Katie still over the Moon about shared gold

Katie Moon. Pic/PTI

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Few people can relate to this phrase better than two-time pole vault world champion and Olympic gold medalist Katie Moon.

The 32-year-old American is in the city as event ambassador of Sunday's Tata Mumbai Marathon. Apart from being a major achiever in her sport, she is also an epitome of sportsmanship.

At August 2023's World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Moon and Australia's Nina Kennedy shared the pole vault gold.

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Kennedy and Moon cleared 4.90m, but missed all three attempts at 4.95m in a contest that exceeded two hours. Opting against a jump-off, they chose to share the gold honours.

Interestingly, Moon and Kennedy encountered some non-supporters of their decision to split the medal, through social media. They were called "cowards"; their decision "pathetic" and "shameful." It must have hurt then, but Moon can laugh about the trolls now. Cheerfully, she uttered at the Marathi Patrakar Sangh on Thursday: "It was absolutely the right thing to do and I was happy with that length and it was the best achievement I have ever had. I have no issues saying we [Kennedy and she] were the best ones at the end. We could've stopped the competition early, but when we finished it, I had no issue sharing the title."

The year 2022 proved to be a mix of success and struggle for Moon, securing victory in only three out of 12 post-Olympic competitions. Wrestling with post-Olympic burnout, she took a six-week break to recharge, gearing up for the challenges that lay ahead in 2023, the year of the World Championships. Sunday's Mumbai Marathon participants would lap up an event ambassador like Moon who embodies the spirit of determination and sportsmanship.