Londoner Alysha Newman won a bronze medal while breaking Canada’s national record in women’s pole vault at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
Londoner Alysha Newman overcame years of personal challenges and sporting setbacks to win a bronze medal while breaking Canada’s national record in women’s pole vault at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
Newman, 30, previously competed at two other Summer Games – Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021 – but didn’t qualify for the final at either. The Mother Teresa secondary school alumnus cleared 4.85 metres to claim the bronze behind Australia’s Nina Kennedy and American Katie Moon.
Alysha Newman on winning pole vault bronze and celebration
OnlyFans athlete Alysha Newman causes controversy by twerking to celebrate medal
Canadian pole vaulter performed the risqué celebration after claiming bronze on Wednesday
Alysha Newman, one of a growing group of athletes to run OnlyFans accounts, caused controversy on Wednesday after celebrating an Olympic pole vaulting bronze by twerking.
The Canadian pole vaulter had broken her national record by clearing 4.85 metres in a hotly contested final on Wednesday night, becoming the first Canadian woman to win a medal in the event in Olympic history to equal Edward Archibald in 1908 and William Halpenny four years later.
But her risqué celebration – shaking her posterior towards the crowds and watching TV cameras – will doubtless have been intended to help boost growing revenues for her adult-only OnlyFans’ site. Charging £10-a-month, the 30-year-old’s earnings are expected to soar after her success in Paris.
But social media users were divided on her celebration, with many accusing her of attention seeking while others defended her celebration as enjoying an historic moment.
Alysha Newman, who placed third in the event after clearing 4.85 meters said she wanted to scare her “intense” coaches who built her up to become an Olympic medalist.
“I’m always injured, and I’m always getting back on the horse so I said I’m gonna go and scare my coaches because I want them to lighten up.” Newman told CBC Sports. “So I said I’m gonna fake an injury and dance after.”
The athlete shared her thoughts after winning bronze, calling it a “surreal moment.”
“I laugh because getting third is, I mean I’ve never got third, but it’s funny because you have to still wait and sit there and wait until the other girls are done,” she said. “So, I’m so awkwardly standing there like, ‘What do I do? Do I celebrate? Do I kiss everyone? Do I cry?’
“It was a really surreal moment and it was awesome.”
Alysha Newman’s bronze medal win is a historic moment for Canada, marking the country’s first medalist in the Olympic pole vault for over a century. She finished behind the USA’s Katie Moon who picked up silver, and Australia’s Nina Kennedy, who picked up the gold medal 4.90m.