After she stormed into Nanjing as the reigning world indoor pole vault champion, a title she fiercely claimed in Glasgow in 2024. The 25-year-old Brit, surged to international glory last year when she claimed gold at 4.92m, and what’s more, she also ended up setting the national record, bettering Holly Bradshaw’s 4.90m. Honestly, she looked unstoppable—a true star ready to dominate. But the World Indoor Championships were about to throw a massive curveball her way.
On March 22, 2025, Molly Caudery’s title defense heartbreakingly slipped away as she finished fourth in Nanjing, China. She soared over 4.70m but couldn’t conquer 4.75m, leaving us on the edge of our seats as she missed the podium by a whisker. France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin snatched gold with a 4.75m leap, while Slovenia’s Tina Sutej and Switzerland’s Angelica Moser nabbed silver and bronze, both at 4.70m, in a nail-biting finish. Well, there is something else that’s to blame for her dismal performance.
Molly Caudery’s world indoor title defence was a case of ‘so near and yet so far’ after technical problems led to long delays in Nanjing.https://t.co/nUeirwFkjo
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 23, 2025
“It ruins the flow, and even I know we were all deflated after.” That’s how she described the disaster that struck mid-competition when a broken upright caused maddening delays, totally derailing the event’s rhythm. “It was definitely not what I wanted, but I am disappointed, to say the least,” The constant stoppages were a nightmare for the athletes, and for Caudery, it was a gut punch to her momentum. “If there is an hour wait in the middle of the competition when it’s getting to those medal bars—the really important bars—it shouldn’t be happening at a competition like this,” she said, echoing every fan’s frustration. “The girls did struggle with that, as did I, it ruins the flow.”
Caudery’s disappointment was palpable, but her resilience shone through “It was a really, really tough competition… I had some really good attempts at 4.75m, but it has been a rocky indoors, without the consistency I would have liked.” Still, she’s not dwelling on the setback: “Lots to learn, but I am moving on to the next one.”
While fans were keenly waiting for her to go over the roof, some wondered, was the Briton also looking to compensate for her previous loss in Paris?
‘Disappointed’ Molly could not avenge her Olympic loss despite all the hype
Caudery’s Paris 2024 Olympic exit was a brutal blow—after she shockingly failed to qualify for the final, a far cry from the podium dreams we’d all pinned on her. The 25-year-old Brit, who holds the national record with a stunning 4.92m vault and had claimed the world indoor pole vault title in Glasgow earlier that year, which she described as a life-changing moment for her life, saying, “That moment changed my life. It opened up so many opportunities, made me love the sport even more and it was just so much fun’ , refused to let the setback define her.
Fueled by disappointment, she dove headfirst into a grueling post-Olympic training regimen, determined to come back stronger. We couldn’t help but admire her fire—she was on a mission to prove herself. Back on British soil, Caudery channeled her frustration into every jump, working tirelessly to regain her consistency. She kicked off 2025 with a bang, clearing an impressive 4.85m in February, to win the overall World Indoor Tour Gold title, a mark that had fans buzzing with excitement and reminded us why she’s a global star.
But she wasn’t taking any chances—dealing with a minor calf injury, she made the tough call to skip the European Indoors, focusing solely on her next big stage. “I wanted to come out here after last year and do something,” she later told BBC Sport, reflecting her hunger to reclaim her winning form after Paris.
All that grit and preparation led her to Nanjing, China, for the World Indoor Championships —but redemption slipped through her fingers as she finished a gut-wrenching fourth. A broken upright that caused maddening delays, derailing her rhythm, and she couldn’t clear the mark. “It has been a rocky indoors, without the consistency I would have liked, but lots to learn, and I am moving on to the next one.” yet hopeful for the future. Fans are still cheering for her—she’ll rise again! Will she ?
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