Few events in Australian athletics are running hotter than pole vault right now and Jamison Harding is keen to carry the flame. With a best of 4.10m at 15-years-old and gold already locked away in the 100m hurdles, the versatile teenager is ready for the main event in Perth.
One of the youngest girls in history to soar over the four-metre barrier, the comparisons and questions immediately relate to Olympic champion Nina Kennedy, but Harding’s youth shines through with an honest assessment:
“Sha’Carri Richardson is probably my favourite.”
That response comes just minutes after the Victorian nailed gold in the Under 17 Girls 100m Hurdles in a new personal best of 13.41 (+0.6), setting a championship record and holding off her rivals to win by 0.01-seconds.
“I’m really happy with that! Especially because it was quite close between first and second, so to come home with the win is great. I manage doing both events pretty well and don’t get too tired or anything,” Harding says.
With her hurdling warm up complete, the 15-year-old will today take flight in the Under 18 Girls Pole Vault at 1:30pm AWST, jumping up an age group to take on the best junior talent the country has to offer including Csenge Zsuzsanna Zsombor and Daisy Bradshaw.
“Hurdles and pole vault are two very different events, it’s hard to compare them. When I’m going well in pole vault, I really enjoy it,” Harding says.
“I definitely need to get a lot stronger and I think I will get a lot better as I get older, so hopefully I can keep jumping higher and higher. I don’t expect to jump too high at this age, I’m happy with 4.10m for sure.”
Coached by Mark Stewart, some natural ambition creeps in for Harding as she continues to build towards what she hopes will be her international debut at the 2026 World Athletics Under 20 Championships next August in Eugene, Oregon.
“I would love to jump 4.20m if I could, but anything over 4.00m is pretty good. There is some competition in the older age groups but hopefully I can make it to that when the time comes,” Harding says.
“My coach is very good, especially because he likes to talk a lot like me. He does a lot for his athletes, he has taught me a lot,” Harding says.
With no competition too far for her dad Murray to throw the poles on the roof and drive from Melbourne to whichever major city is required, Jamison is repaying the faith with high bars and hurdle wins while her younger sister Harper sticks to the sprints – with Under 14 Girls 100m gold and 200m silver to her name so far this week.
The Australian Athletics Championships are the final stop of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series, and is supported by the WA Government through Tourism WA, as well as Venues West and Athletics West.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 7/4/2025
