Two New Zealand women’s pole vaulters squeaked into the final in the most extraordinary circumstances at the Paris Olympics.
While Eliza McCartney looked in excellent form and cleared 4.55m at her second attempt, it seemed her countrywomen, Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris, had been eliminated at Stade de France on Monday.
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The pair missed all three of their attempts at 4.55m, after both cleared 4.20m and 4.40m at the first attempt.
However, in a most unusual twist, only 11 women cleared 4.55m, with at least 12 required for the final.
So all the pole vaulters who had cleared 4.40m without a miss came back into qualifying reckoning. There were nine in that category – if even one of them had cleared 4.55m, the other eight would have been eliminated.
So now 20 pole vaulters, including all three New Zealanders, progressed to Wednesday’s final.
McCartney, 27, a shock bronze medallist at Rio in 2016, looked very good today and cleared 4.55m with quite a distance to spare.
For her teammates it’s a reprieve few could have imagined and they’ll want to make the most of on Wednesday – they are certainly capable of clearing 4.55m, and higher.
“I felt really good out there,” she said. “I was really in control; my body felt good. It was a good chance to get some jumps done. I definitely expected to have to jump 4.70m to qualify today, but I’m very happy with how it turned out.”
Ayris said she was unsure of the situation at the end of qualifying.
“I knew a lot of girls had missed at 4.55m and that a lot of us were tied. I wasn’t sure how many, but then I saw my coach up in the stands with his arms in the air and I knew we were in.”
McTaggart said she had mixed emotions.
“I’m disappointed with how I was jumping, but to go through to the final, we have another chance. I’ll put absolutely everything into the final and take the opportunity. I know I have a lot more in me.”
Meanwhile, Kiwi Geordie Beamish could not advance to the final of the men's 3000m steeplechase, finishing only seventh in his heat when he needed a top-five finish to progress.
Beamish was timed at 8 minutes 25.86 seconds, just over half-a-second behind the fifth placegetter.
The 27-year-old Beamish went into the race under a cloud because he has suffered from a hip injury since May and has had to severely restrict his training schedule.
“I haven’t been able to do barriers, or really stride out. I’ve been able to do some running with pain, and then have to take days off. I was hoping that the fitness I’d built up till May might help me get through.
“I just didn’t have it tonight. For the last six to eight weeks, I wasn’t even sure I’d get to the start line, but I wanted to give it a go. Once it got to the sprint, I wasn’t able to compete with those guys. I really struggled on the barriers.”
While the pole vaulters celebrated their good fortune, discus thrower Connor Bell was dealt a harsh blow in the qualifying competition.
The 23-year-old Aucklander threw 62.88m in qualifying. With 12 to go through to the final, it looked tight for him.
As it turned out, two throwers, Bell and Alex Rose, a US-based Samoan representative, both threw 62.88m, which placed them 12th-equal. However, Rose went through because his second-best throw of 60.94m was better than Bell’s 59.76m.
It was heartbreaking for the New Zealander to be eliminated in such extraordinary circumstances.
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