# 2023 World Athletics Championships – Women's pole vault

The women's pole vault at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 21 and 23 August 2023.
For the first time in the women's pole vault at these championships, two gold medals were awarded.

## Summary

Two women needed personal bests and two more needed season bests in order to clear 4.65m and qualify for the final. In the final, only eight were able to clear 4.65 again. Six got over 4.75m, with personal bests for Molly Caudery and Angelica Moser. Four cleared 4.80m, including Tina Šutej's National Record. Wilma Murto was still perfect and thus in the lead. 4.85m was the next height. After Šutej missed, returning bronze medalist Nina Kennedy cleared cleanly to improve upon her own National Record from 2021. Defending champion, Katie Moon brushed the bar on the way down, but the bar stayed up. When Murto could not clear on her first attempt, Kennedy and Moon were now tied. After Šutej, Caudery, and Murto used up their attempts, Murto's previously perfect round left her with the bronze medal. And the bar went up to 4.90 m (16 ft 3⁄4 in) for Kennedy and Moon. Neither could make it on their first two attempts. On her third attempt, Kennedy cleared for another National Record. Moon also cleared and the bar went up to 4.95m. Neither of them could negotiate the height in their three attempts.
After Moon missed, the officials spoke with the athletes. By rule, when a tie occurs for first place, a jump off is held, where they continue to jump at first the missed height, then the bar gets lowered until one misses and the other makes it. The athletes have the right to refuse to take any more jumps. With the story of Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi both refusing at 2020 Olympic high jump fresh in everyone's mind, it was assumed they would both refuse and accept the tie for first place. Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy together discussed the prospect of jumping at 4.95 again then agreed to accept shared gold medals followed by a hug.

## Records

Before the competition, records were as follows:
| Record | Athlete & Nat. | Perf. | Location | Date |
| World record | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | 5.06 m | Zürich, Switzerland | 28 August 2009 |
| Championship record | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | 5.01 m | Helsinki, Finland | 12 August 2005 |
| World Leading | Katie Moon (USA) | 4.90 m | Eugene, United States | 9 July 2023 |
| African Record | Elmarie Gerryts (RSA) | 4.42 m | Wesel, Germany | 12 June 2000 |
| Asian Record | Li Ling (CHN) | 4.72 m | Shanghai, China | 18 May 2019 |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record | Jennifer Suhr (USA) | 5.02 m | Albuquerque, United States | 2 March 2013 |
| South American Record | Fabiana Murer (BRA) | 4.87 m | Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil | 3 July 2016 |
| European Record | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | 5.06 m | Zürich, Switzerland | 28 August 2009 |
| Oceanian record | Eliza McCartney (NZL) | 4.94 m | Jockgrim, Germany | 17 July 2018 |

## Qualification standard

The standard to qualify automatically for entry was 4.71 m.

## Schedule

The event schedule, in local time (UTC+2), is as follows:
| Date | Time | Round |
| 21 August | 18:40 | Qualification |
| 23 August | 19:30 | Final |

## Results
### Qualification

Qualification: 4.65 m (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q).
| Rank | Group | Name | Nationality | 4.20 | 4.35 | 4.50 | 4.60 | 4.65 | Mark | Notes |
| 1 | A | Katie Moon | United States (USA) | – | – | o | o | o | 4.65 | Q |
| 1 | A | Robeilys Peinado | Venezuela (VEN) | – | o | o | o | o | 4.65 | Q, SB |
| 1 | A | Wilma Murto | Finland (FIN) | – | o | o | o | o | 4.65 | Q |
| 1 | B | Nina Kennedy | Australia (AUS) | – | – | o | o | o | 4.65 | Q |
| 5 | A | Angelica Moser | Switzerland (SUI) | – | o | o | xxo | o | 4.65 | Q, SB |
| 6 | B | Hana Moll | United States (USA) | o | o | o | o | xo | 4.65 | Q, PB |
| 7 | A | Amálie Švábíková | Czech Republic (CZE) | – | o | o | xo | xo | 4.65 | Q |
| 8 | A | Sandi Morris | United States (USA) | – | – | xo | xo | xo | 4.65 | Q |
| 8 | B | Bridget Williams | United States (USA) | – | xo | xo | o | xo | 4.65 | Q |
| 10 | B | Tina Šutej | Slovenia (SLO) | – | o | o | o | xxo | 4.65 | Q |
| 10 | B | Elisa Molinarolo | Italy (ITA) | o | o | o | o | xxo | 4.65 | Q, PB |
| 12 | B | Molly Caudery | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | – | o | xo | o | xxo | 4.65 | Q |
| 13 | A | Li Ling | China (CHN) | o | o | xxo | o | xxx | 4.60 | |
| 14 | A | Ninon Chapelle | France (FRA) | – | o | o | xo | xxx | 4.60 | SB |
| 15 | A | Lene Retzius | Norway (NOR) | – | xo | xxo | xxo | xxx | 4.60 | SB |
| 16 | A | Niu Chunge | China (CHN) | – | o | o | xx– | x | 4.50 | |
| 17 | A | Michaela Meijer | Sweden (SWE) | xo | o | o | x– | xx | 4.50 | |
| 18 | A | Alysha Newman | Canada (CAN) | – | o | xo | xxx | | 4.50 | |
| 18 | A | Imogen Ayris | New Zealand (NZL) | o | o | xo | xxx | | 4.50 | |
| 18 | B | Hanga Klekner | Hungary (HUN) | o | o | xo | xxx | | 4.50 | PB |
| 21 | B | Margot Chevrier | France (FRA) | – | xo | xo | xxx | | 4.50 | |
| 22 | B | Elina Lampela | Finland (FIN) | o | o | xxo | xxx | | 4.50 | |
| 22 | B | Juliana Campos | Brazil (BRA) | o | o | xxo | xxx | | 4.50 | |
| 24 | A | Anicka Newell | Canada (CAN) | o | o | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 24 | A | Caroline Bonde Holm | Denmark (DEN) | o | o | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 24 | A | Olivia McTaggart | New Zealand (NZL) | – | o | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 27 | A | Anjuli Knäsche | Germany (GER) | xo | o | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 28 | A | Eleni-Klaoudia Polak | Greece (GRE) | o | xo | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 29 | A | Holly Bradshaw | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | – | xxo | x– | xx | | 4.35 | |
| 29 | A | Roberta Bruni | Italy (ITA) | o | xxo | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 29 | A | Elien Vekemans | Belgium (BEL) | o | xxo | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| 29 | A | Marie-Julie Bonnin | France (FRA) | – | xxo | xxx | | | 4.35 | |
| – | B | Xu Huiqin | China (CHN) | – | xxx | | | | NM | |
| – | B | Eliza McCartney | New Zealand (NZL) | – | – | xxx | | | NM | |
| – | B | Saga Andersson | Finland (FIN) | xxx | | | | | NM | |
| – | B | Katerina Stefanidi | Greece (GRE) | – | – | xxx | | | NM | |
| – | A | Mirè Reinstorf | South Africa (RSA) | xxx | | | | | NM | |

### Final

The final started on 23 August at 19:30.
| Rank | Name | Nationality | 4.30 | 4.50 | 4.65 | 4.75 | 4.80 | 4.85 | 4.90 | 4.95 | Mark | Notes |
| | Nina Kennedy | Australia (AUS) | – | o | o | xo | o | o | xxo | xxx | 4.90 | =WL, NR |
| | Katie Moon | United States (USA) | – | o | o | – | xo | o | xxo | xxx | 4.90 | =WL |
| | Wilma Murto | Finland (FIN) | – | o | o | o | o | xxx | | | 4.80 | =SB |
| 4 | Tina Šutej | Slovenia (SLO) | o | o | o | xo | o | xxx | | | 4.80 | NR |
| 5 | Molly Caudery | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | xo | o | o | xxo | x– | xx | | | 4.75 | PB |
| 5 | Angelica Moser | Switzerland (SUI) | o | o | xo | xxo | xxx | | | | 4.75 | =PB |
| 7 | Sandi Morris | United States (USA) | – | o | o | xxx | | | | | 4.65 | |
| 8 | Robeilys Peinado | Venezuela (VEN) | o | o | xo | xxx | | | | | 4.65 | =SB |
| 9 | Elisa Molinarolo | Italy (ITA) | o | o | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 9 | Hana Moll | United States (USA) | o | o | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 11 | Amálie Švábíková | Czech Republic (CZE) | xo | o | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 12 | Bridget Williams | United States (USA) | o | xo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |