Entering the event at 4.55m, 35cm higher than the other competitors, Caudery, 24, was eliminated on her third vault after hitting the bar on her descent. After the elimination, an emotional Caudery addressed the Stade de France crowd before being comforted by her fellow athletes.
“It’s honestly heartbreaking. This wasn’t the experience I had hoped for, and I’m deeply sorry for everyone back home,” Caudery reflected. She continued, “I wish I could have performed better, but I plan to learn from this and take away everything I can from the experience.”
Despite feeling in peak condition and not overly nervous, Caudery admitted, “I love performing in front of big crowds. I’m not sure why it didn’t work out, but it just wasn’t my day.” Caudery had been expected to perform well at the Games, following her win at this year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in March and her fifth-place finish last year.
She had set a British record of 4.92m in June and secured bronze at the European Championships. Katharine Merry, a former British 400m runner, described Caudery’s elimination as the “biggest shock” of the Olympic track and field events so far.
“Molly Caudery had cleared 4.92m this season—4cm higher than anyone else in the world,” Merry commented on BBC Radio 5 Live. “She chose to start at 4.55m, while others began at a lower height.” In other news, Holly Bradshaw, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, was also disappointed after being eliminated early, as she failed to clear 4.40m and was seen in tears.
In the 400m hurdles, Team GB’s Alastair Chalmers finished third, qualifying for the semi-finals with a time of 48.99 seconds. Teammate Jessie Knight also advanced to the semi-finals, finishing second in her repechage with a time of 55.10 seconds.
Britons Amber Anning and Laviai Nielsen progressed to the women’s 400m semi-finals, while Victoria Ohuruogu must advance through a repechage to qualify. Nicholas Percy and Lawrence Okoye did not make it to the men’s discus final.
Zharnel Hughes has withdrawn from Monday’s men’s 200m heats due to hamstring tightness. A British Athletics statement revealed that Hughes would be monitored over the next 48 hours, with no decision yet regarding his participation in the 4x100m relay starting on Thursday.