# Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's pole vault

The women's pole vault event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 2 and 5 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. 31 athletes from 19 nations competed. In her first Olympics, 30-year-old American Katie Nageotte won the gold medal by 5cm with a clearance of 4.90 metres. The silver medal went to Russian world champion Anzhelika Sidorova and the bronze to Holly Bradshaw of Great Britain.

## Summary

Fifteen women qualified for the final by clearing 4.55m. Thirteen cleared the opening height of 4.50m, but the three who struggled at that height were among the favorites; defending champion Katerina Stefanidi, American champion Katie Nageotte and former junior world record holder Angelica Bengtsson each were down to their last attempt. At the next height, 4.70m, only four were able to get over the bar; World Champion Anzhelika Sidorova on her first attempt; seven-time British Champion Holly Bradshaw and Nageotte on their second; and again on her final attempt, Stefanidi. With a perfect series going, Sidorova had the lead, Bradshaw held the edge over Nageotte with Stefanidi off the podium as they moved the bar up to 4.80m, Stefanidi missed, Sidorova cleared to maintain her perfect series, Bradshaw missed and Nageotte made it to move into second position. Bradshaw and Stefanidi cleared on their second attempt, so the bar moved up to 4.85m. Stefanidi missed her first attempt again while the other three cleared on their first attempt. With nothing to be gained by a clearance, Stefanidi passed to the next height 4.90m. Only 9 women have ever cleared 4.90, all of these were among that group. Nobody cleared on their first attempt and when Stefanidi missed on her second and because of the earlier miss, final attempt, the medalists had been decided. Sidorova and Bradshaw missed again, then Nageotte cleared it cleanly with a scream to move into gold medal position. Sidorova passed her third attempt to make a single attempt at 4.95m for gold. Bradshaw missed equalling her personal best and finished with the bronze medal. Sidorova aborted her attempt at 4.95m passing under the bar leaving Nageotte with gold. After celebrating, Nageotte took one attempt at 5.01m to try to become #3 of all time but after already securing gold, she didn't have the fire, quitting half way down the runway.

## Background

This was the 6th appearance of the event, having appeared at every Summer Olympics since 2000.

## Qualification

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified athletes in the women's pole vault event if all athletes meet the entry standard or qualify by ranking during the qualifying period. (The limit of 3 has been in place since the 1930 Olympic Congress.) The qualifying standard is 4.70 metres. This standard was "set for the sole purpose of qualifying athletes with exceptional performances unable to qualify through the IAAF World Rankings pathway." The world rankings, based on the average of the best five results for the athlete over the qualifying period and weighted by the importance of the meet, will then be used to qualify athletes until the cap of 32 is reached.
The qualifying period was originally from 1 May 2019 to 29 June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 29 June 2021. The world rankings period start date was also changed from 1 May 2019 to 30 June 2020; athletes who had met the qualifying standard during that time were still qualified, but those using world rankings would not be able to count performances during that time. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. Both outdoor and indoor meets are eligible. The most recent Area Championships may be counted in the ranking, even if not during the qualifying period.
NOCs can also use their universality place—each NOC can enter one female athlete regardless of time if they had no female athletes meeting the entry standard for an athletics event—in the pole vault.

## Competition format

The 2020 competition continued to use the two-round format introduced in 1912. There were two distinct rounds of vaulting with results cleared between rounds. Vaulters were eliminated if they had three consecutive failures, whether at a single height or between multiple heights if they attempted to advance before clearing a height.
The qualifying round had the bar set at various heights up to a qualifying standard (to be determined closer to the start of the Games; 4.60 metres in 2016). All jumpers clearing that standard advanced to the final. A minimum of 12 jumpers advanced; if fewer than 12 achieved the qualifying standard, the top 12 (including ties after use of the countback rules) advanced.
The final had jumps starting typically just below the qualifying standard and increasing gradually. The final continued until all jumpers are eliminated.

### Women's pole vault

| Qualification standard | No. of athletes | NOC | Nominated athletes |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 3 | Greece | Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou Eleni-Klaoudia Polak Katerina Stefanidi |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 3 | United States | Morgann LeLeux Sandi Morris Katie Nageotte |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 2 | Canada | Anicka Newell Alysha Newman |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 2 | China | Li Ling Xu Huiqin |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 2 | Sweden | Angelica Bengtsson Michaela Meijer |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Australia | Nina Kennedy |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | ROC | Anzhelika Sidorova |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Belarus | Iryna Zhuk |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Cuba | Yarisley Silva |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Great Britain | Holly Bradshaw |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Italy | Roberta Bruni |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Slovenia | Tina Šutej |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Switzerland | Angelica Moser |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Ukraine | Maryna Kylypko |
| Entry standard – 4.70 | 1 | Venezuela | Robeilys Peinado |
| World ranking | 2 | Finland | Elina Lampela Wilma Murto |
| World ranking | 1 | Australia | Liz Parnov |
| World ranking | 1 | Belgium | Fanny Smets |
| World ranking | 1 | Czech Republic | Romana Maláčová |
| World ranking | 1 | Germany | Lisa Ryzih |
| World ranking | 1 | Italy | Elisa Molinarolo |
| World ranking | 1 | Norway | Lene Retzius |
| World ranking | 1 | Switzerland | Andrina Hodel |
| World ranking | 1 | Ukraine | Yana Hladiychuk |
| Total | 32 | | |

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world, Olympic, and area records were as follows.
| World record | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | 5.06 | Zürich, Switzerland | 28 August 2009 |
| Olympic record | Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) | 5.05 | Beijing, China | 18 August 2008 |
| Area | Height (m) | Athlete | Nation |
| Africa (records) | 4.42 | Elmarie Gerryts | South Africa |
| Asia (records) | 4.72 | Li Ling | China |
| Europe (records) | 5.06 WR | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia |
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) | 5.03 | Jenn Suhr | United States |
| Oceania (records) | 4.94 | Eliza McCartney | New Zealand |
| South America (records) | 4.87 | Fabiana Murer | Brazil |

## Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
The women's pole vault took place over two separate days.
| Date | Time | Round |
| Monday, 2 August 2021 | 19:00 | Qualifying |
| Thursday, 5 August 2021 | 19:00 | Final |

## Result
### Qualification

Qualification Rules: Qualifying performance 4.70 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the Final.
| Rank | Group | Athlete | Nation | 4.25 | 4.40 | 4.55 | Height | Notes |
| 1 | B | Holly Bradshaw | Great Britain | — | — | o | 4.55 | q |
| 1 | A | Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou | Greece | o | o | o | 4.55 | q |
| 1 | A | Katie Nageotte | United States | — | — | o | 4.55 | q |
| 1 | B | Anicka Newell | Canada | — | o | o | 4.55 | q |
| 1 | A | Robeilys Peinado | Venezuela | — | o | o | 4.55 | q |
| 1 | B | Anzhelika Sidorova | ROC | — | — | o | 4.55 | q |
| 1 | A | Tina Šutej | Slovenia | o | o | o | 4.55 | q |
| 8 | A | Wilma Murto | Finland | o | o | xo | 4.55 | q |
| 8 | B | Yarisley Silva | Cuba | — | o | xo | 4.55 | q |
| 8 | B | Katerina Stefanidi | Greece | — | — | xo | 4.55 | q |
| 8 | A | Iryna Zhuk | Belarus | — | o | xo | 4.55 | q |
| 12 | A | Angelica Bengtsson | Sweden | o | xo | xo | 4.55 | q |
| 13 | B | Morgann LeLeux | United States | — | o | xxo | 4.55 | q |
| 13 | B | Xu Huiqin | China | — | o | xxo | 4.55 | q |
| 15 | A | Maryna Kylypko | Ukraine | o | xo | xxo | 4.55 | q |
| 16 | B | Michaela Meijer | Sweden | o | o | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 16 | A | Sandi Morris | United States | — | o | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 18 | A | Elisa Molinarolo | Italy | xo | o | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 19 | A | Eleni-Klaoudia Polak | Greece | xxo | o | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 20 | B | Angelica Moser | Switzerland | — | xo | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 21 | B | Yana Hladiychuk | Ukraine | xxo | xo | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 22 | A | Nina Kennedy | Australia | — | xxo | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 23 | B | Romana Maláčová | Czech Republic | xo | xxo | xxx | 4.40 | |
| 24 | B | Roberta Bruni | Italy | o | xxx | | 4.25 | |
| 24 | A | Andrina Hodel | Switzerland | o | xxx | | 4.25 | |
| 24 | B | Liz Parnov | Australia | o | xxx | | 4.25 | |
| 27 | B | Fanny Smets | Belgium | xo | xxx | | 4.25 | |
| 27 | B | Lene Retzius | Norway | xo | xxx | | 4.25 | |
| — | A | Li Ling | China | — | — | xxx | NM | |
| — | B | Elina Lampela | Finland | xxx | | | NM | |
| — | A | Alysha Newman | Canada | xxx | | | NM | |

### Final

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | 4.50 | 4.70 | 4.80 | 4.85 | 4.90 | 4.95 | 5.01 | Height | Notes |
| | Katie Nageotte | United States | xxo | xo | o | o | xo | — | xr | 4.90 | |
| | Anzhelika Sidorova | ROC | o | o | o | o | xx– | x | | 4.85 | |
| | Holly Bradshaw | Great Britain | o | xo | xo | o | xxx | | | 4.85 | |
| 4 | Katerina Stefanidi | Greece | xxo | xxo | xo | x– | xx | | | 4.80 | =SB |
| 5 | Maryna Kylypko | Ukraine | o | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 5 | Tina Šutej | Slovenia | o | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 5 | Wilma Murto | Finland | o | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 8 | Yarisley Silva | Cuba | xo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 8 | Xu Huiqin | China | xo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 8 | Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou | Greece | xo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 8 | Robeilys Peinado | Venezuela | xo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 8 | Iryna Zhuk | Belarus | xo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| 13 | Angelica Bengtsson | Sweden | xxo | xxx | | | | | | 4.50 | |
| — | Morgann LeLeux | United States | xxx | | | | | | | | NM |
| — | Anicka Newell | Canada | xxx | | | | | | | | NM |