Canada's Newman wins bronze in women's pole vault

PARIS — Alysha Newman fulfilled a goal and made Canadian history in the process.

Newman won Canada's first-ever Olympic medal in women's pole vault, claiming bronze on Wednesday with a Canadian-record height of 4.85 metres. Newman said it had been a goal of hers to medal for Canada in the event, and did so in her first Olympic final at her third Games.

"I'm so excited," she said. "I laugh because getting third is, I mean I've never got third, but it's funny because you have to still wait and sit there and wait until the other girls are done. So I'm so awkwardly standing there like, 'What do I do? Do I celebrate? Do I kiss everyone? Do I cry?'

"It was a really surreal moment and it was awesome. I just feel like I'm very emotionally stable right now and just feel so honoured to be the first (women's) pole vaulter to bring home an Olympic medal for Canada."

Newman, from Delaware, Ont., finished at the same height as silver medallist Katie Moon, but had one more missed attempt than the American.

Nina Kennedy of Australia cleared 4.90 metres to win gold.

Newman is the first Canadian pole vaulter to win a medal since William Halpenny took bronze in the men's competition at the 1912 Stockholm Games.

Edward Archibald's bronze in the men's event at the 1908 London Games is the only other Olympic pole vault medal in Canadian history.

It's the third medal in athletics for Canada. Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo, B.C., won gold in the men's hammer throw on Sunday, and Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C., claimed gold in the women's hammer throw on Tuesday.

Coming out of the qualifying round, Newman said she felt she could be the surprise of the final. But that thought did not cross her mind after Wednesday's final — just her celebration that she said tricked her coach into thinking she was actually injured.

"I just was excited about my celebration," she said beaming with a smile. "Did you guys like that? My fake injury because I'm always injured, that was the whole thing."

Newman had dealt with a number of injuries in the past but has learned a lot since the Tokyo Games in 2021. She told The Canadian Press in 2023 that she felt everybody had written her off after missing the final in those Olympics and at the 2022 world championships.

"Tokyo happened and it built so much character for me heading into this Games," she said. "I felt like I was stronger than ever, mentally tough — I never gave up on myself this year and when things went bad, I still smiled and that's huge.

"I'm happy, still, when I lose. I don't think a lot of athletes feel that way. And so I'm honoured that I could step off the track with a bad day and still go home and feel accomplished because I've done so much in this sport and this keeps adding to my resume."

Newman enjoyed a great level of consistency this season. She injured her ankle leading up to world indoor championships in March but bounced back, having jumped 4.75-plus metres in three of her last four meets before the Olympics.

Newman said she "blanked" after missing her first attempt at 4.60 metres, and that the nerves got to her, but she was reminded by her coach that it was OK to be nervous competing at the Games.

She then thought about what her dad told her at a young age when she was a gymnast, that having that feeling "means you're ready."

And ready she was as Newman didn't miss another attempt until her first at 4.85 and all three at 4.90.

"Each jump had a theme, so at my 4.85, it was a new pole, new tape, new everything," she said. "And I just kept writing courage, over and over and over, in my notebook right next to the height. And I just kept saying, 'Have courage, have courage, have courage.'

"And for some reason that word this year has been so powerful to my heart and to my veins. It worked, everything worked and I jumped well and I'm here."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.