PARIS (AP) — Nina Kennedy bounced off the pole vault mats and punched the air once, twice, three times. She ran over to the Olympic crowd and took another three swings at the air.
Aussies in the stands flew the flag, shook green-and-gold banners and held up yellow inflatable kangaroos.
Kennedy didn’t know at that stage she would deliver Australia an 18th gold medal at the Paris Games — a national record for the Olympics. That was just the celebration for clearing the height to take the lead.
Kennedy clinched the victory a bit later Wednesday when Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Katie Moon failed to clear 4.95 meters after a three-hour final.
Then the emotions took over. Kennedy raced back to her supporters in the crowd and the tears flowed as she hugged friends, family and discus throw bronze medalist Matthew Denny, who just happened to be walking back after his final to join the group. Then Kennedy sprang back across the track, hopping with delight.
A man in the crowd yelled: “What did you just do?”
Well, delivering Australia’s fourth gold medal on Day 12 helped surpass the country’s previous record total of 17 golds for a Summer Games — set at the 2004 Athens Olympics and in Tokyo three years ago. The Australians moved from 14 to 18 gold medals in about six hours, while most of the country Down Under was sleeping.
“I didn’t know that, that is just insane,” Kennedy said after being told of the record haul. “I can’t wait to go home and watch a replay of the whole Olympics.”
It was a good day — no need to abbreviate g’day for this feat — as Aussies woke up to news of the record. The productive stretch had Australia ranked third in the gold-medal standings behind the United States and China with four days of the Paris Games remaining. Australia had 18 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze for a total of 41 medals, still well short of the record 58 it won at home at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Brisbane, Australia, is in line after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to host the Summer Games in eight years. The starter’s gun has gone off.
The Australian team’s other golds on Wednesday included a first in two decades for the men’s team pursuit cycling team, which edged rival Britain at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Sailor Matt Wearn successfully defended the men’s dinghy title and skateborder Keegan Palmer made it back-to-back Olympic golds.
It was slightly overwhelming for the 21-year-old Palmer, with skateboarding great Tony Hawk praising his work and Snoop Dogg in the bowl.
“It’s an absolute honor, you know, just being able to be a part of that crew that was able to beat the record for us, with 18, it really doesn’t get much better,” Palmer, who grew up on Australia’s Gold Coast, an hour down the road from Brisbane, said in a night-time interview. “Australia is where I learned how to walk, talk, skate, surf, do everything I know how to do.
“So that’s why I also represent Australia, because that’s where it all went down for me. They deserve to have a gold medal come back for the stuff they’ve given me.”
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