Katie Moon is the two-time World Championship gold medalist and Olympic champion for the Males’s pole vault. Stuart Weir wrote this piece on Katie Moon and her unbelievable 2023!
Katie Moon on the World Championships
Katie Moon entered the World Championships in Budapest in August 2023 because the reigning World Champion however as a short-lived reigning champion. With the 2021 World Champs Covided out and postponed for a 12 months. The 2021 World Champion had just one 12 months to delight in that glory.
Nonetheless, she arrived in Budapest as World Champion – did that give additional confidence or add a strain, I puzzled? “Somewhat little bit of each, however I might say extra confidence. I feel it simply solidifies to myself, ‘OK, you might be good at this’. You may go on the market assured. You already know what to anticipate, however you understand something can occur. So be prepared for that. However you know the way to execute. You understand how to make issues occur. You understand how to win. Does that imply I’m going to win each time? No, however I understand how to deal with it going on the market, and it does give me numerous inside confidence, and I’m very grateful for that. But it surely’s taken years, and it’s taken a couple of large wins to actually really feel this manner. But it surely positively provides some strain for certain, however I like that, and I feel I actually attempt to see it extra as OK and this provides confidence.
On paper, the qualifying appeared snug, 3 jumps growth, 3 bars, and thru to the ultimate, however as Katie identified, that was extra work than she had anticipated: “What’s attention-grabbing is that it was essentially the most I’ve ever jumped in a prelim. In order that was truly extra taxing than any earlier qualification at a championship that I had ever skilled. It’s all the time nice to do regardless of the minimal is, however for instance, the 12 months earlier than, it was one and completed, and so was Tokyo, and so to return into the qualification at Budapest and have to leap thrice meant we have been on the market for longer and three jumps in a prelim setting is unquestionably a bit extra – I don’t wish to say emotional – nevertheless it’s simply extra taxing and extra exhausting and so once more, I very glad to simply get to do regardless of the minimal was that day. But it surely was it was a bit extra taxing than I had anticipated it to be as a result of the women have been simply leaping so properly. It was only a reflection of how good the ladies’s pole vault is turning into. The depth that’s there. A whole lot of ladies set PBs to make it to the ultimate, so it’s actually cool”. Cool, however utilizing up a bit of extra vitality than anticipated.
Within the remaining, 12 girls have been decreased to eight at 4.65, and two extra failed at 4.75. Solely 4 have been nonetheless going after 4.80 at which Katie wanted a second try. Murta and Sutej failed at 4.85, leaving simply Katie and Nina Kennedy, who every took three makes an attempt to clear 4.90. By the point each had failed at 4.95, Katie had taken 11 vaults and Nina 12. Then, as Tamberi and Barshim had completed in Tokyo, the pair determined to not have a jump-off however to accept joint gold medals. On the time, Katie stated: “When the ultimate began, I didn’t assume sharing a gold medal would work for me, however now I’m fully glad. What a battle it was! When it grew to become apparent that solely Nina and I have been nonetheless leaping, the present had simply began. I feel we each motivated one another. When she had a great try, I additionally wished to have it. It was tiring however definitely worth the effort. What a tremendous night time. I hope everybody loved that one. We did”.
After we talked a number of months later, she was happy to have been nominated – with Nina – for a World Athletics Honest Play Award however annoyed on the unfavorable response to not having a jump-off. I requested her to replicate on the choice to share the gold medal and title of World Champion: “I’m so proud of it”, she informed me. “I imply, it’s attention-grabbing, after the Honest Play Award announcement, folks have been nonetheless commenting fairly unfavorable issues about it. On the finish of the day I’m so proud of how that went. I feel I’ve stated all the pieces I have to say on it, however I simply know that was precisely how that ought to have performed out, and I’m thrilled to have walked away that day with one other gold medal – and to be simply as glad that my pal acquired to stroll away with the gold medal too.
“Individuals see athletes as if we’re leisure as if this are our job, and so we must always be capable to do actually something and all the pieces that we’re ever requested of us. And I get it. I imply, I’ve watched sports activities my entire life, and also you positively get type of caught up on this: ‘How may they make that mistake? How may they do that? How may they try this?’ And also you simply want to understand that we’re human beings, and sadly, pole vault is harmful [particularly when you are tired after 11 vaults]. All sports activities have their dangers, however for us, we’re current 4 to five meters off the bottom, so if we stand up within the air however don’t execute accurately, we’re going to land badly. So I wished to reside to battle one other day”.
To complete as Olympic Champion and double World Championship doesn’t appear too dangerous.
