Pole vault ace Eliza McCartney shrugs off sickness, doubts to cap return in style

Modest heights. Giant strides. The much-anticipated Eliza McCartney comeback has taken a major leap in the right direction in the Kiwi athlete’s first major competitive hitout for the 2023 season.

The 26-year-old Rio Olympics bronze medallist shook off a bout of illness and a truncated buildup to claim a confidence-boosting victory in the women’s pole vault at Saturday’s Potts Classic in Hastings with a clearance of 4.36 metres she termed “the cherry on the top”.

McCartney was rapt with her first major hitout, and second competitive jump all told for the summer, at the Potts as she looks to finally l;eave behind a shocking run of injuries that have kept her a long way from her best for the best part of five years.

After a biomechancial reset under the guidance of Matt Dallow, she is hopeful she has finally left the dark days behind her and can give the pole vault a decent lash after being undone by a series of Achilles tendon and hamstring injuries in the wake of her surprise bronze in Rio.

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She took the first tentative stride down that track when finishing third behind Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Imogen Ayris and national champion Olivia McTaggart at the pre-Potts meet on Wednesday, and went a step further when she nudged both of her Auckland training squadmates out in the battle for gold in Hastings on Saturday.

Competing off a shortened eight-stride runup, McCartney said she surprised even herself with the nature of her performance at the Potts as she left Ayris (4.21m) and McTaggart (who no-heighted at 4.36m) in her wake with a 15cm improvement on her efforts last Wednesday.

“I woke up sick [on Saturday] morning, which was unfortunate, so I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent,” reflected McCartney. “It was a tough competition, and that’s why I pulled the pin after clearing 4.36m. But I’m really pleased with how it went.

“At the moment, the focus is to jump consistently in competition again, so I competed off a shorter runup because it takes a variable out and I can focus just on jumping.”

There were some good signs as McCartney looks to work her way back into a competitive rhythm after pulling the pin midway through 2022 on her shot at the world champs and Commonwealth Games.

She required two attempts to clear at her opening height of 4.06m and went the distance at 4.21 as she edged over at the third time of asking. The 2018 Commonwealth silver medallist then showcased her class by sailing clear at 4.36m with her third crack.

She then shut things down, more than happy with her efforts.

“It is not something I was expecting,” she said of the victory. “But I don’t usually ever expect or focus on winning, especially here in New Zealand when I train with these girls every week. We all have own goals. But the win was a nice cherry on top.”

McCartney’s next move remains up in the air, as it were, with no pole vault competition scheduled for the upcoming Cooks Classic (January 28), Capital Classic (February 3) or Porritt Classic (Feb 11). But as she bids to return to her best in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics, time remains very much on her side.