Olivia Miller started writing for RunBlogRun on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Olivia, a journalism scholar at Emerson School in Boston, is writing a nightly column on a key occasion from the 11 days within the Stade de France, the observe and subject stadium for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Olivia is working remotely, as many people do, and that is her fifth column on the Paris Olympics.
Kennedy and Newman Make Historical past in Girls’s Pole Vault, by Olivia Miller
Nina Kennedy has gained Australia’s first-ever gold medal in pole vault. And she or he doesn’t must share this time!
Her Olympic title comes after her tie for gold on the 2023 World Championships with Katie Moon (USA).
She stated that tie fueled her.
“I’ve thought in regards to the Olympic Video games daily since Budapest final 12 months when Katie and I shared the gold.”
Kennedy clinched gold along with her vault of 4.90m, whereas Moon got here in second with 4.85m. Canada’s Alysha Newman was third.
This starkly contrasted with Kennedy’s final Olympics, the place she positioned twelfth in her qualifier after solely clearing 4.40m.
Kennedy mirrored on her journey to gold.
“There have been occasions that have been actually, actually laborious, however I’ve discovered one thing from each single second. I didn’t even make the ultimate in Tokyo. Psychological well being, bodily well being, it’s by no means been a easy one. I’ve discovered, grown, and gained a lot expertise into tonight.”
She isn’t the one one making historical past.
Alysha Newman, who completed third, set a brand new nationwide document for Canada along with her vault of 4.85m. Her bronze medal marks the primary time a Canadian lady medals within the pole vault.
This was a shocking win for Newman, who competed in each Rio and Tokyo however didn’t make it to the finals each years.
Her journey to the rostrum was marked by obstacles, together with psychological well being struggles and a virtually career-ending concussion that she obtained simply months earlier than Tokyo.
“I wasn’t joyful,” Newman stated. “I didn’t like the game then, which was a wrestle. I wanted to step away, be joyful off the observe, so then I discovered to like observe once more after which repair my psychological well being.”
She defined that this season, she confronted one other setback: an ankle damage.
“I began late; I used to be injured at the start of the season in Might. I simply began leaping in June. I knew I used to be behind (and) I wanted to catch up. Tonight, I really feel like I lastly bought the place I wanted to be.”
The thirty-year-old has no plans to cease any time quickly.
“Now I’m hungry for extra. Bronze is cute, however silver and gold? I bought to stand up there.”