- Fans were left in awe of the bizarre sight on Thursday morning
- Aussie, 27, won the women’s pole vault at the Stade de France
- A day full of highlights for Australian athletes, now 18 gold medals
Nina Kennedy is officially an Olympic champion and her attention to detail did not go unnoticed by the many fans glued to their TV screens in her home country of Australia.
Kennedy, 27, won gold after clearing 4.90 metres in Paris, ahead of American Katie Moon and Canadian Alysha Newman, but many fans questioned why the Australian woman had such a black hand while competing.
The answer is simple: pole vaulters use a variety of methods to improve their grip. One of the most common methods is black, fabric anti-slip tape.
Lighter fluid, chalk or adhesive spray is often applied to the tape to further improve the grip.
“I’m here, I’m a gold medalist, that’s so cool,” an elated Kennedy told Channel Nine.
‘I felt really calm. I came in with a task to do… I told myself I had to get to work. ‘Do your job’ and this [medal] is the result.’
Kennedy’s impressive victory at the Stade de France was also a personal story of redemption.
Kennedy, who she described as “the lowest point of her career,” was disappointed after finishing 12th at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Nina Kennedy is officially an Olympic champion – and the pole vaulter’s attention to detail has not gone unnoticed by the many fans glued to their TV screens at home in Australia
Kennedy, 27, won gold after a jump of 4.90 metres in Paris – but many fans wondered why the Australian had jet-black hands (pictured) while in competition mode
Pole vaulters like Nina Kennedy often use a variety of methods to improve their grip – black, cloth friction tape is one of the most common
Injuries to her groin, hamstring, calf and quadriceps prevented her from preparing for the Olympics, and she was also recovering from two broken bones in her back.
“I really had to go to places I didn’t think I would have to go,” she said, looking back on her trip.
‘I had to learn a lot about myself, about my way of thinking, about my past and I had to focus on myself as a person… by focusing on Nina, the person, the best in me as an athlete has come out.’
On an impressive twelfth day, Australia has now won 18 gold medals at the Paris Olympics.
Sailor Matt Wearn, skateboarder Keegan Palmer and the four-man Australian team pursuit team on the track all saluted ahead of Kennedy’s victory on Wednesday.
This took Australia’s gold medal tally from 14 to 18 in just six hours, surpassing the 17 they won in Athens (2004) and Tokyo (2021).
Two bronze medals, for the walking relay teams of Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley, along with historic discus thrower Matt Denny, ensured Australia’s best day yet at the Games.