Nina Kennedy secured Australia’s first athletics gold medal of the Paris Olympics by winning the women’s pole vault on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old prevailed by clearing 4.90 meters to finish ahead of defending champion Moon of the United States, who took silver, and Canada’s Alysha Newman, who claimed bronze.
Kennedy, who shared the gold medal with Moon at last year’s world championships in Budapest, is Australia’s first ever Olympic pole vault champion.
“I wanted that outright gold medal,” Kennedy told reporters. “I didn’t want to share it this time. I’m just really happy I got the job done. I couldn’t be prouder of myself and my team.”
Kennedy missed her first attempt at 4.70 before comfortably surpassing the next three heights.
Her successful jump at 4.90 meant Moon had to clear 4.95 to clinch gold, which she failed to do.
“I knew first-attempt clearances at those high bars were going to take the gold,” Kennedy said. “I put all my focus into that exact second, and that’s how I won.”
She added: “I really had to go to places I didn’t think that I’d have to go. I had to learn a lot about myself, the way I think, my past – and I had to focus on me as a person and focusing on Nina the human has really brought out the best in Nina the athlete.”
