At the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Women’s Pole Vault event showcased remarkable performances, highlighted by Australia’s Nina Kennedy making history as she won her country’s first-ever gold medal in the event with a jump of 4.90 meters.
The competition was intense, with American Katie Moon, the defending Olympic champion, securing the silver medal with a height of 4.85 meters. Moon, who had shared the world championship gold with Kennedy in Budapest the previous year, finished second on a countback, narrowly beating Canada’s Alysha Newman. Newman also cleared 4.85 meters but had to settle for the bronze.
Newman, however, stole the spotlight with a memorable moment during the event. After faking an injury, she surprised the crowd by performing a twerking celebration. Newman explained that the prank was intended to lighten the mood for her coaches, who she felt were too serious. She elaborated, “I’m always injured, and I’m always getting back on the horse. I wanted to scare my coaches and make them lighten up. It just happened very fluidly. I didn’t plan to twerk; it just worked out that way.”
Queen Alyshia Newman 🇨🇦 with the Personal Best Canadian Record Olympics Bronze Medal Pole Vault Jump
& Celebrating with the FAKE OUT HAMMY INJURY TWERK.#PoleVaulting #Twerking
— J Roca (@JRoc23) August 7, 2024
Despite facing some criticism for her celebration, Newman remained confident. She noted that feedback from her friends, family, and coaches mattered more to her than opinions from strangers. “I have a very good mind, and I’m very strong mentally,” she said. “What others think doesn’t bother me.”
In addition to her athletic achievements, Newman is also a prominent model on the subscription platform OnlyFans. In an interview with German publication BILD, she discussed her experience with the platform and the public’s perception of it. “I earn money with what I post—it makes me confident and I feel good about it,” she said. “Many people have a certain cliché about OnlyFans, but this site has connected me with many fans, more than any other pole vaulter before. What others think doesn’t bother me. I am who I am, and I do it well.”
