Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers won her first Diamond League title in style on Wednesday, setting a new world lead and Oceania record of 2.04m on the first day of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich city centre.
Olyslagers was one of six Diamond League champions crowned in front of a thousands-strong crowd in front of Zurich’s iconic opera house on Sechseläutenplatz.
The Australian cleared 2.04m at the first attempt to draw ahead in a predictably fierce battle with Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the title holder.
Mahuchikh passed to 2.06m, but was unable to pull out a winning jump at that height, suffering her first defeat in a Diamond League Final since 2021.
“He is proud. It was beautiful today. Coming back after four years to this stadium was amazing,” said Olyslagers.
The USA’s Katie Moon was the first champion crowned on Wednseday, clearing 4.82m to edge out compatriot Sandi Morris and win her second pole vault Diamond League title in three years.
A few hours later on the same runway, Mondo Duplantis won his fifth successive title in the pole vault, edging closer to Renaud Lavillenie and Christian Taylor’s record of seven Diamond Trophies.
The world record holder won on countback with 6.00m after a gutsy battle with Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis, with both men collapsing onto the mat in each others’ arms at the end of the competition.
In the shot put, Joe Kovacs got his hands on the Diamond Trophy for the fourth time in his career.
Kovacs launched an impressive 22.46m in the third to win his fourth title and his first since he broke the Diamond League record at Sechseläutenplatz back in 2022.
Jessica Schilder was declared the winner of the women’s competition with a throw of 20.26m.
Sarah Mitton’s second-round effort of 20.46m had initially seen her celebrate victory, but a judges’ review ruled the throw invalid following a protest.
The evening came to a raucous end as Swiss star Simon Ehammer delivered a home victory in the long jump for the Zurich crowd.
Ehammer’s third-round effort of 8.32m was enough to clinch the title, despite a late resurgence from Mattia Furlani.
It was a second Diamond Trophy for the Swiss, and a first on home soil.
The Wanda Diamond League Final continues on Thursday evening in the Letzigrund Stadium.
