Eliza McCartney, bronze medallist in Rio eight years ago, showed some of her champion qualities in the women’s pole vault final this evening.
McCartney seemed to have the world at her fingertips that exciting night in Rio, but has been plagued by injuries for many of the years since.
She’s returned to near her best this season and in the final she proved to be the best of the three New Zealanders involved.
It was a special moment for New Zealand, having three pole vaulters in the final.
There was a huge field of 19, which was reduced when a few vaulters missed at 4.40m.
Imogen Ayris had a miss at 4.40m then sailed over. Olivia McTaggart went clear at first attempt.
On to 4.60m. McCartney was the only competitor who elected not to attempt 4.40m. She entered the competition at 4.60m and completed a confident first-time clearance.
Ayris, 23, with a personal best of 4.57m, had a miss then cleared 4.60m – a wonderful time to record a personal best.
McTaggart gave supporters heart flutters when she had two misses, but then she had a solid third effort.
So all three New Zealanders were still in it as the bar moved up to 4.70m. It was too much for Ayris, who never managed a solid attempt. McTaggart looked more likely but still had three misses.
McCartney, cleared 4.70m solidly first time and reminded us of the sparkling teenager who’d provided that fairytale in Rio in 2016.
There were nine vaulters left to attempt 4.80m, the height McCartney cleared in Rio to seal her bronze medal. She couldn’t repeat the effort this time, though all her attempts were good and one was extremely close.
So McCartney finished the competition in 6th place, Ayris 12th and McTaggart 13th.
McCartney seemed delighted and relieved afterwards. She spoke to the media with tears in her eyes, but said they were "happy tears".
"It took a lot to get to this point. The preparation was tough. To go through what I've been through and get to the Olympics and finish sixth. I'd absolutely take that. I was stoked that I could jump well."
She felt her attempts at 4.80m "weren't quite there", that she needs a little more competition. But she was pleased she'd been able to manage her body while training for the Olympics, and then compete well.
McCartney, who seemed to smile throughout the competition, said she loved the evening. "You never know if you're coming back. I'd love to go to LA [in 2028} but who knows? Why wouldn't I be smiling? I get to go out there and pole vault, which I love to do, at the Olympic Games. We're so lucky to be able to be a part of it."
In the men’s triple jump qualifying, 19-year-old New Zealander Ethan Olivier had a testing time. He jumped 16.16m, 15.91m and 15.98m to finish 30th in qualifying with only the top 12 progressing to the final.