Molly Caudery rises to the occasion

In-form Briton’s “dreams coming true” as she wins world indoor pole vault title in Glasgow

Molly Caudery is having the year of her life. For much of 2024, she has been the world leader in the women’s pole vault. Now she is the world indoor champion.

The 23-year-old went into the Glasgow event with hopes high that she could win a medal, given the performances which had seen her clearing 4.83m, 4.85m and then 4.86m, as well as bagging the UK Indoor title.

It’s one thing to have expectations, though, and quite another to meet them. It’s only a handful of months since the Briton had had the second of two Achilles surgeries, after all, and she was coming up against a fearsome level of competition which included the likes of Olympic champion Katie Moon and two-time world indoor gold medal winner Sandi Morris.

The significance of the occasion did not seem to be weighing heavily on the Cornwall native, however, as she bounced out in front of the home crowd, grinning from ear to ear as they roared her appearance. In fact, the Caudery looked very much at ease in this  rarefied company.

Having entered the competition at 4.55m, it was a second-time clearance of 4.80m which proved crucial for her. With Moon failing to clear that height, Morris having bowed out at 4.75m and European champion Wilma Murto having retired hurt, it was Rio Olympic bronze medallist Eliza McCartney who ultimately stood between Caudery and the promised land.

The New Zealander took one attempt at 4.85m and the opted to pass and instead raise the stakes to 4.90m. Caudery opted to focus on the lower height and could not go clear. Though she was guaranteed silver, she still had to look on and see if her opponent could snatch top prize.

When McCartney couldn’t, the Emirates Arena supporters rose and the new champion’s tears began to fall.

“After two surgeries last year, I felt like I was losing belief in myself, and that motivation at times,” said Caudery, with Moon completing the podium in third. “But that’s part of being an athlete – you have to turn up each day, get it done and trust that you’re on the right flight path.

“I honestly can’t believe I’m a world champion in an Olympic year. My dreams are coming true and I’m loving absolutely every single moment of this journey.”

The other field champion to be decided on the second evening of competition in Glasgow came in the men’s triple jump.

Hugues Fabrice Zango became the world champion both indoors and out after a fifth- round leap of 17.53m, having trailed for much of the competition to Yasser Mohammed Triki’s opening effort of 17.35m.

Portuguese Tiago Pereira leapt into third with a final effort of 17.08m, only his second legal jump of the night.

“It’s never easy to win a championship,” said the man from Burkina Faso after what was only his third competition of the year. “When I came here I thought I might be able to do something but my season wasn’t what I wanted. Tonight I tried and tried and on my fifth jump it finally happened – doing 17.53m is really crazy. I’m really happy for Burkina Faso, and for Africa because we have two Africans on the podium.”

In the men’s heptathlon, Ken Mullings of the Bahamas holds at 79-point lead with a tally of 3637 after four events. A high jump clearance of 2.16m lifted him into the lead ahead of Swiss Simon Ehammer, who sits on 3558, and Estonian Johannes Erm (3552). Norway’s Sander Skotheim is also firmly in contention, just five points further back in fourth place.

Check out our Glasgow 2024 coverage here

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