With one attempt left to beat fellow American Sandi Morris, Moon brushed the bar on her way over, but it stayed up.

Katie Moon and Sandi Morris are the best of rivals. They had competed against each other in 80 competitions across their long and decorated careers before they arrived for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

Lakewood, Ohio native Katie Moon has put herself in the conversation among the greatest female pole vaulters after winning her third straight world title on Wednesday in Tokyo. Moon was able to claim her third straight pole vault gold at the World Athletics Championships with a clearance of 4.

Katie Moon of the United States won the women’s pole vaulting gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Wednesday with a jump of 4.90 meters following a back-and-forth battle that left compatriot Sandi Morris in second place. Tina Sutej of Slovenia took bronze after failing to make 4.85 meters.

Moon has now collected four of the last five major titles -- the only miss coming at the Paris Olympics where she took silver.

The New Zealand women’s pole vaulting trio of Olivia McTaggart, Imogen Ayris and Eliza McCartney have finished beyond the podium at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. McTaggart was eighth after soaring over 4.