Tokyo 2020 - Holly Bradshaw wins Olympic pole vault bronze for first outdoor global medal

ByRichard Newman

Updated 05/08/2021 at 14:55 GMT

After coming so close at Rio 2016 and the 2019 World Championships, Bradshaw is an Olympic medallist after a clearance of 4.85m was good enough to get on the podium. Katie Nageotte won gold for the USA. Bradshaw's bronze is Britain's second track and field medal of the Games. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+

Holly Bradshaw won Britain's second Olympic track and field medal at Tokyo 2020 and claimed her first on the global outdoor stage by taking pole vault bronze in a nervy final.

After finishing fourth at the World Championships and fifth at Rio 2016, Bradshaw cleared 4.85m to take third place behind gold medal winner Katie Nageotte of the USA, whose effort of 4.90m earned her gold ahead of Russian Anzhelika Sidorova.

The field was down to four athletes after just two rounds in a final which was low on quality early on, but the pressure was on the 29-year-old from Preston, who was competing at her third Games having made her debut at London 2012.

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Bradshaw cleared 4.85m at her first attempt and was heading for silver at one point, but she was unable to go any higher. Her previous effort was good enough for bronze though, and it collected Team GB a first ever pole vault Olympic medal.

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Reigning Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi was not able to make the podium. After clearing 4.80m and failing at 4.85m, she raised the bar to 4.90m - which only Nageotte was able to negotiate successfully.

Nageotte recovered from struggling to get over 4.50m, needing three attempts to do that, to being the only athlete to clear 4.90m. She signed off by attempting to go 5.01m, but was unable to clear that height, and looked overcome with emotion as she eventually celebrated with her team and rivals.

Bradshaw told Eurosport in May that she believed this was her “moment” to finally claim a global medal, after coming so close previously. Bradshaw was fifth at Rio 2016 and came an agonising fourth at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, but she can now call herself an Olympic medallist.

Bradshaw’s bronze follows the silver won by Keely Hodgkinson in the 1500m, with more chances to come in the relay especially.

'Wow, what a race!' - Hodgkinson with 'stunning performance' to claim 800m silver

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