Nicola Olyslagers has had the best worst night of her career after missing out on becoming a new 'Ultimate' athletics high jump champion, only to learn to her surprise that she had still leapt to the biggest pay-day of her life.
Australia's world champion managed to only clear 1.95m on the first night of World Athletics' inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Friday (Saturday AEST), struggling with her approach on a difficult surface on a cold night as Ukraine's Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh beat her to the title with a 1.99m leap.
Olyslagers' runner's-up spot earned her $US 75,000 ($A105,000) -- $US 5000 more than she pocketed for winning the world title last year -- as part of the record $US10 million ($14 million) prize pot for the streamlined new event that World Athletics hopes will attract a host of new fans.
