Molly Caudery Targets World Indoor Title Defence After Paris Disappointment
For Britain’s pole vault sensation Molly Caudery, the upcoming World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, represents both redemption and opportunity. The 25-year-old, who endured heartbreak at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is determined to turn past disappointment into fuel for success as she aims to defend her world indoor title this weekend. Coverage of the championships runs from Friday, 21 March to Sunday, 23 March, live on My Newspaper Two, the My Newspaper iPlayer, and the My Newspaper Sport website and app.
Reflecting on her Olympic experience, Caudery described it as “a bad day to have a bad day.” Despite arriving in Paris as the world leader in the event, she failed to clear her opening height of 4.55m. The setback was crushing, yet the Cornwall-born athlete has since reframed it as motivation. “It has given me this extra drive that I did not know I had,” she told My Newspaper Sport. “It’s in the past, I have moved on and I’m in a much better place.”
Caudery’s rise has been meteoric. Last year, she captured the world indoor gold in Glasgow, breaking Holly Bradshaw’s British record with a vault of 4.92m. That triumph at only her second global championship cemented her status as a championship performer, a label she is eager to validate in Nanjing. “Glory in Glasgow changed my life,” she said. “It opened up so many opportunities, made me love the sport even more, and gave me so much confidence.”
Determined to stay healthy and focused, Caudery opted to skip the European indoors to prepare for Nanjing, managing a minor calf injury while ensuring she is ready for the event despite the challenging eight-hour time difference. She has already shown promising form this year, clearing 4.85m in Madrid in February to secure the overall World Indoor Tour Gold title—a height surpassing any of her 12 rivals this season.
With the Olympic podium absent from the Nanjing line-up, Caudery enters as one of the favourites to retain her title. She is also eyeing the elite five-metre club, a milestone achieved by only four women in history, and edging closer to Russian legend Yelena Isinbaeva’s world record of 5.06m, which has stood for almost 16 years. “We’ve never focused too much on heights, but I’m really close to that five-metre mark now,” Caudery explained. “Just having these conversations is so exciting.”
As she prepares for her first major test of the year, Caudery exudes calm confidence. The World Indoor Championships in Nanjing offer a chance not only to defend her title but also to continue her journey toward historical heights in the sport. For fans and rivals alike, Molly Caudery’s return to the runway promises drama, athletic excellence, and the relentless pursuit of greatness.
