EUGENE, Ore. – Saturday’s session is set to see high-flying action at The Prefontaine Classic, which serves as this year’s Wanda Diamond League Final. Co-World Champions Katie Moon (neé Nageotte) and Nina Kennedy are joined by 2016 Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris to headline the event.
For the first time in event history, two athletes shared the women’s pole vault gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Both the United States’ Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy jumped 4.90 meters (16 feet, ¾ inches), then but neither cleared the next height of 4.95 meters (16 feet, 2¾ inches), resulting in their decision to share the gold. One week following the World Athletics Championships, Moon and Kennedy went head-to-head at the Zürich Diamond League meeting, where Kennedy jumped a world-leading 4.91 meters (16 feet, 1¼ inches) meters to take home the Weltklasse Zürich title. With another rematch set for Saturday, September 16, Kennedy looks to defend her 2022 Diamond League title, while Moon seeks her first-ever Diamond League trophy.
Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris looks to challenge the field favorites to pick up her second-ever Diamond League title. Morris finished second behind Moon at the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field, jumping 4.61 (16 feet, 1¼ inches) meters. Earlier this week Morris jumped a season best 4.80 meters (15 feet, 9 inches) at the the Galà dei Castelli event in Bellinzona, Switzerland. “I’ve rediscovered the beast within,” said Morris via her Instagram.
The complete Prefontaine Classic women’s pole vault field with the athletes’ season-best marks is as follows:
- Nina Kennedy (AUS), 4.91 meters (16 feet, 1¼ inches)
- Katie Moon (USA), 4.90 meters (16 feet, ¾ inches)
- Sandi Morris (USA), 4.80 meters (15 feet, 9 inches)
- Wilma Murto (FIN), 4.80 meters (15 feet, 9 inches)
- Tina Šutej (SVN), 4.80 meters (15 feet, 9 inches)
- Roberta Bruni (ITA), 4.61 meters (15 feet, 1½ inches)
Saturday’s session of the 2023 Prefontaine Classic begins at 11:30 a.m. Pacific time at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. The specific timetable will be released at a future date via Pre Classic’s website, email, and social media channels. Single day tickets are on sale at PreClassic.com/tickets.
Photos of Katie Moon and Sandi Morris approved for media use can be found here
