Eliza McCartney qualifies for Paris Olympics

Olympic bronze medallist Eliza McCartney has booked her spot in Paris.

The Kiwi pole vaulter cleared the New Zealand qualifying mark of 4.73m at a meet in Barcelona to confirm her place at next year’s Olympics.

McCartney took to Instagram to celebrate the achievement.

“4.73m to automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, done in my first comp within the qualification period and with my poles arriving after the competition started! Also chucked in a sneaky meet record too,” she said.

“I’m so happy with how my jump is coming along and I know the next level is just around the corner. Just keep turning up. And smiling.”

It continues her comeback to competitive athletics after a series of injury setbacks saw her miss the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The 26-year-old claimed her first podium finish at a Diamond League event in five years last weekend, recording a jump of 4.71m in Switzerland to finish third.

Earlier this week, McCartney’s former coach Jeremy McColl was banned from any involvement in athletics for 10 years for serious misconduct and breach of Athletics New Zealand policies.

An investigation found that McColl had acted improperly towards athletes, including inappropriate comments and harassment.

McColl guided McCartney to Olympics bronze at the 2016 Rio Games and silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission