How An Auckland Teenage Olympian Vaulted Her Way Into Kiwi Hearts

In time, there will many things that Kiwis will remember about Eliza McCartney's pole vault bronze at the Rio Olympics.

Significantly, the history: at 19, McCartney became the youngest Kiwi woman to ever win an Olympic medal. She also became the youngest New Zealander to win a Games medal in track and field.

The surprise, too: she was a long-outside hope, ranked seventh in the world and expected to do no more than get a first Games under her belt. Somehow, in New Zealand's best-ever Olympics (16 overall medals now), this feels like one of the brightest moments.

The sheer ability: in the final, she cleared her first four attempts at the pole with ease –and only just missing out on a gold/silver shoot-out, but doing enough with her 4.80m personal best-equaling vault to take bronze.

But here's the thing New Zealanders will remember first, and maybe most: her smile.

Before her first jump. Before her last. When she found out she had got the medal. When she celebrated on Estadio Olimpico's outer rings.

How relaxed she was, Eliza McCartney. How chilled out; New Zealand's unlikely new teenage sporting hero.

"I was so happy with how I jumped – I think that's what makes me so happy right now," the Auckland teenager told Kiwi media afterwards.

"I guess they say bronze medal is one of the best ones because you just snuck in there, and you're stoked."

Two years ago, you could only probably find a few dozen people around New Zealand that thought she could even get to Rio.

A star high jumper growing up on Auckland's North Shore, McCartney switched to pole vault and, under the tutelage of coach Jeremy McColl – "the reason I'm here" - proceeded through the top world youth ranks in the sport.

She'd win the Top Emerging Talent at Halberg Awards – New Zealand's top sports awards – in 2014, but most thought Tokyo 2020 was more realistic for McCartney than Rio.

McCartney's build-up to the Rio final this morning wasn't perfect. Her poles arrived late to Brazil, only days before qualifying heats.

In that qualifying, McCartney was down to her last vault at 4.60m before she changed her pole and made the final.

Before that final, the 19-year-old had told media that all she hoped for was to jump well, technically.

She certainly did that. In all her first four attempts, she went over first attempt. 4.50m. 4.60m. 4.70m. 4.80m.

One by the one, the competitors fell away. World champion Yarisley Silva, from Cuba, was one of them; dipping out at 4.60m.

McCartney's last height of 4.80m – enough for gold in London four years ago - equaled her highest ever. She cleared it in Auckland in March, beating the Oceania record of 20.77m. That was held by Australian Alana Boyd, who was also in the Olympic final.

With Greece's Ekaterini Stefandi – the eventual gold medalist - and United States' Sandi Morris both clearing 4.85m early, it was done to McCartney and Boyd to join them.

I've just talked to Eliza McCartney and she's smiling and laughing so much she's made my cheeks sore from smiling back! — Rikki Swannell (@RikkiSwannell)August 20, 2016

They both missed their first and second attempts. McCartney, after a false start, knocked the pole on her final one too. But so did Boyd, and with the Kiwi possessing the cleaner record in the final, bronze was hers.

"I think I feel like I had nothing to lose and everything to gain," McCartney said.

"I was really enjoying it and wanted to give it the best I could. We got the pole selection right, too – which was awesome."

McCartney joins Valerie Adams and Yvette Williams as the only Kiwi women to win medals in the field events at the Olympics, now. Four years younger than most of her competitors, her future looms very bright.

"Sport is a funny thing," she continued. "It's so rewarding, but it's not always rewarding.

"It doesn't happen all the time. In fact, it happens very little. You just have to remember moments like these."

Keep on smiling, Eliza – because New Zealand certainly will.