Molly Caudery, the British pole vaulter and reigning world indoor champion, faced a heartbreaking exit from the women's pole vault qualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics, failing to clear 4.55m in all three attempts. Despite being in what she described as the best shape of her life and being tipped as a gold medal contender after breaking the British record with a jump of 4.92m earlier this year, Caudery's decision to skip the 4.40m height proved costly as that was sufficient for nine other competitors to advance. Emotional and in shock, Caudery expressed her disappointment, stating, "I’m so sorry to everyone back at home who has been supporting me" and acknowledged the experience as a lesson to learn from. The pole vault community had high hopes for Caudery, who was ranked world number three coming into the Games, but her Olympic debut ended in disappointment. Former athletes and commentators have labeled her exit as one of the biggest shocks in the track and field events of the Olympics. Caudery remains determined to process the experience and continue her career.