NSW athletes close World Championships with three medals

28 August 2023

NSW athletes close World Championships with three medals

After nine days of thrilling competition, the world championships came to a close this morning in Budapest. The performances across the week matched the high daily temperatures at the 19th edition of the global meet. NSW won half the Nationals teams’ medals, through Mackenzie Little’s javelin throw bronze, and our pair of high jumpers Eleanor Patterson with silver and Nicole Olyslagers with bronze.

Going into the final field event of the Games, the women’s high jump, Australia had high hopes with Eleanor Patterson the defending world champion and Nicole Olyslagers the World leader. As expected, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh would be the primary competition. She had kept the Aussie pair from the top of the podium at the Tokyo Olympics (Olyslagers) and 2022 World Indoors (Patterson).

Throughout the tense competition all three athletes let at varying heights. Patterson at 1.94m, Olyslagers and Mahuchikh at 1.97, then Patterson and Mahuchikh at 1.99m. At 2.01m only these three remained and it would be the height to decide the medals. Mahuchikh was over on her second attempt, while the Aussies would miss their three attempts, with Patterson securing the silver ahead of Olyslagers on countback.

The result made history as the first time at a senior world championship two Aussies placed on the podium in the same event, although it has occurred on six occasions in Australian Olympic history.

Eleanor Patterson’s journey since her Eugene win has been enormously challenging after breaking her foot six months ago. She was most grateful just to be competing.

“It was a very wild, incredible night and a tough competition. I definitely put my back up against the wall but I am incredibly proud of the performance tonight and of Nicola and Yaroslava as well,” Patterson told Athletics Australia.

“Having third attempt clearances was showing I didn’t have many comps under my belt and yeah, I made it tough for myself but I am just incredibly proud that I was able to push through and come away with a 1.99 and a season best.

“I am so proud of Nicola as well, I knew we could get on the podium. I often go in thinking I just want to jump a PB or jump high and Nicola is often doing similar. To really push each other is an incredible thing and what we have on home soil is wonderful, she is a beautiful human being and obviously an incredible athlete.”

Olyslagers returned to the podium after her silver at the Tokyo Olympics. It was reminiscent if how they have traded the Nationals records (indoors and out) and places on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics and three occasions in 2022 at the World Indoors, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

“I was getting flashbacks of a few years ago when we (Eleanor Patterson) were going head-to-head, especially in 2020 and we really pushed each other. I was thinking, we’ve come a long way since a few years ago,” Olyslagers said.

“I love when somebody raises the bar, it’s an invitation for someone else to raise it as well and I think Eleanor is a pillar of that. I knew when she did 99, I was like, let’s do this, just like on home soil.”

Little throws big

On Saturday morning Mackenzie Little claimed NSW’s first medal, a bronze in the javelin throw. As the world number two, expectations were high.

She was sluggish early, only moving into the top-3 after her third throw. It contrasted with last year at the world championships and Commonwealth Games where she blew the fields away early. On her last attempt she moved into second, but was pushed back to bronze by Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi’s last attempt. Little had been planning the fly home the next day for work in Royal North Shore Hospital, but then had to delay her departure for the medal ceremony.

“If I’m honest, it didn’t come together until the sixth (round) but I’ve got more and I’m so excited to show you I have more at the Diamond League Final (September 15-16, Oregon, USA), but this is absolutely a dream and the highlight of my career,” Little told Athletics Australia.

It was a massive program for Wollongong’s Jessica Hull. Potentially three rounds of the 1500m and two in the 5000m. She successful negotiated her way to seventh in the 1500m final, her third race in four days. It had included a very quick semi-finals time of 3:57.85. The day after the 1500m final, she was back on the track for the 5000m heats, but the high temperatures and humidity had taken their toll on Hull, who managed to clock 15:15.89 for 13th in her heat.

Overcoming a challenging 12 months of mishaps and injury, Brandon Starc placed equal 8th in the high jump final clearing 2.25m, after a good qualifying round effort of 2.28m.

Rohan Browning impressed at his second consecutive world championships with competitive runs in his 100m heat and semi-finals. In both races, he clocked 10.11, finishing second in his heat and fourth in his semi-final to rank 14th overall.

Other NSW Results

Samantha Dale 12th qual rd Long Jump 6.35 [29th overall]

Jacob McCorry 5th heat 110m hurdles 13.67 [28th overall]

Nick Andrew 9th heat 110m hurdles 13.92 [39th overall]

Sarah Carli 6th heat 400m hurdles 55.76 [25th overall]

Rose Davies 10th heat 5000m 15:07.93 seasons best [19th overall]

Allanah Pitcher 21st 35km Walk 2:57:55

Morgan McDonald 16th heat 5000m 13:43.58 [33rd overall]

Erin Shaw 14th Qual Rd High Jump 1.80m [29th overall]

Cameron McEntyre 11th Qual Rd 78.10 [19th overall]

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Eleanor Patterson and Nicola McDermott (courtesy of Athletics Australia)