Nina Kennedy and Katie Moon at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (© Getty Images)
A pole vault contest so exciting it ended with not one, but two gold medals. Nina Kennedy had never won a global title, Katie Moon had two, but at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 on Wednesday (23) they were equal – exactly matched as they both tried to clear 4.95m to claim the crown.
After an enthralling contest that saw six women clear 4.75m – the second-best ever depth after the 2019 World Championships final in Doha – the medals were decided when Slovenia’s Tina Sutej registered three failures at 4.85m. So did Finland’s Wilma Murto, but her performance to that point meant she claimed her first senior global medal on countback.
That just left two. Kennedy, Australia’s 26-year-old world bronze medallist and Commonwealth champion. And Moon, USA’s 32-year-old Olympic and world champion.
They both cleared 4.90m, equalling the world lead, on their third try, and when their attempts at 4.95m still couldn’t separate them, they were tied for the lead, having both registered one failure each at earlier bars.
Reminiscent of the men’s high jump final at the Tokyo Olympics, Kennedy and Moon had a quick chat and came to the same conclusion as Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi two years ago – agreeing to share the gold. After an embrace, Kennedy broke down in tears at the realisation of what they had achieved.
“I jumped out of my skin tonight. It was super crazy,” said Kennedy, who added 8cm to her own Australian record, set in 2021.
“I felt like the whole stadium was watching every single jump. To win a gold medal, it is just a dream come true. I knew I could get on the podium, but it was a miracle to get the gold. So, I think a miracle happened tonight.”
Moon also left happy. “When the final started, I didn't think sharing a gold medal would work for me,” she said, “but now I am completely satisfied. What a battle it was.”
Eleven athletes had cleared 4.50m on their first attempt – that being the opening height for Kennedy, Moon, Murto and USA’s two-time world indoor champion Sandi Morris. That quartet repeated the feat at 4.65m, with world indoor bronze medallist Sutej and Britain’s Molly Caudery also managing it on their first try.
Excitement built as the bar moved to 4.75m and Murto was the only athlete to soar clear first time. Moon chose to pass at the height, Sutej brushed the bar on her second attempt but it stayed up, and then Kennedy also made it over at the second time of asking.
After Morris bowed out, it was time for Caudery and Switzerland’s Angelica Moser to take their third attempts – and they both made it. Caudery added 4cm to her PB, kicking her legs in delight after landing back on the mat, while for Moser the clearance matched her PB, achieved indoors, and added 9cm to her previous outdoor best.
Then the bar moved to 4.80m. First Sutej cleared it, then Kennedy and then Murto – all first time. For European champion Murto, it maintained a perfect scorecard.
After passing the previous height, Moon resumed successfully at 4.80m – clearing it on her second go. The competition ended for Moser at that point, while Caudery had one failure and chose to pass to the next height – 4.85m.
Kennedy got another first-time clearance and with it, an Australian record. Moon also soared clear first time.
After Caudery failed her two remaining tries, it was down to Sutej and Murto. And when Sutej couldn’t make it, Murto was confirmed as the bronze medallist on countback. The contest ended at 4.85m for her, too, and after she knocked the bar for the final time, she turned and applauded the strong contingent of Finnish fans in the crowd, walking away with her first global senior medal after world U20 bronze in 2016, European U20 bronze in 2017, the European senior title in 2022 and European indoor gold in March this year.
For Sutej, it was a second consecutive fourth place finish after she just missed the podium in Oregon last year.
Caudery and Moser finished joint fifth, and Morris seventh.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
| WOMEN'S POLE VAULT MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Nina Kennedy 🇦🇺 AUS | 4.90m =WL |
| 🥇 | Katie Moon 🇺🇸 USA | 4.90m =WL |
| 🥉 | Wilma Murto 🇫🇮 FIN | 4.80m |
| Full results | ||
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