Nina Kennedy has won the first ever Australian gold medal in the women’s pole vault, adding to Australia’s growing gold medal collection to make Paris 2024 our best ever Olympic Games.
The 27-year-old and 2023 World Champion pole vaulter cleared 4.90m on her first attempt, before her competitors, silver medallist Katie Moon and third place Alysha Newman, failed to clear the height.
It was the jump that won her the gold medal, Australia’s first in the women’s pole vault. It’s also the first time an Australian has won a gold medal in pole vault since Steven Hooker’s gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
Kennedy’s gold on Day 12 of Paris took Australia to a total of 18 gold medals in the Games so far, becoming Australia’s best ever medal haul in Olympic history.
Day 12 of Paris was also Australia’s best single day in Olympic history: in total, the team claimed four gold medals and two bronze medals.
Along with Kennedy’s historic gold medal in the women’s pole vault, Matthew Wearn won gold in sailing, Keegan Palmer in skateboarding, along with the men’s team pursuit in track cycling. Meanwhile, in track and field, Matthew Denny won bronze in the men’s discus, and Australia’s mixed relay race walk team, Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley, also claimed third place.
All eyes were on Kennedy in her performance in the women’s pole vault, especially after her performance in Tokyo 2020. Battling an injury, Kennedy bowed out after failing to clear 4.40m.
But last year, Kennedy won the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Not only did she win, she showed true sportsmanship by offering to share the gold medal with fellow competitor, world champion and now 2024 Olympic silver medallist, USA’s Katie Moon.
After a gruelling two-and-a-half hour contest and clearing the 4.85m and 4.90m heights, Kennedy had to keep competing against Moon if she wanted the gold medal in a “jump-off”.
That’s when she asked Katie Moon: “Hey girl, you maybe wanna share this?”
The moment captured the hearts of Australia and the world. But heading into the Paris 2024 Games, Kennedy had only one thing on her mind: an Olympic gold medal, all to herself.
“I’ve genuinely thought about this night every single day since those Budapest world championships,” Kennedy told reporters after winning the gold medal.
“The night I finished Budapest, you know, winning gold was amazing, but the first thought was like, ‘OK, now I have to win the Olympics, this is what I need to do’.
“I have thought about it morning, lunch, dinner every single day and I have really just learnt to believe in myself.
“Sharing (gold) with Katie will go down as one of my favourite competitions ever, but it really ignited a self-belief in me that [made me think], ‘Damn girl, you are good enough to win that outright gold medal’.”