Two years after taking gold on home soil, Molly Caudery repeated her feat by winning the women’s pole vault at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 on Sunday (22).

Caudery and Slovenia’s Tina Sutej matched one another at their opening heights, both clearing 4.35m, 4.55m, and 4.70m. They were among nine women to clear 4.70m – record depth for an indoor competition, and a standard only previously achieved at the 2024 Olympics.

The bar moved to 4.80m and Sutej and Caudery once again got over it on their first attempts. The seven other women who remained in the contest at that height were unsuccessful in their attempts to clear it, and it meant that bronze was shared by Switzerland’s Angelica Moser, Czechia’s Amalie Svabikova and New Zealand’s Imogen Ayris.

With just Sutej and Caudery left in the competition, the bar moved to 4.85m. Both women failed their first attempts, but Caudery cleared it on her second try. Sutej was unsuccessful with her remaining jumps, meaning Caudery was confirmed the winner.

After winning world indoor gold in 2024, Caudery failed to clear her opening height at the Olympic Games later that year. She finished just shy of the medals at the 2025 World Indoors, then was a late withdrawal from the World Championships in Tokyo.

“This gold means so much more this time,” said the 26-year-old. “I had a really tough two years so I really needed this. To turn the table around and win the title means a lot.

“I have been doing a lot of mental preparation and I knew I could jump high – that was not an issue for me at all today,” added Caudery, whose 4.85m vault was her highest jump in a championships. “Coming back to competition after injury in Tokyo has been a graft.”

While disappointed to miss out on gold, Sutej was content to claim a third world indoor medal. “Today, I was so close to upgrading my collection,” said the 37-year-old. “I came to Torun like an event leader but something went wrong at 4.85m. It's not easy for me to compete with girls who are younger 10 or 15 years than me but I am proud I am still very competitive.”

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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