It’s Commonwealth gold for Leongatha’s Eleanor Patterson

IN THE teaming rain at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Leongatha’s Eleanor Patterson has flown over 1.96m, the only athlete in the field to do so, to claim Commonwealth Games gold in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

As expected it came down to a jump off between the two former World Champions, Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson of Australia and this time it was Eleanor who held her nerve and made the clutch jump at her third attempt at 1.96m to claim the gold.

Here’s how it played out:

Eleanor Paterson started her competition at 1.87m and cleared her first three heights; 1.87m, 1.90m and 1.93m at the first attempt before her first miss at 1.96m.

All of the other competitors have already gone out of the competition and finally it’s left to the Nigerian Temitope Adeshina to clear 1.87m before going out at 1.90m to claim the bronze, leaving the stage to the last two standing, the Aussies Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers.

Nicola, who is jumping after Eleanor has missed one jump at 1.87m, an anomaly for her with a personal best of 2.04m, but such is the challenge of the wet conditions. She then misses two attempts at 1.90m before surviving a pressure jump on her third attempt to stay in the competition, going on to clear 1.93m at her first attempt.

She then missed her first and second attempts at 1.96m in a jump off with Eleanor for the gold and silver.

Facing her last try at 1.96m Eleanor stands on the wet runway, smacks her legs hard with her hands, and looks determined as she approaches the bar with a curving, purposeful run.

Over she goes with the slightest of touches on the bar and into the gold medal position at a height of 1.96m, at the same time equaling the Commonwealth Games record.

Next to go is Nicola on her last attempt at 1.96m. She looks to the sky, lets out her customary yell then takes off but it’s not to be as she collects the bar hard on the way up and it’s all over. Eleanor has won the gold.

The girls embrace and Nicola offers her warm congratulations to her Aussie compatriot.

All that’s left is for Eleanor to make an attempt at 2.00m. In difficult conditions she misses all three jumps, but it makes no difference to the result. It’s gold, gold, gold for Leongatha’s Eleanor Patterson. What a brilliant effort in such trying conditions.

The Nigerian girl, Adeshina, is absolutely delighted with her bronze as the Aussie girls go one-two.

They line up for a photo together before Eleanor takes off on a casual jog around the stadium, rugged up against the cold and rain, to greet the fans who have stayed late into the night to congratulate the women high jumpers, The two Aussies are the last to leave the stage after an event delayed by heavy rain and some momentous events for Australia on the track.

The location of the high jump affords the girls the best view of Ky Robinson winning the 10,000 metres and Lachie Kennedy smashing the Australian 100 metres record with his close up second. Eleanor even has the awareness to join in singing the National anthem for Robinson's medal presentation.

Their competition has run for almost three and a half hours with the girls huddling under umbrellas and wrapped in coats and blankets between jumps.

Not ideal but that’s where the professionalism kicks in and Eleanor came through with the goods.

Maybe those days competing in the wet on the velodrome oval at Leongatha Little Athletics played their part. Well done, Eleanor!

Speaking on Channel 7 Sunrise after the competition, Eleanor reflected on her first Commonwealth Games gold, as an 18-year-old, also at Glasgow, in 2014.

“I feel like I’ve come full circle since then but delighted to do it again back here in Glasgow.”

Asked by the reporter about her “roller-coaster career” and the difficulties approaching a big competition in the rain, Eleanor acknowledged athletics competition was rarely linear.

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. It was not an easy night at the office, but I know I'm in really good shape, and so I know I could execute what my plan was, and so I just had to kind of keep my head in the game. But yeah, my career overall has just never been linear, and tonight was not a linear experience at all. It was not an easy experience, but it was still you know, I just had to keep my head above water, literally and figuratively. But no, I'm very happy with how it turned out.”

Asked about the conditions, equalling the Commonwealth Games record at 1.96m and trying to break the record at 2.00m, Eleanor said was really feeling it by then.

“Yeah, I seem to only be able to win the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, so I have a wonderful rapport with this city and this stadium as well. And so, yeah, pretty stoked to come away with a win as well as a 196 and equalling that record.

“But yeah, so why not give a crack at two meters? But I was definitely getting quite cold, and I'm not 18 years old anymore. I could feel it in my back.”

The reporter complimented Eleanor on the hair scrunchie she made for the day and offered her the chance to give “a big shout out” to her grandmother Mary.

“Yes. Exactly. A big shout out to Nana. My Nana was here last time in 2014, and so yeah, and a lot of my family.”

It was a proud moment for Eleanor, her family, Leongatha and for Australia.