage for Australia's 4x400m women's relay team to cement Australia's record seven-medal haul. And the young Aussie team wrapped up the historic event for the country by finishing third out of the five entrants in a time of 3min 32.65. The USA were well out in front to claim gold in 3:27.45, with Poland taking the silver medal. Track, field, relays ✅✅✅A record medal haul of seven for Australia at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China 🇨🇳 #AthleticsNation — Australian Athletics (@AustralianAths) March 23, 2025 Australia truly shone at the #IndoorWorldChamps! 🌟The team clinched an impressive seven medals - 🥇🥈🥈🥉🥉🥉🥉 - a new record and surpasses their previous best of four medals from Toronto 1993. What an incredible achievement! 🎉@AustralianAths — Brisbane 2032 (@Brisbane_2032) March 23, 2025 The seven-medal total saw the Australian athletics team smash the nation's previous best haul of four set in Toronto way back in 1993, sparking an outpouring of messages from proud Aussie fans across social media. "Congratulations to all our wonderful athletes," one fan wrote. "You have really done yourselves proud and given our country something to really get excited about. To all your families and coaches, thank you for all your support. Success really takes a team." Another supporter wrote: "How I love seeing you Aussies 1 and 2. Congratulations," in response to the gold and silver medals for Olyslagers and Patterson in the women's high jump. "All Aussie medal winners were fabulous," said another proud fan. Another added: "Fantastic representation for Australia." with AAP
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Australian Olyslagers retains world indoor high jump title
Australia's Nicola Olyslagers outshone Ukraine's Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh to retain her world indoor high jump title in Nanjing on Sunday. The last time reigning Olympic, world and European indoor/outdoor champion Mahuchikh tasted defeat in the women's high jump was at the 2024 world indoors in Glasgow where she surrendered her title to Olyslagers. The Ukrainian, the only athlete in the field to have cleared 2.00m or higher this season, never looked comfortable in Nanjing's Cube and Olyslagers and Australian teammate Eleanor Patterson took advantage. Olyslagers, making her season debut in Nanjing, won with a best of 1.97 metres. Patterson, the 2022 world champion and world indoor silver medallist, took silver on countback, with Mahuchikh claiming bronze (1.95m). Mahuchikh skipped the opening mark of 1.85m before sailing over 1.89. American Vashti Cunningham, the 2016 world indoor champion and a finalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was an early departure after three failed attempts at that height. Olyslagers and Patterson went clear at 1.92m, with Mahuchikh opting out, but it proved too much for the latter's teammate Kateryna Tabashnyk and Italian Idea Pieroni. Cypriot Elena Kulichenko went over at the third time of asking. The bar was raised to 1.95m, proving a problem neither for Mahuchikh nor her Australian rivals and Serbian Angelina Topic. Kulichenko, American Charity Hufnagel and Germany's Imke Onnen however all bowed out, leaving four to battle for the three podium spots. Mahuchikh and Topic, the world junior champion, both failed their first attempts at 1.97m as Olyslagers and Patterson sailed over. The Ukrainian and Serb both opted to skip their second and third jumps as the bar went up to 1.99m. But they failed to clear that, leaving them in third and fourth places respectively, and an all-Australian shootout for gold. Patterson paid the price for a missed attempt at 1.92m to hand victory to Olyslagers. The second final of the morning session saw American Claire Bryant win the women's long jump with a best of 6.96m on her fifth attempt. Bryant led for the whole competition, which featured none of the Olympic medallists, after opening with 6.76m. "That was crazy! That was the most fun competition," said Bryant. Switzerland's European indoor silver medallist Annik Kalin, who finished fourth in the heptathlon at the Paris Olympics, took silver after a last-gasp 6.83m. Spain's Fatima Diame rounded out the podium with a best of 6.72 for a second world indoor bronze after a similar result in Glasgow last season. lp/pst
