NSW Sport Awards: Six Athletics finalists

28 October 2025

NSW Sport Awards: Six Athletics finalists

Athletics NSW members have been recognised with finalists in six categories of the prestigious 2025 Sport NSW Awards to be held at The Star on Monday 24 November 2025.

Named as finalists were Nicola Olyslagers (Athlete of the Year), Matt Horsnell (Coach of the Year), Mali Lovell (Athlete of the Year with a Disability), Janelle Delaney (Masters Athlete of the Year), Janet Nixon (Official of the Year) and Lexie Brown (Young Athlete of the Year with a Disability).

The credentials of Nicola Olyslagers and Matt Horsnell to win their categories are most impressive.

Matt has coached Nicola Olyslagers for 16-years from 2010 to 2025, from age 13 to 28. During these years, she has equalled or improved her PB every year except one year (2022) when Nicola was unwell.

Nicola herself had a stunning year:

·       World Athletics Championships: Gold medallist, 2.00m (raining), defeating Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the Paris Olympic and reigning world champion and World Record holder.

·       World Athletics Indoor Championships: Gold Medallist, 1.97m, Won her second consecutive World indoor title. Defeated Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

·       Diamond League Final: won with an Australian record of 2.04m. (clear winner, 2nd 2.02m), defeating Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

·       2025 World Leader: clear world leader in 2025 with her jump of 2.04m (second was 2.02m).

·       Australian record: raised the Australian record to 2.04m. It was the seventh occasion she had equalled or raised the record.

·       2025 Australian Champion: won her fifth consecutive Australian title in April 2025. Has won six in total.

In the major category, of Athlete of the Year, Nicola Olyslagers, is up against 6-time winner Jessica Fox. Unable to compete in the world championships, due to an operation, Jess was limited in 2025 to winning Oceania titles and three-World Cups. Paris gold medallist in the BMX, Saya Sakakibara has won silver in 2025 at the BMX World Championships. Other finalists are: Australian champion sailor Bridget Conrad, LPGA tour golfer Grace Kim and Sydney Swans AFL player Isaac Heeney. In the last 30 years, Athletics has only had one previous winner – Dani Stevens (nee Samuels) in 2009.

While in the Coach of the Year category, Matt Horsnell, who has previously been a finalist, is against Australian U19 Basketball coach Renae Garlepp, Chris Nesbitt who is coach to Olympian Olivia Wunsch, Golf NSW HP coach Khan Pullen, and Bowls Australia National Coach and Performance Director Gary Willis.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Coach Matt Horsnell with Nicola Olyslagers and Emily Whelan (image courtesy of Matt Horsnell)