Molly Caudery extends hot streak with pole vault victory at the British trials

Molly Caudery came close to setting British records in successive weekends, narrowing missing an attempt at 4.93m. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

So superior to her rivals – a misnomer if ever there was one – that she retained her national title with her opening jump, Molly Caudery flaunted her Olympic pole vault gold-medal credentials with another display of total dominance at the British trials.

A week after breaking her own British record, Caudery soared over 4.83m to extend her remarkable grip at the top of the global standings where she now holds six of the eight best jumps this year. She also came within a whisker of setting British records in successive weekends, narrowly flicking off the bar at her final attempt at 4.93m.

Having proven she can deliver on a cold, windy weekend in Manchester, all that remains is to replicate her performance in the early August Parisian sun. “I’m really, really happy,” she said. “If there was no wind [the 4.93m effort] might have just stayed on. But just to attempt another British record this week and be so close I’m really happy with the position I’m in. I’ve got some good consistency and that gives me good confidence.”

Unsponsored and barely known outside of devoted athletics circles at the start of the year, the 24-year-old landed her first clothing deal with Adidas in early January and won world indoor gold in March.

She failed to match increasingly lofty expectations when picking up bronze at the European Championships this month, but admitted her achievements are forcing her to reconsider her goals.

“Coming into this year it was just to make Paris and maybe make the final,” she said. “Now it’s definitely looking like trying to get a medal. Which medal it will be we’ll see but I’d love to get up there. Gold is the dream. After winning the world indoors I know what it feels like to win. I also know what it feels like to come third at Europeans and the difference is crazy.

“Other people have expectations of me but I try not to let it affect me. I would love it to be gold, of course.”

Running the 400m in the hope of securing a relay spot for Paris, Keely Hodgkinson cuttingly described the Manchester Regional Arena track as “shit” before revealing her disappointment at American rival Athing Mu’s absence from the Olympics. Mu, the reigning 800m champion, fell at the US trials last week, leaving Hodgkinson as the overwhelming favourite to upgrade the silver she won in Tokyo to gold.

“It ruined my day,” she said of Mu’s fall. “It’s just a shame to have that opportunity taken away from you for something so unfortunate. I felt really bad for her. Paris won’t be the same without her. You see people hanging the gold around my neck just because she’s not there but I don’t think it makes it any easier without her.”

Hodgkinson qualified sixth-fastest for today’s 400m final as she bids to make the Olympic relay team. “It would just be really fun to be a part of,” she said. “I’ve never done one. If I’m good enough I’d like the opportunity just to be a part of a team and see what that’s like.”

Already assured of his place in Paris, the world 1500m champion, Josh Kerr qualified third-fastest for the 800m final, behind Max Burgin and the world bronze medallist Ben Pattison.

Kerr is highly unlikely to be joined at the Olympics by his predecessor as the world champion, Jake Wightman, who withdrew from the trials with a minor injury that leaves his Team GB hopes hinging on kind selectors and a set of unlikely results.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” said Kerr, of Wightman’s likely Olympic absence. “He’s a very, very good friend of mind and it’s not a position I want anyone to be in.”