Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers (née McDermott), known for her outspoken Christian faith, has shared the podium in Switzerland despite adverse conditions.

Defying the pouring rain, Aussie athlete Nicola Olyslangers took a single jump to clear 1.91 metres in the high jump competition at the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

The conditions were less than optimal, causing world high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) to bow out after two failed attempts. But the soaked track didn’t stop Olyslangers from taking the risk—and it paid off, as she cleared the bar on her first and only attempt.

“On a night where rain battered the stadium and Olympic champions faltered, dual Olympic medallist Nicola Olyslagers rose above the conditions to share the top spot in the Women’s High Jump at the Lausanne Diamond League, a highlight in a string of gritty Australian performances in Switzerland.” — Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics

The New South Wales-based Olympian, who in 2021 became the first woman to clear 2 metres and last year won silver in the Paris Olympics, shared the podium with Poland’s Maria Zodzic and Germany’s Christina Honsel.

Characteristically, Olyslangers left no question as to who deserved the praise, telling reporters that God is the reason she doesn’t flag under adverse conditions.

“… the joy that’s inside of me can’t get drowned out because it’s from a source that doesn’t get diluted with circumstances, because I have God’s joy inside of me…” — Nicola Olyslangers

Olyslangers posted photos of the pouring rain on Instagram with the caption, “The floodgates opened over Lausanne 💙 When it’s worship, it’s a treasured moment no matter the weather.”