katie nageotte

Kathryn Elizabeth Nageotte, born on June 13, 1991, in Lakewood, Ohio, embarked on her athletic journey with gymnastics and diving before transitioning to pole vault. She attended Olmsted Falls High School, earning a state record with a vault of 3.97 meters in 2009. Her collegiate career began at the University of Dayton before she transferred to Ashland University, where she secured two NCAA Division II national titles. This early foundation in diverse sports contributed to her exceptional upper body strength and adrenaline-seeking nature, proving beneficial for her later specialization in pole vaulting. Her progression to the elite level was steady, making her first major international team in 2013 and solidifying her world-class status in 2018 by clearing 4.90 meters.

Katie Moon achieved significant international success, highlighted by her gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where she cleared 4.90 meters. She further demonstrated her dominance in the sport by winning gold medals at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene and the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the latter of which she famously shared with Australian athlete Nina Kennedy. Her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games earned her a silver medal, clearing 4.85 meters. She also secured silver at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. In 2025, she made history by becoming the first woman to win three consecutive world pole vault titles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Throughout her career, Katie has maintained a competitive edge, with personal bests of 4.94 meters indoors and 4.95 meters outdoors. She has been open about her struggles with body image, attributing her resilience and centeredness to her strong support system of family and friends. In 2022, she married Hugo Moon and subsequently changed her last name to Moon, continuing her journey as a celebrated athlete.