BRITISH  medal favourite Molly Caudery vowed to learn from her Olympic debut after crashing out of the qualification session with a no mark.

The reigning world indoor champion was the only entrant who elected to skip the 4.40 metres height attempt, electing to enter at 4.55.

It was a decision that proved costly when she failed to clear the bar with her three tries, particularly after it turned out 4.40 was all it took for nine other women to advance.

She told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s honestly heart-breaking.

“Not the experience I was hoping for and I am so sorry for everyone back home. I wish I could have done better, but I am going to try learn from this and I will take everything I can from it.

“I felt great, the best shape of my life. I didn’t feel too nervous, I love a big crowd. I don’t know why, but it wasn’t my day and I’ll use this as an experience to learn from it and to try move on.

“Thank you to everyone for their support.”

Caudery is a hugely popular athlete among the British team both past and present, many singling her out as one to watch in Paris.

Coming into these Games, she was certainly a strong contender for the podium, if not Olympic gold.

In June, the 24-year-old set a new British record with a personal best of 4.92 in Toulouse — the world-leading mark heading into these Olympics — but was well off the mark in Paris, where she did not get enough forward momentum with her final chance, clipping the bar with her foot as she descended.

The Truro athlete entered the Games ranked world number three, behind Australia’s Nina Kennedy and the United States’ Katie Moon, who memorably shared gold at the 2023 world championships in Budapest.

She has cleared heights over 4.8 metres on eight occasions in 2024 and became European bronze medallist in 4.73, though only managed third place with 4.65 at the London Diamond League meet in July.

Caudery confessed: “I am currently in a bit of shock. I am so disappointed. I don’t have any excuse.”

Her exit came not long after she had consoled team-mate Holly Bradshaw, who with bronze in Tokyo became the first Briton to win a pole-vault medal, but ruled herself out in what she had already declared to be her final Games after she was unable to make 4.40.

Caudery defended the decision to enter at 4.55, saying: “4.55m is a bar that I jump day in, day out. There is not one piece of doubt in my mind that I wasn’t going to clear it.

“Some people might say I came in too high, but that’s certainly not mine or my coach’s opinion.

“When I have been jumping 4.80 and 4.90 all year round, 4.55 shouldn’t have been a problem. It is just a really unfortunate day.”