Katie Moon is an American athlete, competing in the pole vault. She won the gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships, and 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships, as well as the silver at the 2022 Beograd World Indoor Championships. Katie Moon was also the 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist and 2023 Diamond League Final winner.
Kathryn Elizabeth Moon was born on June 13, 1991, in Lakewood, Ohio, United States. She started as a diver at Olmsted Falls High School and was a level 4 Gymnast through the age of 9. During school ages, she moved to athletics and specialized in pole vault.
Katie Moon started her competitive career in 2009, winning the gold at the Jackson High School Championships and Columbus HS Div1, as well as the bronze at the Findlay Oiler Opener. In the next season, she already won the gold at the Knoxville Sea Ray Relay and qualified for the Eugene NCAA Division I Championships, but finished only 17th. Meanwhile, she triumphed with the gold at the Ashland Alumni Open and Kingston Atlantic 10.
In 2011, Katie Moon first time covered the 4.00m height winning the gold at the Findlay Classic. During the season, she won the p[ole vault silver at the Kingston Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships, but also competed in sprints and relay in different competitions. Katie Moon continued gaining experience in athletics and pole vault in 2012, winning the gold at the Kent Golden Flash Gala and Tiffin University Open but did not reach some significant achievements.
In 2013, Katie Moon won the pole vault gold at the Birmingham NCAA Division II Indoor Championships and also finished 6th at the Des Moines USA Championships. During the season she won the gold at the Findlay Classic, Allendale GVSU Big Meet, Akron Zips Open, Allendale GLIAC Indoor Championships, Athens All-Ohio Championships, and Knoxville Meeting, where she recorded her personal best of 4.45m.
Katie Moon won her first international honor in 2014, winning the bronze at the Kingston Jamaica International Invitational IWC and a few weeks later also earned the bronze at the Ponce Grand Prix. She competed at the Sacramento USA Championships and Albuquerque US Indoor Championships, Albuquerque, finishing 9th in both, and also won the gold at the Knoxville Sea Ray Relays, Gainesville Florida Relays, Allendale GLIAC Indoor Championships, Birmingham Cupid Classic, and etc.
Katie Moon made another strong season in 2015, winning the bronze medals at the San Jose NACAC Open Championships and Boston US Indoor Championships. She also won the pole vault gold at the Taipei International Open Athletics Meet, the silver at the Knoxville Sea Ray Relays, and the bronze at the Walnut Mt. SAC Relays. She competed at the Eugene USA Championships, where finished 4th, but set her new personal best of 4.55m.
In 2016, Katie Moon made her Diamond League debut, finishing 6th at the Doha IAAF Diamond League. By the end of the season, she also took part at the Diamond League’s Roma Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea, Birmingham British Athletics GP, and London Muller Anniversary Games, but missed the honors. However, during the season, she earned the gold at the Tiffin Dragon Invite, Akron Invitational, Manchester Great City, and Somerville adidas Boost Boston Games, as well as the silver at the Rio de Janeiro Super Salto and Kent State Tune Up. She finished 5th at the Portland USA Indoor Championships and Eugene US Olympic Trials.
Katie Moon won her first national honor in 2017, winning the pole vault silver at the Albuquerque US Indoor Championships. During the season, she won the gold at the Goteborg Folksam GP, the silver at the Rottach-Egern Stabhochsprung-Meeting, where she cleared a personal best of 4.73m, as well as the bronze at the Weltklasse Zurich, New York Millrose Games, and Somerville adidas Boost Boston Games. She competed at the Diamond League and even took part at the Final event Bruxelles Memorial Van Damme, where finished 4th.
Katie Moon made a fantastic season in 2018, winning the gold at the Toronto NACAC Championships, Albuquerque US Indoor Championships, Clermont-Ferrand All Star Perch, as well as the silver at the Des Moines USA Championships, and London Athletics World Cup. She won her first Diamond League honor, earning the bronze at the Doha IAAF Diamond League and Birmingham Muller Grand Prix. Katie Moon also competed at the Diamond League Final Weltklasse Zurich, finishing 4th. During the season she covered a new personal best of 4.91m.
Katie Moon started the 2019 season very strong, winning the gold at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix and Meeting Hauts-de-France, as well as the silver at the IAAF World Indoor Tour’s Miller Indoor Grand Prix. She closed the indoor season by winning the gold at the New York USA Indoor Championships with 4.81m. After two times finishing fifth at the IAAF Shanghai Diamond League and Roma Diamond League’s Golden Gala – Pietro Mennea, she succeeded in earning the bronze at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat. Katie Moon won the gold at the Athletissima Lausanne and the silver at the Des Moine USA Championships and Weltklasse Zurich. She finished fourth at the Diamond League Final AG Memorial Van Damme and earned the bronze at The Match Europe v USA in Minsk, Belarus. She closed the season by competing at the Doha IAAF World Championships in Athletics, where finished 7th.
The short 2020 season, which was disturbed by the coronavirus pandemic, did not stop the impetus of Katie Moon, who improved her personal best by covering 4.92m at the American Track League Meet #4, where won the gold. Meanwhile, she earned the gold at the RSS/American Track League CO-19 Summer Series, American Track League Meet #2, and Rocket Man Pole Vault Summer Series 2020 #7 The Prize Money Meet, as well as the silver at the Acadia Invitational.
In 2021, Katie Moon won her first and only, so far, Olympics title, triumphing in the pole vault at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with 4.90m. Earlier she won the Eugene US Olympic Trials with a new personal best of 4.95m and also earned the gold at the Doha Diamond League Meeting, Herculis Monaco, and Eugene Prefontaine Classic. However, at the Diamond League Final Weltklasse Zurich, she failed to record a successful attempt.
Katie Moon was unstoppable in 2022, forming herself as the top pole vaulter in the world. She won the gold at the Eugene World Athletics Championships and the silver at the Beograd World Athletics Indoor Championships. Meanwhile, she earned the silver at the Spokane US Indoor Championships and the bronze at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais and Millrose Games.
In 2023, Katie Moon won another world title at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, sharing it with Nina Kennedy (Australia), both covering 4.90m. She earned the national titles at the Eugene USA Championships and Albuquerque USA Indoor Championships, but also earned the Diamond League’s gold at the Doha Diamond League Meeting, Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, Athletissima Lausanne, as well as the Diamond League Final – Prefontaine Classic.
Katie Moon started the 2024 season by defending her national indoor title at the Albuquerque USA Indoor Championships and winning the bronze at the Glasgow World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Katie Moon photos
