World Athletics Championships 2023: Moon, Kennedy share pole vault title

Both cleared 4.90 metres in an event that stretched two hours and 10 minutes, but missed on all three attempts at 4.95 and decided to share the victory rather than go to a jump-off.

Gold medallists Australia’s Nina Kennedy and Katie Moon of The U.S. celebrate with their medals with bronze medallist Finland’s Wilma Murto. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

American Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy decided to share the gold medal in a dramatic women’s pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday.

Both cleared 4.90 metres in an event that stretched two hours and 10 minutes, but missed on all three attempts at 4.95 and decided to share the victory rather than go to a jump-off.

It was the second consecutive world title for Moon, who also won Olympic gold in Tokyo. Armed with a personal best of 4.95 and a season’s best of 4.90, the 32-year-old Moon appeared to be the favourite.

But Kennedy had other ideas. She surpassed the Australian record and her own personal best by eight centimetres when she sailed over 4.90, and then held back tears as she looked up at the steady bar in joyful disbelief.

The two chatted briefly to decide the outcome, then embraced, conjuring memories of the Tokyo Olympics where good friends and rivals Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy opted to share men’s high jump gold.

Wilma Murto of Finland tied her season’s best of 4.80 for bronze, missing all three of her attempts at 4.85. The 25-year-old became the first Finnish woman to win a Diamond League title when she beat Moon at the London event on July 23.