Pole Vault, Women

American Katie Moon was the defending gold medalist, which she won in Tokyo as Katie Nageotte. She had won the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, although sharing the more recent title with Australia’s Nina Kennedy. The two were the favorites in Paris, although Moon had struggled all season with injuries.

The qualifying round saw 11 vaulters clear 4.55 metres. To fill out the field, the officials had to allow all first-time clearances at 4.40 metres to advance to the final, which created a huge final round of 20 vaulters. To allow for so many jumpers, officials moved the start of the final up 40 minutes and decided the three first bar heights to be 4.40, 4.60 and 4.70.

In the final, Moon and Switzerland’s Angelica Moser led through 4.80 metres, the only vaulters over that height without a miss. At 4.85 metres, Kennedy went into the lead with a first-attempt clearance, while Moon and Canadian Alysha Newman both cleared on their second attempt. Moser missed twice at 4.85 and passed to 4.90 metres, but would go out at that height. At 4.90, Kennedy made the height on her first attempt while Newman had three misses and would settle for the bronze medal. Moon missed one attempt at 4.90 and passed to the next height, 4.95. Moon missed twice at that height, however, giving the gold medal to Kennedy, as she took home silver.