Nicola Olyslagers has come full circle and been rewarded with a richly-deserved high jump gold medal at the world championships, one that was chronicled in a soggy notebook.

Even more importantly for the committed Christian, the world title doesn’t change the really important stuff.

Olyslagers produced a near-flawless performance in the rain to win Australia’s only gold medal in Tokyo on Sunday’s final day, eight years after she failed to clear a single bar on her world championships debut in London.

“I’ve seen year-by-year a gradual performance up,” said Olyslagers, who won gold on countback from Poland’s Maria Zodzik.

“But when I came last, I remember standing out there and I had so much peace because I knew that my performance didn’t determine my identity and value.

“Then coming in as world No.1, the pressure was off because I knew that if you can’t lose anything when you come last, you can’t gain anything when you come first.

“So let’s go out there and do it.”

Living up to her world No.1 ranking, the 29-year-old Australian cleared her first three heights at the first attempt on Sunday.

The competition was then postponed twice due to heavy rain showers, enough to shred the nerves of the most experienced competitors.

But Olyslagers could not be denied.

Only three jumpers remained in contention when competition resumed after the second rain delay – Olyslagers, Zodzik and Ukrainian world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

Olyslagers had three close unsuccessful attempts at 2.02 metres but it didn’t matter as Zodzik and Mahuchikh couldn’t clear that bar either.

Reigning world and Olympic champion Mahuchikh and Serbia’s Angelina Topic tied for the bronze on 1.97 metres and Australian Eleanor Patterson, the 2022 world champ, tied for fifth on countback at 1.97 metres.

It was the outdoor global championships gold that Olyslagers had chased for so long, having finished second at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and third at the 2023 world championships in Budapest.

She has been the dominant jumper in the world this year, winning a second World Indoors title and claiming the Diamond League crown with an Australian record of 2.04m last month in Zurich.

A key for Olyslagers was keeping her focus during the rain delays.

“It wasn’t a holiday; it was more of a battleground,” said the Australian, who is famous for making notes in her journal between jumps.

“To come back with a very saturated notebook and a gold medal, it’s wonderful.”

Meanwhile, fellow Australian Matt Denny was forced to settle for for fourth spot for a second successive world championships in a discus final where the throwers had to contend with heavy rain, a slippery circle and two long postponements.

It certainly bothered Denny, who lost his balance several times in the circle.

His best throw of 65.57 metres came in the third round.

The conditions didn’t trouble big Swede Daniel Stahl anywhere near as much. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist and defending world champ franked a dominant display with a huge effort of 70.47 metres in the final round.

The minor medals went to world record-holder Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania (67.84 metres) and Samoan Alex Rose (66.96 metres).

US-based Queenslander Ky Robinson delivered a good impression of the great Craig Mottram to finish a stunning fourth in the men’s 5000-metre final.

The 23-year-old, who didn’t even qualify for the Australian team in Paris, stormed home in the final lap to cross the line fourth in 12 minutes 59.61 seconds – his second fastest time.

Olympic 1500-metre champ Cole Hocker from the US – who was disqualified from that event earlier in the championships – claimed gold in 12:58.30 ahead of Belgian Isaac Kimeli (12:58.78) and Frenchman Jimmy Gressier (12:59.33).

The only Australian to produce a better result in the 5000 metres at a world championships was Mottram, who was third in Helsinki in 2005.

After winning bronze in the 1500 metres earlier in the championships, Jessica Hull was last in a lightning-fast 800 metres won by Kenyan Lilian Odira in a championship record time of 1:54.62.

Odira blew past British duo Georgia Hunter Bell and reigning Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson in the last 20 metres. Hunter Bell pocketed silver in 1:54.90, one hundredth of a second ahead of Hodgkinson in a race where four of the top five set personal bests.

Hull’s time of 1:57.30 was only 0.15 shy of the Australian record she ran in the semis two days ago.

The Australian men’s 4×100-metre relay team failed to get the baton around in the final after a botched final change between Calab Law and Rohan Browning.

Australia finished the nine-day championships with four medals – gold to Olyslagers and bronzes to pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall, javelin thrower Mackenzie Little and Hull in the 1500 metres.

-AAP