Paris Olympics 2024: Nina Kennedy wins historic women’s pole vault gold medal to take Australia to record haul

West Australian Nina Kennedy has launched her way to Olympic glory with a stunning victory in the pole vault that also cleared an historic mark in Australia’s Olympic history.

The Busselton product tipped herself over the bar at a winning height of 4.90m and Australia over its own history-making mark — a record 18 gold medals at an Olympics.

Already a world champion and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Kennedy now has the sport’s greatest crown to her name. She is Australia’s first-ever field gold medallist.

It also rounded out the country’s most successful day ever at an Olympic Games, one of four gold medals secured across France.

“I’m a gold medallist, that is so sick,” Kennedy said in the aftermath.

American Katie Moon, who was the defending gold medallist and shared the world championship with Kennedy last year, claimed silver.

Moon passed after one miss at 4.90 in a last-ditch attempt to steal the gold medal off Kennedy. The pair had pledged pre-Olympics not to share the medal if they found themselves even again.

She ran through on her first attempt at 4.95. Kennedy missed her Australian-record attempt at 4.95, but Moon knocked the bar at the same height — confirming the result.

Canadian Alysha Newman missed twice at 4.90m before a lengthy delay of around 20 minutes, where the upright bars were taken down amid a technical issue in a brutal addition to the tension of an Olympic final.

She then missed her third attempt.

Kennedy’s gold is Australia’s 18th of these Games, which takes it past the mark set in both Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 (2021).

The 27-year-old opened up on allowing herself to be “vulnerable” in pursuit of gold and her battle with her own mental health.

“I have been open to the media about it, I was very vulnerable,” Kennedy said.

“I said from the start wanted that gold medal and that’s scary and vulnerable but I did it and I couldn’t be prouder of myself and my team.

“I felt really calm. I came in with a job, I came in with an intention and today I told myself to get to work.

“I really had to go places I didn’t want to go, I had to learn a lot about myself and the way I think, my path and I really had to focus on me as a person.

“Focusing on Nina the human has really brought out the best of Nina the athlete.”

It also sealed the country’s most decorated day 12 of any Olympics — their fourth gold for the day with Australia’s team pursuit track cycling foursome, Matt Wearn in the men’s dinghy sailing classification and Keegan Palmer’s skateboard success.

It is Australia’s first pole vault triumph since Steve Hooker in 2008.

“Nina Kennedy, you competed in an event that demands everything of you both physically and mentally … you face challenges off the field that would break others, and you’ve won a gold medal. You’re a legend,” Hooker declared.

Kennedy’s first miss was at 4.70m, a height that seven other athletes cleared successfully. Her emotion showed when she comfortably launched herself over 4.85m, pumping her fists and letting out a scream as she emerged from the mat. The West Aussie was the only athlete to clear the mark on their first attempt.

Swiss athlete Angelica Moser took a punt on clearing 4.90m off just one clean attempt, having missed twice at 4.85m, but missed her gauntlet run.

It confirmed Kennedy, Moon and Newman would medal and paved the way for the Australian to claim an advantage at the top with her clearance at 4.90.

The Australian declined the chance to have two more jumps at the national record.

Kennedy celebrated with discus thrower Matt Denny, who had won bronze just moments before and canoe and kayak star Jessica Fox, who claimed two golds at this Olympics.

Partner Declan Mountford was in the grandstand with Kennedy’s long-time coach and mentor Paul Burgess and compatriot Kurtis Marschall.