2023 World Athletics Championships – Women's pole vault

The women's pole vault at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 21 and 23 August 2023.

For the first time in the women's pole vault at these championships, two gold medals were awarded.

Summary
Two women needed personal bests and two more needed season bests in order to clear 4.65m and qualify for the final. In the final, only eight were able to clear 4.65 again. Six got over 4.75m, with personal bests for Molly Caudery and Angelica Moser. Four cleared 4.80m, including Tina Šutej's National Record. Wilma Murto was still perfect and thus in the lead. 4.85m was the next height. After Šutej missed, returning bronze medalist Nina Kennedy cleared cleanly to improve upon her own National Record from 2021. Defending champion, Katie Moon brushed the bar on the way down, but the bar stayed up. When Murto couldn't clear on her first attempt, Kennedy and Moon were now tied. After Šutej, Caudery, and Murto used up their attempts, Murto's previously perfect round left her with the bronze medal. And the bar went up to for Kennedy and Moon. Neither could make it on their first two attempts. On her third attempt, Kennedy cleared for another National Record. Moon also cleared and the bar went up to 4.95m. Neither of them could negotiate the height in their three attempts.

After Moon missed, the officials spoke with the athletes. By rule, when a tie occurs for first place, a jump off is held, where they continue to jump at first the missed height, then the bar gets lowered until one misses and the other makes it. The athletes have the right to refuse to take any more jumps. With the story of Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi both refusing at 2020 Olympic high jump fresh in everyone's mind, it was assumed they would both refuse and accept the tie for first place. Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy together discussed the prospect of jumping at 4.95 again then agreed to accept shared gold medals followed by a hug.

Records
Before the competition, records were as follows:

Qualification standard
The standard to qualify automatically for entry was 4.71 m.

Schedule
The event schedule, in local time (UTC+2), is as follows:

Qualification
Qualification: 4.65 m (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q).

Final
The final started on 23 August at 19:30.