Three New Zealand pole vaulters have made history after they all competed in the women’s final at the Paris Olympics.
Eliza McCartney, Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris all featured in this morning's event - meaning for the first time NZ had a trio of athletes in an Olympic pole vault final.
McCartney told SkySport after the event that she didn’t know if she’d even be able to compete at an Olympic Games again after injury troubles prevented her from going to Tokyo.
“I love to be able to be out there and express myself in the pole vault, it's making me tear up now, I didn't know this would be possible again and here I am - I’m so stoked," said McCartney.
McCartney cleared 4.60m and 4.70m at her first attempts but missed at 4.80m despite a close second attempt. She ended up finishing sixth.
McCartney was competing in her second Olympics Games after winning bronze in Rio as a teenager. She had battled injury in the years in between.
“Given how the last few months have gone, I think we made decisions and did the best with the cards I was dealt,” McCartney said. “I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be but I was still able to get out there and jump.”
McCartney was joined in the final by first-time Olympians Imogen Ayris and Olivia McTaggart, who finished 12th and 13th respectively.
24-year-old McTaggart spoke to 1News after the event and said she was pleased with her performance.
“To be jumping how I was today, I'm really proud of myself. I had a good crack at 4.70m, and I was jumping a lot better than the qualifications,” McTaggart said.
“We've all gone through a lot so I think to be at the final together cheering each other on, we did really well considering everything.”
Ayris said she was pleased to be able to make the final and record a new personal best.
Ayris completed 4.60m on her second attempt but missed at 4.70m.
Ayris said competing with her teammates in the Olympic final was a big positive for pole vaulting in New Zealand.
“We've trained together and been teammates for so long so to be out there on the biggest stage in the world is so special,” Ayris said.
Ayris, 23, was motivated by the loss of her father Barny in 2020 and said making the Olympic final "was our dream".
Ayris' mum Bridget said she was confident her daughter would make the Olympics one day. "We always knew she’d do it."
19 athletes competed in the final which made the final run longer than usual. It also got delayed nearing the end of the competition due to an issue with the equipment that moves the bar.
Australia’s Nina Kennedy won the gold medal with a height of 4.90m with USA’s Katie Moon taking silver (4.85m) and Canada’s Alysha Newman finishing third (4.85m).
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