- Nicola Olyslagers broke into song before making her jump
- The Australian star claims she doesn’t remember the tune she was singing
- She shares that God inspires her with verses and songs to sing
Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers has shared her experience of breaking into song just before her successful jump, which earned her a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
As the first Australian woman to clear the 2m mark in the event, Olyslagers faced Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh for the gold medal in a tense final.
After failing her first two jumps, Olyslagers needed a successful third attempt to stay in the competition.
She encouraged herself and managed to clear the bar, ensuring a silver medal for her efforts.
When questioned by Nine’s Karl Stefanovic the following day about her spontaneous singing, Olyslagers admitted she couldn’t recall what it was.
‘That’s a good question,’ she remarked.
‘I was just in the zone! If there are lip readers around… it’s usually whatever comes to my mind.’
‘Honestly, God is in my heart, and sometimes He inspires me to sing verses or songs, and I just start.
Nicola Olyslagers (pictured) burst into song before clearing 2m in the high jump final
The Aussie revealed she doesn’t remember what she was singing but God sometimes brings out verses and songs from within and she starts singing
‘It’s something that just comes over me; I have a faith that strengthens under pressure rather than fading away.
‘During my third attempt, I felt that ‘you are going to clear this’, and savored every moment of it.
‘Three steps away, I knew I would make it over.’
Olyslagers, a devoted Christian, prays before each of her attempts, expressing that she jumps with ‘joy for Jesus.’
She quickly endeared herself to the Stade de France audience and audiences watching around the world, as she radiated positivity, encouraging spectators before each jump and smiling widely after clearing each height.
An especially charming moment came when Olyslagers was observed writing in her notebook after her jumps.
She affectionately refers to it as her ‘little book of gold’, assigning herself scores out of 10 for each performance.
The devout Christian high-jumper’s infectious personality won over fans
‘This diary gained unexpected popularity, and I wasn’t quite sure why. But it serves as my training log, which I thought was basic practice in athletics,’ she shared with Nine.
‘I simply noted my daily training activities, but then I took it a step further by reflecting on what I learned, what felt good, and what needed adjustment.’
‘At the Tokyo Olympic Games, I had to stay focused for two hours and 45 minutes, which felt like a long time.
‘So I filled the journal with valuable insights and lessons learned, almost writing a letter to my future self to remind me of this moment at the Olympic Games.’
‘It became a beautiful opportunity to carry my journal into competitions and express my feelings in real-time for later reflection.’
‘Initially, I thought nobody would ever see my notes.’
‘But then, surprise! My little scribbles became headlines. I never intended it to go viral.’
Ultimately, Olyslagers was unable to clear the 2.02m height and settled for silver, with Mahuchikh claiming gold.
However, fans recognized Olyslagers as a true embodiment of Olympic spirit, taking to Twitter to praise the Australian.
‘Nicola Olyslagers’ joy is infectious!’ one admirer expressed.
‘This Australian high jumper is such a gem,’ another fan declared, adding, ‘I’m officially an Olyslagers fan.’
A third commenter chimed in: ‘How can you NOT cheer for Nicola Olyslagers?’
‘Nicola Olyslagers is the cutest with her little journal.’
