Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's pole vault


The women's pole vault competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium between 16–19 August.

Summary

It took a clean round to 4.55 m to qualify. Holly Bradshaw, Lisa Ryzih, Jennifer Suhr, Eliza McCartney, Yarisley Silva and Martina Strutz already had misses and had to jump 4.60. All but Strutz did it on their first attempt. Ekaterini Stefanidi had passed the lower heights and took her only attempt at 4.60, which was successful to qualify.
In the final, 4.60 proved to be the end of the line as both returning Olympic medalists from 2012, Suhr and Silva topped out. They left tied with one miss each. 2012 bronze medalist Yelena Isinbayeva did not return because Russia's athletics team was suspended from international competition for state-sponsored doping. Six women were able to clear 4.70, McCartney and Stefanidi were tied with the lead, each without a miss. Stefanidi missed her first attempt at 4.80, so when McCartney remained perfect, she took the lead. Stefanidi, Sandi Morris and Alana Boyd all cleared on their second attempt. After missing her first attempt at 4.80, Nicole Büchler saved her two remaining attempts for 4.85. Stefanidi took the lead with a second attempt clearance of. Morris followed with a clearance of her own. When McCartney and Boyd were unable to clear the bar, Morris was guaranteed silver. Neither were able to clear, though on Morris' last attempt, knowing it was all or nothing for the gold medal, it looked like she was well over the bar, her thigh just catching the bar on the way down to dislodge it. 19 year old McCartney equaled her National Record, set in March 2016.
The medals were presented by Irena Szewińska and Svein Arne Hansen.

Competition format

The competition consisted of two rounds, qualification and final. In qualification, each athlete had three attempts at each height and is eliminated if she failed to clear any height. Athletes who successfully jumped the qualifying height moved on the final. If fewer than 12 reached that height, the best 12 moved on. Cleared heights were reset for the final, which followed the same three-attempts-per-height format until all athletes reach a height they can not jump.

Schedule

All times are Brasilia Time
DateTimeRound
Tuesday, 16 August 201609:45Qualifications
Friday, 19 August 201620:30Finals

Records

, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.
World record5.06 mZurich, Switzerland28 August 2009
Olympic record5.05 mBeijing, China18 August 2008
2016 World leading4.93 mHouston, USA23 July 2016

The following national record was established during the competition:
CountryAthleteRoundHeightNotes
New ZealandFinal4.80 m=

Results

Qualifying round

Qualification rule: Qualifying performance 4.60 or at least 12 best performers advance to the Final.
RankGroupNameNationality4.154.304.454.554.60ResultNotes
1AKaterina Stefanidi––––o4.60
2AHolly Bradshaw––oxoo4.60
2ALisa Ryzih–––xoo4.60
2BJennifer Suhr–––xoo4.60
5AEliza McCartney––xxoxoo4.60
5BYarisley Silva––xoxxoo4.60
7BMartina Strutz–oxooxo4.60
8AKelsie Ahbe–ooo–4.55
8AAlana Boyd––oo–4.55
8BNicole Büchler––oo–4.55
8ASandi Morris––oo–4.55
8BTina Šutejoooo–4.55
13BMinna Nikkanen–oxooxxx4.55
14BAngelica Bengtssonoooxoxxx4.55
14AMaryna Kylypkooooxoxxx4.55
16BLi Ling–oxoxoxxx4.55
17AMichaela Meijer–ooxxx4.45
17BAlysha Newman–ooxxx4.45
19AJiřina Ptáčníková–oxoxxx4.45
19ALexi Weeks–oxoxxx4.45
21BSonia Malavisiooxxoxxx4.45
21BAnnika Roloff–oxxoxxx4.45
23AAngelica Moserxoxxoxxoxxx4.45
24BRomana Maláčováooxxx4.30
24AWilma Murto–oxxx4.30
24BMarta Onofreooxxx4.30
27BTori Penaoxoxxx4.30
28AVanessa Boslakoxxoxxx4.30
29AJoana Costaoxxx4.15
29BAnnika Newelloxxx4.15
29BDiamara Planelloxxx4.15
29AFemke Pluimoxxx4.15
29AMaria Leonor Tavaresoxxx4.15
34BIryna Yakaltsevichxxoxxx4.15
BFabiana Murer–––xxx
ARen Mengqianxxx
BNikoleta Kyriakopoulou
ARobeilys Peinado

Final