Nina Kennedy's Paris Games pole vault gold a fitting way for Australia to reach its greatest ever Olympic heights

The only thing left for Nina Kennedy to do was believe. 

She had everything else covered. Kennedy was an exceptional pole vaulter, the best in the world in fact. She was fit, finely tuned and surrounded by support.

Kennedy was already a world champion, with a caveat. She had shared her gold medal with American Katie Moon at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the pair opting against a jump-off in a touching moment of pure sportsmanship.

She still says she has no regrets over that decision, but she was equally clear that should the same situation arise in Paris, she wouldn't be sharing a single thing.

Kennedy also recently conceded that self-doubt played a part in her decision to share that gold. Could she really beat Moon with the stakes so high? Did she deserve to be on that stage? Was she worthy of the mantle of the world's best?

Twelve months on, in an Olympic final in Paris, it was time at last for her to believe.

Kennedy must have known the final would be tortuous. A logjam in qualifying meant an over-saturated field of 19 athletes and an early start to make sure they could fit everybody in.

Warm-ups began in the late afternoon sun with the Stade de France entirely empty. As Kennedy completed her run-throughs and surveyed her competition, she did so knowing this battle wouldn't be won for at least another five hours.

But what's five hours when you've spent three years, maybe even your whole life, preparing for this day of reckoning?

She missed out on the final in Tokyo having come to the Games hampered by an injury. Now Kennedy is the number one ranked women's pole vaulter in the world, the reigning world champion and the favourite in Paris.

She has had to fight for every inch of her career, overcoming physical issues and even greater mental ones through a non-linear journey to the top.

She has been open about the depths of her depression, the days, weeks and months where she couldn't bring herself to train, let alone dream of Olympic gold.

Overcoming the struggles has taken time, and has been incremental. But it has also steeled her, allowing Kennedy to arrive in Paris a complete athlete, one ready to conquer the world.

And conquer she did.

There was a wobble with her third jump of the night, at 4.70m. She misjudged her approach ever so slightly, hit the jump off balance and fell to her left.

It was to be a rare mistake for Kennedy, who quickly regained her composure. She made amends on her very next jump, celebrated with her trademark intensity and got back to work.

By the time she had to face up to a jump at 4.90, Kennedy was already assured of a medal. In all likelihood, clearing the bar with her next jump would be enough for her to win gold — after nearly five hours, the fog had cleared and the equation had become crystal clear.

She completed the most important vault of her life on the first try, without a doubt in her mind or a quiver in her hands. She had long since conquered the mental demons that could otherwise take hold in moments like this, and was free to let her body do the rest.

Moon couldn't clear 4.90 on the first attempt, and decided to pass in her third attempt. The chips were pushed in — if the American had one more good jump in her, she might as well make it the winning one.

Alysha Newman bowed out at 4.90 and so there were Kennedy and Moon, the last women remaining again.

Only this time Moon was chasing Kennedy, and the 27-year-old from Busselton was already carrying herself like an Olympic champion. From the look in her eye — one so powerful it may have broken the apparatus, causing another painful delay — she clearly believed. 

Moon had two chances to steal Kennedy's glory. She never got off the ground with the first, and two-footed the bar with the second.

The Australian stood by the fence, right next to her family and her coach, and screamed her lungs out. A roar of triumph, a release of pain, the proclamation of a legend.

Did she know that this was the gold that took Australia to new Olympic heights? Nina Kennedy is the first person to ever win Australia's 18th gold medal at an Olympic Games, something that will probably feel pretty nice at some point once the immediate euphoria subsides.

Kennedy's story speaks to the overall triumph of the entire Australian Olympic team. For almost every gold medal, there is a story of tragedies overcome, hardships endured and battles fought.

It's also fitting that the gold that took Australia over the threshold was won by a woman, as so many of these Paris crowns have been.

Kennedy, like them all, is a warrior. Just imagine how strong our female contingent will be in 2032 and beyond, on the back of what millions of young girls have watched unfold this fortnight.

They could find no better role model than Nina Kennedy. She has in so many ways lifted Australian sport to the greatest heights it has ever seen.