Australian high jump world champion Nicola Olyslagers secured a career-high payday of $105,000 (US$75,000) for finishing second at World Athletics’ inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest, according to reports by Guardian Athletics and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on September 11, 2026. Despite struggling with her approach on a firm surface during a cold night, Olyslagers cleared 1.95m to take the runner-up spot behind Ukraine’s Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won the title with a 1.99m clearance.
Surprise Payday at the Ultimate Championship
According to Guardian Athletics and ABC News, Olyslagers was unaware of the financial scale of the new streamlined tournament until speaking to reporters after the event. The competition features a record $US10 million ($14 million) prize pot designed by World Athletics to attract new fans to the sport. Her runner-up payout surpassed the amount she earned for winning the world title the previous year.
“What? Really? I genuinely thought it was just first prize got the 150k and second was like 10,000,” Olyslagers said, according to the ABC News report. “You are the bearer of good news. That’s fantastic.” Wrapped in a scarf about 40 minutes after her event, she noted that after missing twice at 1.95m, realizing that more than half the field had already exited helped her focus enough to clear the bar on her final attempt.
Performance Details and Rival Results
According to the ABC News report, Olyslagers described the 1.95m clearance as the happiest she had ever felt after jumping that height, noting that she celebrated as if she had won the entire competition. Her domestic rival, Commonwealth champion Eleanor Patterson, experienced a more difficult evening on the runway, tying for third place with a clearance of 1.91m a week after jumping 10cm higher to win the Diamond League crown. Patterson told reporters that it was the lowest she had jumped all year and expressed frustration with her performance.
Pole Vault and Distance Events in Budapest
According to ABC News coverage, triple Commonwealth pole vault champion Kurtis Marschall finished fourth with a best of 5.95m. Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis starred at the event, which opened with a theme song he co-wrote and performed. Duplantis secured the title with a faultless run to 6.20m before narrowly failing in a world record attempt at 6.32m. In the 5,000m event, Australia’s Ky Robinson led at the bell before Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen secured victory in a tactical finish.
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