Paris Olympics 2024: Nina Kennedy wins historic women’s pole vault gold medal to take Australia to record haul

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Paris Olympics 2024: Nina Kennedy wins historic women’s pole vault gold medal to take Australia to record haul

West *********** Nina Kennedy has launched her way to Olympic glory with a stunning victory in the pole vault that also cleared an historic mark in Australia’s Olympic history.

The Busselton product tipped herself over the bar at a winning height of **** and Australia over its own history-making mark — a record 18 gold medals at an Olympics.

Already a world champion and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Kennedy now has the sport’s greatest crown to her name. She is now Australia’s first-ever field gold medallist.

Camera IconNina Kennedy clears the bar during the women’s pole vault. Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

********* Katie Moon, who was the defending gold medallist and shared the world championship with Kennedy last year, claimed silver.

Moon passed after one miss at 4.90 in a last-ditch attempt to steal the gold medal off Kennedy. The pair had pledged pre-Olympics not to share the medal if they found themselves even again.

She ran through on her first attempt at 4.95. Kennedy missed her ***********-record attempt at 4.95m, but Moon knocked the bar at the same height — confirming the result.

********* Alysha Newman missed twice at 4.90m before a lengthy delay of around 20 minutes, where the upright bars were taken down amid a technical issue in a brutal addition to the tension of an Olympic final.

She then missed her third attempt.

Kennedy’s gold is Australia’s 18th of these Games, which takes it past the mark set in both Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 (2021).

It also sealed the country’s most decorated day 12 of any Olympics — their fourth gold for the day with Australia’s team pursuit track cycling *********, Matt Wearn in the men’s dinghy sailing classification and Keegan Palmer’s skateboard success.

It is Australia’s first pole vault triumph since Steve ******* in 2008.

Kennedy’s first miss was at 4.70m, a height that seven other athletes cleared successfully. Her emotion showed when she comfortably launched herself over 4.85m, pumping her fists and letting out a scream as she emerged from the mat. The West Aussie was the only athlete to clear the mark on their first attempt.

Swiss athlete Angelica Moser took a punt on clearing 4.90m off just one clean attempt, having missed twice at 4.85m, but missed her gauntlet run.

It confirmed Kennedy, Moon and Newman would medal and paved the way for the *********** to claim an advantage at the top with her clearance at 4.90.

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