Olympics fans 'obsessed' over Nicola Olyslagers and Yaroslava Mahuchikh during high jump final

Nicola Olyslagers and Yaroslava Mahuchikh had viewers captivated during a pulsating women's high jump final at the Paris Olympics on Sunday night. But it wasn't just their jumping that had fans around the world talking.

The majority of the focus was put on what the Australian and Ukrainian athletes were doing in between their jumps, with Olyslagers jotting things down in her notebook and Mahuchikh climbing into a sleeping bag. Olyslagers has previously revealed how she takes notes about every jump she does and scores them out of 10, while she also likes to jot things down and doodle in her book as a way to stay relaxed.

Mahuchikh appeared to be sleeping while laying in her sleeping bag, but she was most likely meditating and trying to conserve energy. Mahuchikh was the deserving gold medallist, but Olyslagers pushed the great Ukrainian all the way on Sunday night with a clutch final clearance at 2m. Mahuchikh claimed the gold on countback after neither jumper could get over at 2.02m, while the bronze was shared between Australia's Eleanor Patterson and another Ukrainian in Iryna Gerashchenko (at 1.95m - also on countback).

But the talk of the sporting world was the battle between Olyslagers' notebook and Mahuchikh's sleeping bag. One person wrote on social media: “The high jump is great. The Ukrainian goes into a sleeping bag and the Australian reads her diary between jumps.” Another wrote: “Obsessed with how Yaroslava Mahuchikh climbs into a sleeping bag whilst Nicola Olyslagers immediately starts scribbling in her notebook after their high jump attempts, the duality of women.”

American swimming commentator Braden Keith said: “Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers has some kind of a notebook that she sprints to after every jump and makes notes in about the jump that just happened. That’s an incredible level of focus and attention to detail and maybe a nice tool to stay calm and in routine.” While Aussie broadcaster Adam Collins added: “Nicola Olyslagers note book v Yaroslava Mahuchikh’s sleeping bag. That’s what it all comes down to now.”

Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson in 68-year first for Australia

Speaking after the final, Olyslagers said she reckons the women's high jump produced the "perfect podium" in Paris after she and Eleanor Patterson became the first two Australians to medal in the same Olympic track and field event in 68 years. The Aussies and Ukrainians have dominated the women's high jump in recent years, and celebrated together on the mat afterwards.

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"(The Ukrainians) have been on the journey for such a long time and they're dear friends, they're not just competitors," said 27-year-old Olsylagers, who has now won back-to-back Olympic silver medals. "Especially Iryna and Eleanor to have shared the bronze medal. Both of them at the Olympics Games last time they got fourth and fifth, both of them narrowly missing out on these big things.

"It was really beautiful. In my head, the perfect podium, tonight was it with the four of us sharing it together. But of course you want the Australian anthem and that means I'm just going to have to work harder for Los Angeles (in 2028)."

The last two Australians to win medals in the same athletics event at the Olympics were Maureen Caird and Pam Ryan, who won gold and silver in the 80m hurdles at the 1968 Games in Mexico City. But it had never happened before in a field event.

"If we'd moved that back just a step further maybe I'd have a different coloured medal around my neck," Olyslagers said. "But that's OK because it means in Los Angeles we know what to do when I get to 2.02."

with AAP