Paris Olympics day nine: Silver and bronze for high jumpers as Harris wins 50m freestyle silver

Australians Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson have won the silver and bronze medals in the women's high jump at the Paris Olympics while Meg Harris claimed a surprise silver in the women's 50m freestyle.

Two smiling women holding an Australian flag

Silver medal winner Nicola Olyslagers (right) poses with bronze medal winner Eleanor Patterson following the women's high jump final at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Source: AP / Matthias Schrader

Australians Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson have won the silver and bronze medals in the women's high jump at the Paris Olympics.

New world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine claimed the gold medal on countback with a first-time clearance at 2m on Sunday.

Olyslagers stayed in the competition with a clutch third and final clearance at 2m, but then missed three times at 2.02m.

It was the 27-year-old Australian's second successive Olympic silver.
Patterson tied for the bronze with Ukraine's Iryna Gerashchenko on countback with first-time clearances at 1.95m.

Patterson, 28, has won gold and silver at the previous two world championships in Eugene and Budapest but this was her first Olympic medal.

Once the gold medal was safely in her keeping on Sunday, Mahuchikh had one unsuccessful crack at 2.04m.

The leading Australian and Ukrainian jumpers have dominated women's high jump on the global stage in recent years and Sunday's final was just the latest instalment of that battle.

Meg Harris claims surprise 50m freestyle silver

Australian swimmers have added two more silver medals to their haul at the Paris pool to complete the Dolphins' third-best Olympics.

Unheralded Meg Harris claimed a surprise silver in the women's 50m freestyle at the La Defense Arena on Sunday night.
And Australia's women's 4x100m medley relay team — Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, Mollie O'Callaghan and Jenna Strauch — snared a silver in the last event of the meet.

Australia's swim team bagged seven gold, eight silver and three bronze in the Paris pool.

Measured by gold, it's the nation's third-best haul at an Olympic pool behind the nine golds in Tokyo three years ago and eight golds at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

By overall total, the Dolphins' 18 medals is also Australia's equal third-best return.

History made as part of Aussie boxing's 64-year first

An inspired Caitlin Parker is guaranteed Australia's first Olympic medal in women's boxing after dominating her quarter-final against Moroccan world champion Khadija Mardi.

The 75kg chance was the clear victor despite a 4-1 split decision in Paris on Sunday that has assured Australia two boxing medals at the same Olympics for the first time in 64 years.
A woman stands with red boxing gloves
Caitlin Parker is the first Australian woman boxer to appear at two Olympic Games. Source: Getty / Matt King
Parker's appearance at Paris makes her the first Australian woman to box at two Olympics, with females only on the schedule since London 2012.

Share
3 min read
Published 5 August 2024 6:33am
Updated 5 August 2024 6:36am
Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends