Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers readies for Commonwealth Games with faith and detailed notebook

World‑champion Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers, the Oceania record holder at 2.04 m and double Olympic silver medallist, is heading to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as a top medal contender. Ranked world number two, she has credited her Christian faith for a pivotal turnaround in her early twenties, saying she “laid [her] life into the hands of God,” which she says has driven her performance improvements.

Olyslagers also relies on a meticulously kept notebook that grades each jump across nine categories, guiding her training and competition strategy. The system helped her set a new Oceania record and win her first Diamond League title in Zurich, earning the Bruce McAvaney Award for Performance of the Year. She will compete in Glasgow aiming for the Commonwealth gold that has so far eluded her.