Stuart Weir, the senior author for Europe for RunBlogRun, wrote this piece with Katie Moon, the 2021 Olympic champion, the 2024 Olympic silver medalist, and the 2022 and 2023 World Champion. Moon is one among our hottest RunBlogRun athletes and continues to steer American girls’s pole vaulting.
Katie Moon recollects the 2024 Olympic pole vault last
The qualifying competitors for the ladies’s pole vault on the Paris Olympics resulted in some controversy. The foundations have been that the highest 12 would qualify for the ultimate. 11 athletes cleared at 4:55, and an extra 15 have been profitable at 4:40, however all had three failures at 4:55. 9 of the 15 had no failures earlier than 4:55, whereas 6 had had an earlier failure.
The officers appeared to have three choices: permit simply the 11 who had cleared 4:55 to progress to the ultimate, have some sort of jump-off to allow one of many 9 who had had no failures earlier than 4:55 to take twelfth place, or—and this was what they opted for—permit all 9 to progress to the ultimate. In fact, that meant there can be 20 athletes leaping within the last—truly 19, as one withdrew.
Profitable athletes focus on what issues and get on with it. I’m undecided St Francis of Assisi had the format of the ladies’s pole vault in thoughts when he prayed, “Lord assist me to vary what I can change, to simply accept what I can not change and to know the distinction” however his phrases have been very related to the 2024 Olympic pole vault. Kate Moon commented, “I didn’t essentially agree with taking that many individuals, however as soon as you already know the circumstances, you possibly can mentally put together for it. And that’s simply what I did, however it isn’t perfect. The pole vault is an extremely lengthy competitors – as it’s with 12 girls, with out including one other 9. I don’t know what the right reply was. I believe it most likely was to take eleven of us as an alternative of requiring 12. Or in the event that they need to have 12, then some type of a tiebreaker jumps off, however I believe it was in the end the incorrect selection.
It was manner too lengthy, and I imply, we noticed the requirements break as soon as it reached a sure level. Sadly, it hindered what might have been a good higher pole vault competitors. All three of us might have jumped increased. I don’t know that the outcomes would have completed out any otherwise concerning medal placement, but it surely hindered what might have been a good higher competitors. “
In a current interview, Mondo Duplantis stated that he discovered championship competitions rather more difficult than, say, a Diamond League – not due to the competitors however due to the lengthy ready time between jumps. Going again to the Paris girls’s Olympic last, when Katie Moon or one of many different prime vaulters cleared the bar the primary time, they needed to wait whereas 18 different athletes vaulted earlier than it was their flip once more. Within the second spherical, with the bar at 4:60, eight athletes managed first-time clearances however then needed to await 37 vaults earlier than finishing that spherical, and 13 athletes moved on to 4:70.
However typically, clouds have a silver lining, and for as soon as, the gradual competitors suited Katie. She explains: “I believe the ready labored to my benefit. I wakened that morning feeling very sick, so I used to be actually fearful. I didn’t have an enormous vitality tank, so I centered on making each bounce depend. Then, the power to sit down down, regroup, and loosen up helped. Fortunately, my physique felt sharp, and I used to be nonetheless executing effectively, however I knew I didn’t have a battery. So it did assist me on this occasion, however in another regular circumstance, I might have thought, ‘That’s manner too many’”.
The competitors progressed with Katie clearing 4:40, 4:60, 4:70, and 4:80 on her first try after which 4:85 on the second try. Solely Nina Kennedy cleared 4:90 and was the Olympic Champion. Katie’s 4:85 was sufficient to complete second forward of Alysha Neuman on countback.
On the night of the ultimate, I bear in mind texting Katie to say, “Nicely executed or Unhealthy luck.” She replied that she was thrilled with silver and had no regrets. Three months after the Olympics, she defined: “I don’t suppose I’ve ever had that a lot enjoyable at a contest earlier than, simply all the pieces about it. I at all times say that Tokyo was very particular, however Paris was unbelievable in each manner; the stadium’s crowd and vitality have been unbelievable. After which having my household and mates there was simply superior. Though my 12 months had not been going effectively, my practices within the final couple weeks earlier than Paris had been wonderful, and I lastly felt like I might put collectively a very good meet; that was all I wished to do. Medals apart, clearly, we need to win a medal. I simply wished to depart that competitors feeling like I had lastly had a gathering the place I jumped effectively. And so I did that and claimed a medal with my household there; it was good. Incomes a medal or strolling away from any championship with any coloration of {hardware} is an efficient day as a result of something can occur. Everyone exhibits up at championships, particularly the Olympics, so that you should be on – to get any coloration medal. And I’m simply grateful that I did”.
