Caudery Ready to Vault Past Olympic Heartbreak and Ankle Injury Nightmare

British pole vault sensation Molly Caudery has endured a nightmare stretch that would break most athletes: spectacular failure at the Paris Olympics followed by a career-threatening ankle injury at the World Championships. Yet as she prepares for redemption at the World Indoor Championships in Poland, the 26-year-old reveals a simmering fire that burns stronger than ever.

The journey to this point reads like a cautionary tale about the razor-thin margins that separate triumph from devastation in elite sport. Caudery entered Paris as the overwhelming favorite for Olympic gold, having recently shattered the British pole vault record with a mark of 4.92 meters and captured the indoor world championship crown.

What followed remains one of the most shocking early exits in Olympic history. While nine other athletes comfortably cleared 4.40 meters to advance, Caudery elected to skip that height and enter at 4.55 meters—a decision that would haunt her. Three failed attempts later, her Olympic dream was over before it truly began.

That was really hard, she admits when reflecting on that fateful day. In Tokyo, it kind of got taken away from me because I got injured. Whereas in Paris I just messed up, it was 100 percent on me. The technical issue that derailed her Olympic hopes was minor—a small cue in her runway approach that somehow got lost in the pressure of the moment.

If the Paris disappointment was emotionally crushing, what happened in Tokyo nine months later was physically devastating. Caudery had positioned the World Championships as her redemption opportunity, a chance to prove that Paris was merely an aberration. Instead, a freak warm-up injury left her in tears, being wheeled off the track with what doctors initially feared could be career-ending damage.

The diagnosis was sobering: bone bruising, ruptured ligaments including the anterior talo-fibular ligament, and a warning that her ankle would remain unstable for life. Faced with surgical options while still processing the shock, Caudery made a remarkable decision. I actually just went off on my holiday with my family, and let it do its thing, she explains.

Six weeks in a protective boot allowed the injury to heal naturally, but the mental scars proved more persistent. When she returned to training at a South African camp in January, Caudery encountered something she had never experienced: fear of her own sport. Mentally Ive never struggled as much as I did, she reveals. I was so lost. I was scared of pole vault, and I have never in my life been scared of pole vault.

The psychological barrier manifested as a form of the yips—a mental block that prevented her from executing the twisting motion essential to successful pole vaulting. Training sessions were cut short when confidence wavered, and she began documenting her crazy thoughts in a journal to process the trauma.

Gradual progress came through returning to fundamentals with her coaching team, rebuilding technique and confidence simultaneously. The breakthrough moment arrived upon returning to her Loughborough training base, where something clicked and her natural ability reasserted itself.

Pole vaulting runs in the Caudery family—both parents were accomplished vaulters, as is her brother. Her father coached her until age 18, while her mother attended every competition, feeling the emotional highs and lows almost more intensely than her daughter. This family understanding provided crucial support during the darkest periods of her career.

The extended layoff has only intensified her hunger to reclaim her position atop the sport. As world indoor champion in 2024, she managed only fourth place during her comeback attempt last year—a result she describes as never fun. The upcoming championships in Torun represent her long-awaited second chance.

This year, because Ive missed most of the indoor season because of my injury, Ive just been sat at home watching everyone compete, she explains. And its like, its just building this fire in me. Theres definitely a fire simmering.

Looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Caudery maintains an admirable perspective on her setbacks. You have to give yourself that time to grieve that moment, she acknowledges about both Paris and Tokyo. But her outlook remains resolutely forward-thinking: I dont want to wish my life away, but LA cant come quick enough. Give it to me now, I want to show the world what I can do.