Eleanor Patterson claims historic high jump gold medal at World Athletics Championships

Australian Eleanor Patterson has shocked the world by becoming the first ever Aussie to take home the gold medal in women’s high jump.

VICTORY. Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFP

Australian has a new world champion.

Eleanor Patterson stunned the world by becoming the first Australian to win womens’s high jump gold at the World Athletics Championship.

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The 26-year-old recorded a personal best of 2.02m, equaling the Oceania record, during the event in Oregon on Wednesday (AEST).

Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh failed three times to clear the bar at 2.04m as she attempted to better the Aussie’s mark.

The missed attempts handed Patterson the gold medal on countback.

The pair faced off at the indoor championships earlier this year with Mahuchikh emerging victorious.

She’s just the 10th Australian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championship. Italy’s Elena Vallortigara claimed the bronze medal with a jump of 2.00m.

Eleanor Patterson WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD MEDALLIST!!!

2.02m first attempt.

Equal Australian Record!!! pic.twitter.com/jVOOqqVNjV

— Tim Rosen (@timrosen35) July 20, 2022

Patterson’s unbelievable victory comes after she walked away from the sport after missing out on selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games team.

After moving to Sydney in 2019, the star quickly changed things around and began regaining the form that once had her on top of the world.

Patterson finished fifth in Tokyo before her silver medal earlier this year at the indoor championships.

On top of the world. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Social media quickly erupted after Patterson’s historic victory in an event Australia had never captured a women’s medal in.

ELEANOR PATTERSON

World High Jump Champion!!!!!

What a story - freak junior, won 🌎 Youth title, suffered a toxic relationship, retired from the sport so young, a phone call from Alex Stewart to check in on her, she comes back to the sport - Olympic Final, Indoor 🥈 - now 🌎 🥇

— Jason Richardson (@JaseRicho) July 20, 2022

GOLD FOR ELEANOR PATTERSON!

Mahuchihk can't clear 2.04m which means it is the Aussie who wins it!

The first Aussie woman to ever get a World Champs medal in the women's high jump, let alone win the thing!#WCHOregon22

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) July 20, 2022

Eleanor Patterson is WORLD CHAMPION!!

First time clearance at 2.02m gets her GOLD on countback.

Commonwealth champion in 2014 as a teenager, took time away from the sport, and now at 26yo she is on top of the world.

The legend from Leongatha grows

— QUENTIN HULL (@QuentinHull) July 20, 2022