Australian pole vaulter Nina Kennedy has soared to new heights, tieing for the gold medal with American Katie Moon in a drama-charged final at the world athletics championships in Budapest.
Kennedy twice broke her own national record with a first-up clearance at 4.85 metres and a gutsy third and final crack at 4.90m.
On both occasions, reigning world and Olympic champ Moon held her nerve to match the Australian.
The pair then each had three unsuccessful attempts at 4.95m in Wednesday’s (Thursday AEST) final before embracing on the track.
The bronze medal went to Wilma Murto from Finland with a best clearance of 4.80m.
Moon is one of only eight vaulters to ever jump higher than she and Kennedy did in Budapest, a list headed by the legendary Russian Yelena Isinbayeva, whose 14-year-old world record stands at 5.06m.
The 26-year-old Australian is now equal ninth on the alltime list.
Kennedy enjoyed a major breakout year in 2022, finishing third at the world titles in Eugene and winning golds at the Diamond League final and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
But this nerveless display was the greatest performance of her career to date.
The WA vaulter made her senior debut as the youngest member of the Australian team at the 2015 world championships in Beijing when she no-heighted in the qualifying round as a raw 18-year-old.
She was third at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and missed out on a spot in the Tokyo Olympics final after jumping while injured.
Her previous best clearance was 4.82m in Sydney in early 2021.
It was Australia’s second medal of the championships, coming three days after Jemima Montag took the silver in the women’s 20km walk.
In other action from the night session on Wednesday, Australians Michelle Jenneke (12.80 seconds) and Celeste Mucci (12.97) were run out in the semis of the 100m hurdles.
World and Olympic silver medallist Kendra Harrison from the US was fastest into Thursday night’s final in 12.33.
Less than 24 hours after finishing seventh in a gruelling 1500m final, a tired-looking Jessica Hull was run out in the openg round of the 5000m.
The 26-year-old trailed home 13th in her heat in 15:15.89.
Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan was the fastest qualifier in 14:32.29, just ahead of Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon, who took another step towards the 1500m/5000m double.
Fellow Australians Rose Davies and Lauren Ryan also bowed out.
It was a similar tale in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, where the campaigns of Brielle Erbacher, Cara Feain-Ryan and Amy Cashin all ended in the opening round.
National record holder Stephanie Ratcliffe (69.87m) did not not advance from hammer throw qualifying.
AUSTRALIAN POLE VAULT MEDALISTS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Women
Nina Kennedy – gold in 2023
Kennedy – bronze in 2022
Tatiana Grigorieva – bronze in 1999
Men
Steve Hooker – gold in 2009
Dmitri Markov – gold in 2001
Markov – silver in 1999
