Emily Chan
These two Olympic pole vaulters are the embodiment of being good sports. The athletes made history after deciding to share a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships.
Australia’s 26-year-old Nina Kennedy and USA’s 32-year-old Katie Moon were competing against each other in the women’s pole vault final, but after three tiebreaker rounds, they were unable to pull ahead of the other.
They both managed to make it over the 4.90-meter bar but could not manage to surpass 4.95 meters. The event lasted two hours and ten minutes. By the end, it became extremely clear that the athletes’ skills were a close match.
Finally, the women approached each other, and that’s when Kennedy looked at Moon and said, “Hey, girl, maybe you want to share this?”
At first, Kennedy wasn’t sure if Moon would accept the offer and thought they might have to keep jumping. However, Moon seemed immensely relieved and agreed.
She gave Kennedy a congratulatory kiss on the cheek, and the two women folded each other into a warm embrace, making it one of the more wholesome moments in the sports world.
After the final, Kennedy told reporters that she had been friends with Moon for a long time, so being able to share a gold medal with her was super special. Moon agreed, stating that they both deserved the win because they had jumped the same throughout the entire competition.
“I’m at a point where I’ve given it my all. We went out, and we both did pretty much the same thing, and it just felt right. We both won today, so it was the right call!” said Moon.
The gold medal was Moon’s second world championship and Kennedy’s first. In an event where a tie cannot be broken, athletes are allowed to split the gold instead of continuing to compete.
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