Molly Caudery, who had been flying high in the pole vault world this year, faced a crushing disappointment at the Paris Olympics. Despite coming into the games as a top contender, she missed all three attempts at her opening height of 4.55 meters. This was a significant drop from her impressive personal best of 4.92 meters, achieved just last month. Unfortunately, this means she won’t be advancing to the final scheduled for Wednesday night.
A Moment of Heartbreak
As her last attempt ended in a miss, Caudery stood on the mat with her hands on her head, visibly devastated. The disappointment was overwhelming, and after a brief moment of silence, she acknowledged the crowd with a clap before breaking down in tears. Her fellow athletes quickly surrounded her, offering comfort during what was undoubtedly a crushing moment for the 24-year-old.
“It’s totally heartbreaking,” Caudery expressed emotionally. “This was not the Olympic experience I was hoping for. I’m just so sorry to everyone back at home. I wished I could have done better for everyone and, of course, for myself. But I’m going to try and learn from this.”
A Tough Day for Team GB
Earlier in the day, Caudery had been a source of support for her teammate, Holly Bradshaw, who also experienced disappointment by failing to clear 4.40 meters, missing out on the final as well. Bradshaw, who made history as Britain’s first Olympic pole vault medalist with a bronze in Tokyo 2020, is set to retire at the end of this season.
An Emotional Goodbye
Bradshaw, visibly emotional, reflected on her performance. “I’m just crushed,” the 32-year-old admitted tearfully. “I’ve only got a few competitions left, so I am heartbroken. It’s been a really hard year, and I wanted to come out and do myself proud, and I really feel like I haven’t. This is the first time I was pain-free all year, so I don’t really know what happened.”
The veteran athlete, who has faced a challenging year both personally and professionally, spoke about her struggles. “I know it sounds daft, but the track, the environment, everything was too good, and I was caught on the back foot, which is frustrating about pole vault.”
Bradshaw also touched on her motivation to honor her late father, who passed away in November. “I just wanted to come out and do my dad proud. Even though it didn’t go well, I hope that I did that.”
As she looks toward the future, Bradshaw shared her plans to start a family with her husband, marking the end of her remarkable pole vaulting career.
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