The pole vault title is up for grabs and there will be plenty with dreams of standing on top of the podium. Dare I say it one of them will be Britain’s own Holly Bradshaw. Here’s our women’s pole vault preview.
Schedule
Monday 2 August 11:20 UK Time (Qualification) Thursday 5 August 11:20 UK Time (Final)
2021 Highest Jumps
| 2021 Rankings | Height | Athlete | Country |
| 1 | 4.95 | Katie Nagoette | USA |
| 2 | 4.91 | Anzhelika Sidorova | Authorised Neutral Athlete |
| 3 | 4.9 | Holly Bradshaw | GB & NI |
| 4 | 4.84 | Sandi Morris | USA |
| 5 | 4.82 | Nina Kennedy | Australia |
| 6 | 4.8 | Katerina Stefanidi | Greece |
| 7 | 4.75 | Polina Knoroz | Russia |
| 8 | 4.74 | Tina Šutej | Slovenia |
| 8 | 4.74 | Iryna Zhuk | Belarus |
| 10 | 4.71 | Bridget Guy | USA |
British interest
It’s Holly Bradshaw or bust for GB but she has every chance. In breaking the British record (vaulting 4.90m) in Manchester she will be confident too.
The favourites
Gold and silver from Rio both make Tokyo with Katerina Stefanidi hoping to defend her title. Sandi Morris of the USA has jumped higher than the Greek this year but both have been eclipsed by Katie Nagoette, the American having the season of her life. Only Morris and Anzhelika Sidorova have ever jumped equal or better than Nagoette’s 4.95m.
Sidorova may be the favourite as the World Champion but it has to be said that Holly Bradshaw, if she can put together her best sequence has every chance of a medal. It would be Bradshaw’s first global medal since her bronze in the World Indoors in 2012.
Angelica Moser of Switzerland deserves a mention by virtue of her Euro Indoors title earlier this year but if the best jump to their capability she may be short on height.
Our medal predictions
- Anzhelika Sidorova
- Katie Nageotte
- Sandi Morris
Records
WR: 5.06m Yelena Isinbayeva (2009)
OR: 5.05m Yelena Isinbayeva (2008 Bejiing)
Featured image “Isinbayeva, reina de la pérdiga” by marcopako is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
