As the 2024 track and field season unfolds, fans are all girded up to see their favorite sprinters clinch the ticket to Paris. In tandem with this Olympic year, pole vaulter Katie Moon returned to Ashland University, hoping to hone her abilities for the upcoming USATF indoor Championships and the US Olympic Trials.

The two-time World Champion made an important detour to Paris when she declared her intention to compete in the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting on February 10 in Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais. But she withdrew abruptly due to an unforeseen circumstance, which had admirers wondering: What caused Katie Moon to leave the esteemed event?

Track and field veteran addresses her ditch

It was much anticipated by the fans that Katie Moon, the gold medallist in pole vaulting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Athletics Championships, would come off victorious at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Trophée EDF in Lievin.

But after the events concluded, Moon addressed her fans in her Instagram story, saying: “I absolutely hate pulling out of competitions, and I am so sorry to anyone that came out to watch. But, yeah as I was warming up my Achilles was just getting tighter and tighter.”

She continued, “And unfortunately I just did not feel comfortable jumping off of it and running on it. Normally when things feels a little tight they’ll just loosen up as a warm up and that as not the case today. And Achilles is just something you cannot mess with.” This was a major blow for Moon, who might have easily won Lievin a third time if not for this surprise setback.

In 2022, the 32-year-old pole vaulter finished third, with a season-best indoor mark of 4.80 meters, and participated last year with a season-best 4.83 meters. Before that, she also won in 2019 while also being the Pan American Games silver medalist that year. After recovering, Moon plans to set a new meeting record and will take her goals to the next level. Meanwhile, despite her absence fellow pole vaulters took on the reins on the scoreboard.

2024 Hauts-De-France Pas-De-Calais: pole vaulting winners

Eliza McCartney of New Zealand stole the show in the women’s pole vault, shattering her new personal national indoor record and setting a world record with a height of 4.84 meters. The performances of Finland’s Wilma Murto and Britain’s Molly Caudery were impressive. Nevertheless, McCartney distinguished herself by becoming the only athlete to pass the bar at 4.84 meters on her first try.

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The track and field community is excitedly awaiting Moon’s victorious comeback as she pursues qualification in the outdoor track events and hopes to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

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