by Stuart Weir
Women’s Pole Vault
The women’s Pole Vault competition was exciting and frustrating in equal measure. Let’s get two negatives out of the way to start with. It is a long way to China from anywhere, and a March World Indoors does not sit easily with a World outdoors 6 months later. As a result, many of the world’s top athletes have chosen not to travel to Nanjing. The women’s pole vault included the Olympic medalists Nina Kennedy, Katie Moon, and Alysha Newman. Secondly, it was nobody’s fault, but incredibly frustrating, the mechanism for raising the bar broke and took nearly an hour to be repaired. Of course, there was no way of predicting it would take an hour, meaning the athletes were sitting around trying to keep loose without using too much energy.
There were 12 entrants – two from the USA, 2 from New Zealand, and eight Europeans. I haven’t done the math, but the event somehow has a European feel despite the location. The competition started at 4.30. One athlete failed at 4.45 and a further three at 4.60. Only four athletes were successful at 4.70 – this was after the long wait: Molly Caudery, who may or may not be the defending champion*, the three medalists from the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn earlier in the month, Marie-Julie Bonnin from France, of Slovenia and Angelica Moser of Switzerland.
In the European Championships, the finishing order had been
1 Moser
2 Sutej
3 Bonnin
In Nanjing, only Marie-Julie Bonnin cleared 4.75, making her the winner. The other medals were decided on countback, with Tina Sutej taking silver and Angelica Moser bronze. Caudery, who needed two attempts to clear 4.70, was squeezed out of the medals.
It was a brilliant performance by Bonnin, who produced the leap of her life for a national record when it mattered. There was undoubted frustration for the other three, who have cleared 4.75 or more this year. But on the day, Marie-Julie Bonnin was a worthy winner.
Gold medalist Marie-Julie Bonnin said afterward: “I cannot believe it. It’s like a dream. I felt like I was there for a medal, not the gold. It was tough to jump at the end of March, but I made it. It was hard physically, but I think we chose to come here. At 4.75, I took a pole, stiffer than I’m used to jumping with, and I was like, ‘Ah, I feel it, this is the right pole,’ and I said it to my coach. After the first [unsuccessful] attempt, I was sure I could get it”.
Tina Šutej said: “This was the first time we had a morning final. It was pretty challenging to start competing in the morning. But as the jumps went by, I felt better trying to have positive thoughts, concentrate on technique, and put all the energy into the jump. I am pleased with the silver. 4 years ago, I got the bronze, so this is my upgrade, my first silver medal in the World Championships.
Angelica Moser said, “I am so grateful to have this medal, especially as two days ago in training, I injured my ankle and didn’t even know if I could compete. I gained confidence through several admirable attempts and am happy with the result.
The 2024 World Indoor Champion Molly Caudery was philosophical about her fourth place.
“I’m really disappointed. I wanted to come out here after last year and do something, and I know I’m in the shape to do it, but that competition was tough. There were a lot of issues, and we were waiting for nearly an hour at one point. So, I’m not putting too much blame on myself. I feel a bit flat after that, to be honest. The uprights kept breaking, over and over again. We waited about 20 minutes, and we thought we were going, and then another 20, and then two girls got to jump, and then they broke again, and I was up next. It’s just tough to find your flow in jumping after that. I did clear the 4.70 bar. I’ve never celebrated 4.70m so much, but I think it ruined my rhythm”.
An excellent day for Marie-Julie but a frustrating one for everyone.
*In a recent press point with pole vaulter Molly Caudery, who won the event in Glasgow last year, she was asked if she was confident about retaining her title. She replied that she had been told that her opportunity to defend her title would come in Toruń, Poland, next year. The current championship in Nanjing is deemed still to be the 2020 event. So Sandi Morris, who won in Birmingham 2018, is the defending champion!
