Armand Duplantisâ€s world record rightfully stole the spotlight, but the true nature of pole vaulting revealed itself in a brief moment from Mondayâ€s epic menâ€s final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Kurtis Marschall was moments away from his second world championship medal, and Australiaâ€s first in Tokyo. It was 10.09pm, and his final rival for bronze stood at the top of the runway. American Sam Kendricks – then in fourth behind the Australian – had his pole over his shoulder eyeing a clearance that would slide Marschall off the podium.
His rivalâ€s success would be to his detriment, but the South Australian did something otherwise unnatural in competitive sport. He raised his arms above his head and clapped, appealing to the crowd to join him and rally support for the American.
Kurtis Marschall of Australia celebrates after coming third in the pole vault. Photograph: Alex Plavevski/EPA
“Any other individual sport, youâ€re all out there trying to go for each otherâ€s throats,†Marschall said afterwards. “But, pole vaulters, weâ€re all out there basically just trying to be our best.â€
Seconds later and the bar went tumbling, and Marschall stood with his arms aloft. A cameraman was in his face capturing the moment the Australian won his countryâ€s first medal at the world championships. The 28-year-old had managed to secure the second bronze of his career, repeating his feat from two years ago in Budapest.
“Iâ€m super happy with how I performed and going clean through 90 [clearing 5.90m without a miss], Iâ€ve never done that before,†Marschall said. “To put myself in the mix the whole way, keep the pressure on, keep the foot to the floor, pedal to the metal, thatâ€s the way youâ€ve got to go about it.â€
Minutes earlier, Kendricks had made it over the bar at 5.95m to put himself into third behind Marschall. The other competitors were falling away, and the Americanâ€s delight was obvious. As the pair passed each other alongside the runway, Kendricks jumped up and down with delight and shared a warm greeting with the Australian. “To have people out there that genuinely have your back, win or lose is so special,†Marschall said. “Itâ€s not like that, I donâ€t think, in any other sport really, other than team sports.â€
A memorable evening reached its climax when the other competitors watched on and celebrated Duplantis†towering clearance of 6.30m – a new world record – and Marschall and silver medallist Emmanouil Karalis joined the Swede on a lap of honour. “This generation of pole vault is outrageous, like itâ€s ridiculous, but to be a part of it and mixing it with the big boys, I couldnâ€t be happier,†Marschall said.
By that stage the American was already in the tunnel speaking to press, empty-handed after his fourth-placed finish. In this same city four years ago, Kendricks – then one of the favourites for Olympic gold – was forced from competition at the 11th hour due to a positive Covid test. “I didnâ€t come into this competition trying to medal,†he said. “I came into this competition trying to make better memories about Tokyo.â€
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Kurtis Marschall in action. Photograph: Louise Delmotte/AP
Marschall, too, is pained when recalling those Olympic games after he no-heighted in the final. The pair have known each other for years, regulars on the world circuit in an event that forces athletes to spend hours alongside each other every time they compete. On Monday night there they were again, supporting and pushing each other.
“I put the pressure on him at 95 [5.95m] and he closed the book on me, and I was so thankful for that,†Kendricks said. “He kept me honest this whole year, it hasnâ€t been my best year, and Kurtis has been right there with me, encouraging me through defeat and success.â€
Although he hadnâ€t seen Marschall applauding to the crowd before his final attempt, Kendricks wasnâ€t surprised. “Once you get into this life long enough, youâ€re realising that maybe I want a friend more than I want a medal,†he said.
The Australianâ€s bronze is a triumph of recovery after his sickening injury last year. A severely dislocated ankle turned into a problematic wound, and he was below his best at Paris. But he has returned to form this year, and entered this meet ranked fourth in the world, behind only Duplantis, Karalis and Kendricks. “This has been my most consistent year, and just to finish it off with this and 5.95m and almost six [metres], perfect,†he said.
And although he genuinely wanted success for Kendricks when he applauded him before that decisive attempt, he still felt he had a clearance at 6m – which would have been a personal best – in him. “I feel like that first attempt was so close, probably the closest Iâ€ve ever been, and I back myself to get it either way, even if Sam cleared it.â€
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