Paris 2024 athletics: Why the women's pole vault could be the most exciting track & field event at the Paris 2024 Olympics (2024)

By Grace Goulding

4 min|

Paris 2024 athletics: Why the women's pole vault could be the most exciting track & field event at the Paris 2024 Olympics (1)

Picture by Michael Steele/Getty Images

Eliza MCCARTNEYKatie MOONNina KENNEDYSandi MORRISTina SUTEJWilma MURTOAthletics

Welcome to the latest season of the women’s pole vault - with more drama than ever before.

This season, the world's top stars are challenged by fiercely rising competitors, all ready to stake their claim as medal contenders in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 final.

From heart-stopping near misses to shared medals, and everything in between, the last three years of women’s pole vault have kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Will there be another shared Olympic title in athletics?

Let’s begin with the top two athletes on the world ranking list, Australia's world number 1 Nina Kennedy and world number 2 Katie Moon of the USA.

Moon is the reigning Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 champion and became 2022 world champion shortly after. In 2023, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, she claimed her second world title, alongside Kennedy who also cleared 4.90m.

Much like the heart-warming moment from the men’s high jump in Tokyo 2020, Moon and Kennedy opted to share the world title, a decision that led to their recognition for the International Fair Play Award.

By rule, when a tie occurs for first place, a jump-off is held, where they continue to jump at first the missed height, then the bar gets lowered until one misses and the other makes it. Both athletes are allowed to refuse to jump.

Only four centimeters stand between the personal bests of Moon (4.95m) and Kennedy (4.91m). In a sport where every centimetre counts, both athletes will have to be in perfect form in the final to claim gold.

Moon feels confident following the qualification round. “I felt amazing. This runway is incredibly fast. Morning sessions are tricky for someone who’s not a morning person at all, so I was a little nervous. I haven’t jumped in the morning since high school, maybe college. But I felt great.

"These were definitely some of my best technical jumps of the year,” the defending champion added.

Molly Caudery failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 final

Picture by 2024 Getty Images

Molly Caudery misses opening height, Olympic final opens up

Unfortunately for Team GB, their 2024 world indoor champion and world lead, Molly Caudery, failed to clear her opening height of 4.55m and will not be competing in the women's pole vault final.

But the rest of the pack is eager to fill her spikes.

Angelica Moser of Switzerland sits right next to Kennedy on the world lead list, having both shared a podium and season bests of 4.88m in Monaco in July earlier this year. The Youth Olympic Games Nanjing 2014 champion will be looking to experience Olympic glory again, this time on the ultimate stage.

New Zealand's Eliza McCartney, the 2024 world indoor championship silver medallist in Glasgow, cleared 4.84 metres in the Olympic host nation in February, putting her just one centimeter below Moon's season best.

Finnish record-holder and 2023 World Championship bronze medallist Wilma Murto, who won her medal clearing the same height as Cauldrey and McCartney in Glasgow (4.80m), has improved one centimeter, coming in third in her qualification round on 5 August.

Slovenia pins its hopes on Tina Šutej, who placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympics and fourth in the 2023 World Championships. The Slovenian placed third at the 2024 Wanda Diamond League in May, after Caudery and Kennedy, and will surely be hungry to get on the podium at her fourth Olympic appearance.

And never count out Canada's 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Elysha Newman, whose season-best of 4.83 could make her a medal contender.

How to watch Paris 2024 track and field events live

The men's pole vault final wrapped up last night (5 August) with another record-breaking performance from Swedish superstar Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis.

The women will jump to decide their Olympic fates on 7 August, the finals beginning at 18:15 local Paris time.

A full schedule of competition timings, including start times in your region, plus results for each discipline as they happen, can be found on the Paris 2024 website.

All the action from the Paris 2024 Olympics, including track and field, will be broadcast via the official media rights holders (MRHs) of the Olympic Games.

This includes CBC in Canada, CCTV in People's Republic of China, Fuji TV/NHK/Nippon TV/TBS/TV Asahi/TV Tokyo in Japan, SKY NZ in New Zealand, SuperSport in South Africa, NBC in the United States, and Discovery Eurosport across Europe, alongside France Télévisions in France, ARD/ZDF in Germany, and BBC Sport in the United Kingdom, among others.

A full list of regional broadcasters and rights holders can be found on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.

Watch Team USA highlights at Paris 2024

FAQs

Why are pole vaulters' hands black? ›

Why are pole vaulters hands black? Athletes are allowed to place a substance on their hands or the pole to obtain a better grip, but are not permitted to use tape on their hands or fingers except to cover an open wound.

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What is the Olympic girl pole vault record? ›

The Olympic records for the event are 6.26 m (20 ft 61⁄4 in) for men, set by Armand Duplantis in 2024, and 5.05 m ( 16 ft 63⁄4 in) for women, set by Yelena Isinbayeva in 2008.

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What is Olympic level pole vaulting? ›

Pole vault is a track and field event in which athletes attempt to clear a horizontal bar by sprinting down a runway and using a pole to catapult themselves into the air. The athlete who clears the highest bar without knocking the bar down wins. Men's pole vault has been part of every modern Olympics.

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When was pole vaulting added to the Olympics? ›

Originally a practical means of clearing objects, such as ditches, brooks, and fences, pole-vaulting for height became a competitive sport in the mid-19th century. An Olympic event for men since the first modern Games in 1896, a pole-vault event for women was added for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

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Why do female pole vaulters wear? ›

In pole vaulting and other sports, athletes often wear form-fitting clothing to minimize air resistance and maximize movement. Women pole vaulters, like their male counterparts, typically don tight-fitting shorts and tops for optimal range of motion and flexibility.

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How high do female pole vaulters jump? ›

Pole vault

Athletics Pole vault
Women	Yelena Isinbayeva 5.06 m (16 ft 7 in) (2009)
Olympic records
Men	Armand Duplantis 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) (2024)
Women	Yelena Isinbayeva 5.05 m ( 16 ft 63⁄4 in) (2008)

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Who is ranked number 1 in women's pole vaulting? ›

Filter World Rankings

Place	Competitor	Score
1	Nina KENNEDY	1453
2	Katie MOON	1407
3	Angelica MOSER	1394
4	Molly CAUDERY	1369

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Who is the highest girl pole vaulter? ›

Pole Vault

Type	Mark	Competitor
World Leading 2024	4.92	Molly CAUDERY
Olympic Games Records	5.05	Yelena ISINBAYEVA
Area Records - Africa	4.42	Elmarie GERRYTS
Area Records - Asia	4.72	Ling LI

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How heavy is a pole vault pole? ›

Usually, the fiberglass and carbon fiber account for 3-6lbs. of the pole and the remainder can weigh anywhere from 20-40lbs. or more (depending on the weight of the athlete). The pole must be an accurate weight in order for it to support the vaulter.

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What is a good body type for pole vaulting? ›

When it comes to high school vaulters, Dickinson said there isn't a body type that he looks for in a vaulter. At higher levels, however, Wesley said that, while there are exceptions, the world's top best fit that long and lean profile.

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Is it better to be tall or short for pole vaulting? ›

Taller athletes have an advantage in the pole vault, especially at the pole strike. A taller athlete usually has a higher reach, and an athlete with a higher reach can strike the pole at a higher angle than a shorter athlete with a lower reach.

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Why is pole vaulting considered so difficult? ›

You need the explosive burst of speed of a sprinter in your run-up, the ability of a long jumper on the take-off, the upper body strength of a wrestler to propel yourself upwards using the pole, and lastly, a gymnast's technique and a ballerina's flexibility while airborne.

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Can you wear gloves while Pole Vaulting? ›

Generally taping of hands or fingers in pole vault is not allowed unless there is an open wound. The taping of the wrist is acceptable. The use of gloves is only allowed in the NCAA pole vault.

What does "o" mean in pole vault? ›

o – a cleared height in high jump or pole vault. x – a missed height in high jump or pole vault. r – athlete retired from competition.

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How tall is the women's pole vault in the Olympics? ›

For the women's pole vault event, the qualification period is between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. 32 athletes are able to qualify for the event, with a maximum of three athletes per nation, by jumping the entry standard of 4.73 m (15 ft 6+1⁄4 in) or higher or by their World Athletics Ranking for this event.

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Are there any black pole vaulters? ›

LoJo is also the first black pole vaulter to medal and step on the podium, which he achieved at the 2000 Olympic games.

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What do pole vaulters put on their hands? ›

Adhesive spray is my best friend

“Pole vaulters use many different methods to improve their grip of the poles. Some vaulters use chalk or lighter fuel – there are many different methods. “If you have watched me compete, you will have seen my hands are covered in a black resin.

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What body type do pole vaulters have? ›

There is no such thing as a typical pole vaulter body type. “You need to be as strong and as light as possible, but body types are all over the place,” said Siegmeier, who is six feet tall, about 170 pounds.

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Why do vaulters not wear helmets? ›

Helmets should not be used for vaulting. The straps of a helmet are designed and tested to not stretch or break which makes them a hanging hazard in a vaulting environment for all but the most basic positions, or any time multiple people are on the horse.

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