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 ladies’s pole vaulting.
Katie Moon recollects the 2024 Olympic pole vault ultimate
The qualifying competitors for the ladies’s pole vault on the Paris Olympics led to some controversy. The principles have been that the highest 12 would qualify for the ultimate. 11 athletes cleared at 4:55, and an additional 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: enable 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—enable all 9 to progress to the ultimate. After all, that meant there can be 20 athletes leaping within the ultimate—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’t 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 understand the circumstances, you possibly can mentally put together for it. And that’s simply what I did, however it isn’t superb. The pole vault is an extremely lengthy competitors – as it’s with 12 ladies, with out including one other 9. I don’t know what the proper reply was. I believe it most likely was to take eleven of us as a substitute of requiring 12. Or in the event that they must have 12, then some type of a tiebreaker jumps off, however I believe it was in the end the incorrect selection.
It was means 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, nevertheless it hindered what might have been a good higher competitors. “
In a latest interview, Mondo Duplantis mentioned that he discovered championship competitions way 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 ladies’s Olympic ultimate, 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 look forward to 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 frightened. I didn’t have an enormous power tank, so I centered on making each leap rely. Then, the flexibility to take a seat down, regroup, and chill out helped. Fortunately, my physique felt sharp, and I used to be nonetheless executing properly, however I knew I didn’t have a battery. So it did assist me on this occasion, however in some other regular circumstance, I’d have thought, ‘That’s means 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 keep in mind texting Katie to say, “Properly carried out 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 every part about it. I all the time say that Tokyo was very particular, however Paris was unimaginable in each means; the stadium’s crowd and power have been unbelievable. After which having my household and pals there was simply superior. Although my 12 months had not been going properly, my practices within the final couple weeks earlier than Paris had been wonderful, and I lastly felt like I might put collectively a superb meet; that was all I needed to do. Medals apart, clearly, we wish to win a medal. I simply needed to go away that competitors feeling like I had lastly had a gathering the place I jumped properly. And so I did that and claimed a medal with my household there; it was excellent. Incomes a medal or strolling away from any championship with any shade of {hardware} is an efficient day as a result of something can occur. All people reveals up at championships, particularly the Olympics, so that you have to be on – to get any shade medal. And I’m simply grateful that I did”.
