Australian Nina Kennedy couldn’t conceive of a better way to end her epic pole vault duel with great friend and rival Katie Moon at the Budapest world championships than to share the gold medal.
To her relief and great joy, the American world and Olympic champ felt the same way, meaning their names will be forever linked in track and field circles.
In a gruelling competition lasting more than two and a half hours on a steamy Wednesday evening in the Hungarian capital, Kennedy and Moon could not be separated.
Kennedy twice smashed her own Australian record – with a first-time clearance at 4.85m and a gutsy last-ditch effort at 4.90m.
In both instances, Moon responded in kind.
They then each had three unsuccessful cracks at 4.95m.
With all of the other competitors long since eliminated, it could have gone to a jump-off to decide a single winner.
But when Kennedy broached the subject of sharing the gold, Moon was quick to take up the offer, which was sealed with an embrace.
“We were out there for such a long time, we were pushing each other to the absolute limit,” said Kennedy.
“Katie is the world champion, she is the Olympic gold medallist, I didn’t think she would want to share it and I thought we might need to keep jumping.
“But I kind of looked at her and said ‘Hey girl you maybe wanna share this?’ and the relief, you could see it on her face and you could see it on my face and it was mutual.
“It’s absolutely incredible to share a gold medal with Katie Moon; we have been friends for so long.”
Two years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, men’s high jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim, of Qatar, and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi had famously done the same thing.
Kennedy initially thought she had won gold on her own when she soared over at 4.90m.
But the American had other ideas.
“You could tell from my celebration at 4.90 I thought I had it in the bag, I was like ‘Yeah, I got this, she ain’t doing that’,” said the 26-year-old Australian.
“I threw my arms up in the air and then she jumped it – I think that just shows how much of a fierce competitor she is.
“She is the GOAT of the sport so respect to her.”
Moon was “completely satisfied” with the tie.
“What a battle it was,” she said.
“When it became obvious that only Nina and I were standing, the show had just started.
“I think we both motivated each other.
“When she had a good attempt at a height, I also wanted to have it immediately.
“It was tiring but worth the effort.”
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.
Kennedy is now equal ninth on the all-time list.
She 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.
It was Australia’s second medal of the championships, coming three days after Jemima Montag took the silver in the women’s 20km walk.
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.
© AAP
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