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Olyslagers headlines an Australian squad that combines both youth and experience for the global meet in Nanjing, China, where she will hope to defend her high jump title against the likes of Eleanor Patterson as well as Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
One would forgive Olyslagers for feeling a pinch of pressure as her maiden indoor title defence nears, but for the 28-year-old, gold medals are not her source of motivation.
“I know who I am outside of my performance," Olyslagers told SBS Sport. “I need to remind myself of who I am when I look at that high jump bar, whether it be two metres, or my starting height, or a world record.
“Whether or not I make it or miss it, it doesn't change the value of who I am and the purpose of why I'm at that competition.
“Being able to celebrate your competitors is maybe one of the most important things to keep enjoying the competition rather than trying to maintain and protect something.
“I really have faith that the women that are around me and the ones that are coming through, that they're an amazing role model for their nation.
“I know if they get the gold medal, that they're going to use that platform so well. And because of that, I'm not trying to defend on the basis of grounds and morals, but really, I'm just there to jump high, and the better my competitors are, the better I'm going to jump.”
The Gosford-born high jumper’s approach to competition is a result of a crossroads she once found herself at eight years ago, when she considered quitting athletics altogether.
Instead, she chose to remain and allow her relationship with God to become her main motivation alongside the prospect of impacting the next generation.
According to Olyslagers, it was this same faith that led to her gold medal at last year’s World Indoor Championships, just as it was for her Olympic medals in Tokyo and Paris.
It is the reason her drive and determination to succeed still remains today, and why her mindset is fixed not on her opponents, but on what she can control; her technique, her heights, and her priorities.
For teammate Torrie Lewis, fresh off her first Olympic Games, the upcoming indoor championships are about experience.
At just 20 years of age, Lewis already holds national records in the 100 and 60-metre sprints, and plans to add the 200m record to her collection one day.
However, in Nanjing, where she will rub shoulders with the likes of Zaynab Dosso (Italy) and Ewa Swoboda (Poland), making the final is her main objective and the first step towards her goal of becoming a genuine medal threat.
“I think if I run to the best of my ability, I can make a final,” Lewis told SBS Sport. “That would be my first individual world final, which would be pretty amazing.”
“In the next World Championships, the next Olympics, all of that, I want to be up there for a medal and be one of the top (athletes) in the world,” she added.
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World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025
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Making a final in Nanjing is also on Lachlan Kennedy’s list, as is winning the gold medal in the men’s 60-metre sprint.
Kennedy has never competed on an indoor track, but that hasn’t stopped the 21-year-old from turning heads this season with a 6.43-second personal best.
That time is enough to make Kennedy the top-seeded athlete in a competitive men's field, and precisely why the Australian’s confidence is at an all-time high.
“I’ve never run on an indoor track before, but I mean, how hard can it be? I feel like it [outdoor performances] will translate decently well, but we’ll have to wait and see.” Kennedy told SBS Sport.
“I’m very confident though… (my ambitions are) definitely to win.”
Meanwhile, for Georgia Griffith, making the final would be the perfect outcome after the national 3000m champion opted to step back down to the 1500m.
The 28-year-old just missed out on an Olympic final in Paris and hopes to use the indoor championships as another chance to improve ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year.
“It’s just a really fun way to get experience and practice in a pretty intense environment, but also fun being out of Australia and something new that I haven’t done before,” Griffith told SBS Sport.
“I would love to be in the final in Nanjing, so I’ll try and brush up on my tactics as much as I can.”
