Tokyo World Athletics Championships 2025: Olyslagers vs. Mahuchik in a High Jump Showdown for the Ages

By: Denise N. Fyffe

The women’s high jump at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships is shaping up to be one of the marquee events of the competition. With world indoor champion Nicola Olyslagers and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchik headlining a star-studded field, fans can expect nothing less than a battle of precision, power, and nerve at the bar.

Nicola Olyslagers: The Rising Force from Australia

Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers enters Tokyo in peak form, carrying momentum from a sensational 2025 season. She secured her second consecutive world indoor gold medal in Nanjing with a jump of 1.97m and went on to claim her first Diamond League title in Zurich, setting a new Oceanian record of 2.04m.

Olyslagers’ consistency has been unmatched, with further wins in Stockholm (2.01m), Paris (2.00m), and Lausanne (1.91m). She already has three major medals to her name—Olympic silver in Tokyo 2021 (2.02m), Olympic silver in Paris 2024 (2.00m), and a world bronze in Budapest 2023 (1.99m). In Tokyo, she is chasing her first outdoor world title, and her confidence is sky-high.

Her compatriot, Eleanor Patterson, is also in contention. Patterson, the 2022 world champion in Eugene (2.02m), added Olympic bronze in Paris 2024 (1.95m) and a world indoor silver in Nanjing (1.95m). Together, Olyslagers and Patterson form a formidable Australian duo.

Yaroslava Mahuchik: The World Record Holder

Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchik remains the woman to beat. She will defend the world title she won in Budapest 2023 (1.99m), but she has also etched her name into history books by breaking Stefka Kostadinova’s long-standing world record, clearing 2.10m at the Paris Diamond League in 2024.

Mahuchik also claimed the Olympic gold medal in Paris with 2.00m and arrives in Tokyo with a seasonal best of 2.02m, achieved in Zurich, where she finished runner-up to Olyslagers. With her unmatched combination of technique and fearlessness, Mahuchik is aiming to cement her dominance with yet another global crown.

Other Key Contenders

While the spotlight may shine brightest on Olyslagers and Mahuchik, the women’s high jump is rich with talent and unpredictability.

Morgan Lake (Great Britain) – Won the London Diamond League in front of home fans with 1.96m and broke her British record by 1 cm in Zurich, clearing 2.00m for third place. After a fourth-place finish in Budapest (1.97m), she is hungry for her first world medal.
Yulia Levchenko (Ukraine) – A proven competitor, Levchenko is back in top form, recording a 2.00m seasonal best in Zurich. She remains a dangerous challenger alongside her teammate Mahuchik.
Christina Honsel (Germany) – Continues to improve, raising her PB to 2.00m in Heilbronn, before placing fifth in Zurich with 1.97m.
Angelina Topic (Serbia) – The teenage prodigy continues her rapid rise. She won the European U23 gold medal (1.95m), adding to her titles as European U18 and U20 champion (2022, 2023) and the world U20 gold medalist (2024). Tokyo could mark her true arrival on the senior global stage.

A Clash of Titans Awaits

The Tokyo 2025 women’s high jump final promises to be one of the most dramatic and competitive in recent memory. With Olyslagers’ consistency, Mahuchik’s world record pedigree, and a field packed with national record holders and emerging stars, fans could witness heights never seen before at a World Championships.

The burning question: Will Mahuchik’s reign continue, or will Olyslagers finally leap into global gold?

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About the writer: Denise N. Fyffe is a publisher and author for more than 15 years. She has written more than 70 books and enjoys mentoring, gardening and traveling. She is also a trainer and educator, helping others to achieve their dreams.