Oceania Dominates Women’s Pole Vault and Beacroft Strides to Gold at Glasgow 2026

1 August 2026 Oceania has swept the podium in the Women’s Pole Vault on Day 5 of the Athletics and Para Athletics at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026, on a day that also delivered gold on the road and a swag of medals for Australia’s para-athletes.

Eliza McCartney (NZL) led the sweep, clearing 4.65m and winning on count back ahead of Australia’s Nina Kennedy, with Imogen Ayris (NZL) taking bronze on 4.55m. The result marks McCartney’s first international gold after a series of minor medals at major competitions, and New Zealand’s second gold of the athletics and para-athletics program.

Isaac Beacroft showed he is in form for next week’s World Under 20 Championships, taking gold in the 10,000m Racewalk in 38:45.51 after an epic last lap showdown with Stephen Kihu of Kenya. Friend of Oceania and regular fixture on Oceania Walks events Evan Dunfee (CAN) took home bronze.

Australia’s para-athletes were shining on the track and in the field. Eliza Ault-Connell took bronze in the rerun of the T54 1500m in 3:40.84, after the first edition of the race saw multiple collisions and went to the Jury of Appeal. In the Women’s T38 Long Jump Final, Australians Layla Sharp and Ayla Kowalczyk took silver and bronze behind Welsh athlete Olivia Breen. Sharp’s jump of 5.06m was a Games Record and a new Area Para Record.

Sarah Billings has rounded out her competition with a bronze in the 800m Final, running 2:00.61 behind England’s Georgia Hunter-Bell and Kenya’s Lilian Odira.

Two days of the Decathlon came to a close with New Zealand’s Max Atwell in 9th on 6686 points and Cook Islands athlete Max Teuruaa 11th on 6434 to break the National Record. Teuruaa also equalled his National Record in the Pole Vault, marking his 10th national record in 2026.

Brooke Buschkuehl leads the Women’s Long Jump qualification into the Final, where she will be joined by Delta Amidzovski.

Team Australia qualified for the Mixed 4x400m Final, while Eliza Ault-Connell and Aimee Fisher booked their place in the T54 400m Final.

The final day of the athletics programme gets underway at 10am local time in Glasgow.

Full results are available at glasgow2026.com.