Eliza McCartney competes in the pole vault during the 2024 National Track & Field Championships at Newtown Park, Wellington. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Pole vault star Eliza McCartney feels better than she has for years and she's crediting her new coach for playing a part in that.
McCartney and Welshman Scott Simpson have been working together for the last five months and in that time the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist has started to show the form that had her at the top of her game a few years ago.
There was a four year period from 2018 to 2022 when the Auckland athlete was hit with injury after injury and many wondered if she would ever return to the runway.
At the start of 2023 McCartney told RNZ that she literally had to learn to run again.
However she's over her ailments and back to jumping at her best and earlier this month captured the silver medal at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow.
The pole-vaulting world isn't big so McCartney knew Simpson well even before he committed to helping New Zealand late last year.
While they've only been working together for a few months, McCartney said the collaboration was going well with Simpson.
"He understands what I'm trying to achieve and he understands me really well," McCartney told RNZ.
"He's had a lot of experience with top athletes who have had achilles issues like I have.
"They say you coach the human first and then the athlete, and I feel he's done an amazing job of meeting me where I'm at and then helping me progress in a comfortable way."
Simpson is the lead pole vault coach for Athletics New Zealand having previously been the head of field and combined events for UK Athletics.
Coach Scott Simpson and pole vaulter Eliza McCartney chat during the 2024 National Athletics Championships. Photo: Supplied / Athletics NZ
Simpson replaces Jeremy McColl, after he departed last year after being banned for serious misconduct.
Simpson said he and McCartney had primarily spent the first few months building a relationship.
"Eliza has been challenged the last few years in staying healthy and staying in the right mindset to deliver the performances and that has been a real battle for her and her team," Simpson said.
"But I think we've made some good progress over the last few months in both spaces.
"My role has been to help Eliza with the mental aspect of pole vaulting and move her into space and that has certainly paid dividends in the indoor season we've just had."
There hasn't been a lot of time to work on anything major in the physical aspect of vaulting and there are unlikely to be too many changes before the Paris Olympics.
"The pole vault is such a technical event you don't want to make drastic changes, but more importantly this is a four year campaign," McCartney said.
"So we're just solidifying in some ways and making some nice little changes, I think any bigger changes will happen in the coming years.
Simpson said they're now at a stage where they've worked out what each other can offer, but he doesn't expect them to be working at their best together for a while.
"The reality is that the time frame we have is too tight to formulate a really strong coach-athlete relationship, but as long as Eliza is up for it then a performance in LA (2028) is probably a better reflection on what we're able to do."
Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney celebrates after winning bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo: Photosport
What is obvious in the few months they've had together is McCartney's mental approach to competition.
"The psychology of charging down a runway as fast as you can towards a hole in the floor and then planting to pole to project yourself as high as you can. There are some pretty significant things you have to consider and contemplate," Simpson said.
"It truly is an event that is testing in every dimension."
McCartney, 27, said she was in a great frame of mind and at the highest level of sport mindset can make all the difference.
"His impact on my psychology and mental strength and mindset has been massive. He's been able to transform the way I'm able to look at it [competition].
"The confidence is the highest I've ever had vaulting."
McCartney will base herself in England and compete in the northern meetings in her build-up to the Olympics.
