‘Staggering’: Nina Kennedy wins pole vault gold, Olympic final rocked by huge ‘drama’
Nina Kennedy is a national hero after her historic pole vault gold in a tense final that was nearly derailed by “staggering” scenes.
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Nina Kennedy is an Olympic champion, and this time she stands alone on top of the podium.
On a banner day for Australian athletics, Matt Denny claimed bronze in the discus before Kennedy won gold in an exhilarating five-minute window.
The 27-year-old is the first Australian woman to win athletics gold in a field event at the Olympics.
It seemed Kennedy was in trouble when she missed at 4.70m. But then she turned into Wonder Woman with four consecutive clearances including at 4.90m to take the lead.
Steve Hooker, who won Olympic pole vault gold in 2008, said Kennedy had a steely determination that wouldn’t be denied.
A delighted Hooker exclaimed on Nine when she cleared 4.90m: “She is a boss! She’s putting together one of the most incredible competitions.
“Every jump’s had intensity. Look at the way she attacks this take-off. Boom! She fires into the Paris skies.”
After she clinched gold, Hooker said: “What an unbelievable moment! I’m blown away! I was there for her first training session.
“Nina Kennedy, you compete in an event that demanded everything of you, both physically and mentally. You’ve got a back that breaks when you do it. And you’ve won a gold medal. I think are just brave beyond belief. You’re a legend!
Canada’s Alysha Newman couldn’t match that height and claimed bronze, while Kennedy and the USA’s Katie Moon were unable to clear 4.95m after a lengthy delay.
Moon and Kennedy famously decided to share the gold at last year’s world championships, but this time the Aussie jumped clear of her rivals to have the gold to herself.
In a marathon final that lasted more than three hours, the competitors had to wait nearly half an hour for their final attempts due to a technical issue — the bar was jammed and unable to be raised.
Channel 9 commentator Dave Culbert described the delay as “staggering”.
“Still assembling the equipment,” he said.
“The bar in the pole vault is going up and down and up and down. It like the lift in our hotel.”
Canadian broadcaster Devin Heroux wrote on X: “Now we’re learning there’s a technical issue with the pole vault — recalibrating. Newman pacing around. Ouffff. The drama.”
Kennedy and Moon couldn’t clear 4.95m after the delay but the Aussie’s jump of 4.90m won her outright gold.
“She’s had a big break,” Hooker explained.
“She’s probably been waiting for 20, 25 minutes. Normally at this stage of the competition when you’re on your big pole, you’re jumping every seven, eight minutes.
“She’s been standing around for a good half an hour whilst they fixed the uprights. I love that she still took it (the bar) up.”
There were jubilant scenes as Kennedy shed some tears as celebrated with her coach and team, while Jess Fox cheered her on in the stands and grabbed a selfie with Australia’s pole vault queen.
Kennedy and Denny’s triumphs takes Australia’s athletics medal tally to four, after Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson picked up silver and bronze, respectively, in the high jump.
Kennedy’s gold was Australia’s 18th of the Paris Olympics, surpassing the hauls of 17 golds from Athens and Tokyo to make it the most successful campaign in history.
Bruce McAvaney said on ABC Radio: “We’re in rare air. All of us. We’ve never had a games like it. Forever and a day Nina Kennedy will be the athlete that took us to 18 Gold medals.”
Broadcaster Adam Collins said: “Nina Kennedy, National Hero! Tough as it comes to win that comp. Surely the best day in Australian Olympic history too - four gold medals.”
It was a stellar day of action as Australia claimed four golds — we had seen three golds in a day before, but this is now the most Aussie golds ever in a single day of competition.
In the sailing, Matt Wearn defended his gold in the laser dinghy category. Australia has now won four consecutive gold medals in the event and claimed at least one sailing gold medal at every Olympics since Sydney 2000.
Keagan Palmer also defended his gold in the men’s skateboard park final, and Australia’s quartet of Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Kelland O’Brien were too good for Great Britain, winning gold in cycling’s team pursuit.
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Originally published as ‘Staggering’: Nina Kennedy wins pole vault gold, Olympic final rocked by huge ‘drama’
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