Aussie underdog claims surprise high jump silver

Nicola McDermott has go the archetypal Australian since 1964 to triumph an Olympic medal successful the women's precocious jump.

The 24-year-old from the New South Wales cardinal seashore finished second, mounting a caller Australian grounds of 2.02m on the way.

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The lone different Australian to triumph a medal successful the women's precocious leap was Michele Brown successful Tokyo 57 years ago.

McDermott had 3 attempts astatine 2.04m to widen the contention adjacent further, but couldn't marque the height, though her 3rd effort was agonisingly close.

ROC's Mariya Lasitskene took the golden medal aft clearing 2.04m with her 2nd jump.

"It's been a spot of a whirlwind," McDermott said.

Nicola McDermott of Team Australia reacts arsenic she competes successful the Women's High Jump Final connected time 15 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Olympic Stadium connected August 07, 2021 successful Tokyo, Japan (Getty)

"Every tallness that I attempted, adjacent though erstwhile I look astatine the barroom I spot the bare seats, I spot each azygous idiosyncratic that's astatine location successful our nation."

"Every clip that I thought astir this infinitesimal it conscionable brought emotion successful my bosom that I mightiness beryllium capable to animate someone, and correspond our federation successful the champion mode I tin perchance do.

"Silver's similar golden for maine today."

Nicola McDermott has enactment successful a stunning show successful the women's precocious leap astatine the Tokyo Olympics. (Getty)

Had McDermott been capable to wide 2.04m with her 3rd attempt, she would inactive person needed to lucifer the Olympic grounds of 2.06m to person a accidental astatine the golden medal, fixed Lasitskene had passed 2.04m earlier than the Australian.

And having travel truthful close, McDermott says that volition thrust her successful the months to come.

"In the aerial you tin consciousness the clearance. I felt I had it, but that's truly conscionable fixed maine a hunger for more," she explained.

"There's inactive country to work."

Nicola McDermott. (Getty)

McDermott, who won bronze astatine the 2018 Commonwealth Games, says her religion has paid a large relation successful her success.

"As a teenager, I was ever an outcast, and I got welcomed into a religion assemblage that loved me," she said.

"I thought of myself arsenic a misfit, 2017 was my large infinitesimal and I decided to prosecute God implicit sport, and immoderate came with athletics was a bonus.

"That's conscionable allowed maine to soar implicit each precocious leap barroom and not beryllium scared."

Nicola McDermott of Team Australia poses with the metallic medal for the Women's High Jump Final connected time 15 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games astatine Olympic Stadium connected August 07, 2021 successful Tokyo, Japan. (Getty)

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