Australia's Nina Kennedy soars to women’s Pole Vault gold at Paris Olympic

PARIS: Australia's Nina Kennedy soared to the gold medal in the Olympic women's Pole Vault, a year after she shared top spot on the World Championship medal podium with American rival Katie Moon. The 27-year-old Kennedy cleared a season's best 4.90 metres, fiercely pumping her fist several times after another epic battle with Moon.

Moon, the Tokyo gold medallist and two-times World champion, cleared 4.85m to claim silver.

Canada's Alysha Newman went over the same height but was awarded bronze due to more missed jumps.

Kennedy and Moon decided to share gold at last year's World Championships in Budapest after they both vaulted 4.90m. Moon defended the decision after scathing criticism on social media, saying the danger of vaulting increases as fatigue sets in.

Kennedy made sure there was no sharing on Wednesday at Stade de France. She failed on only vaults -- her first attempt at 4.70 -- before flying over the next three heights with ease.

After Kennedy's successful attempt at 4.90, Moon's only chance to steal victory was by clearing 4.95 but she and Kennedy failed at that height. Agencies

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