Nina Kennedy wins historic 18th gold as Aussies make mockery of pre-Olympics prediction

Nina Kennedy has helped Australia achieve the country's most successful Olympic Games in history, nabbing our 18th gold medal as the Aussies won four more on Wednesday night in Paris. Australia had 14 gold medals heading into day 12 of the Paris Games, before Keegan Palmer (skateboarding), Matt Wearn (sailing) and the men's team pursuit quartet of Sam Welsford, Kelland O'Brien, Oliver Bleddyn and Conor Leahy all won gold to take the total to 17.

But in the early hours of Thursday morning (Australian time), Kennedy became the first Australian woman in history to win a gold medal in an athletics field event, saluting in the pole vault to claim our 18th gold of the Games. It marks the most gold medals Australia has ever won at one Olympics, surpassing the 17 we won in Tokyo three years ago and Athens in 2004.

The 18 gold medals also make a complete mockery of the pre-Olympics prediction that we'd only win 15. The official prediction from Nielsen's Gracenote Sports, which supplies statistical analysis for sporting leagues across the globe, only had Australia winning 15 gold medals in Paris.

But with four days remaining in Paris, the Aussies could go even bigger. Kennedy soared to victory in the women's pole vault final after an early miss at 4.70m. From there the 27-year-old was flawless at her next three heights, going over 4.80m, 4.85 and 4.90m - all on the first attempt.

She missed her first attempt at 4.95m but it didn't matter, with American rival Katie Moon unable to match her. It comes after Kennedy and Moon opted to share the gold medal at the world championships last year, rather than keep jumping. But this time around, Kennedy is the champion all by herself.

Legendary caller Bruce McAcvaney said on ABC radio: “We’re in rare air. All of us. We’ve never had a Games like it. Forever and a day Nina Kennedy will be the athlete that took us to 18 gold medals.”

Aussies win gold in men's team pursuit cycling

Earlier on Wednesday night, Australia scored a pulsating win in the men's team pursuit final over fierce rivals Great Britain. The Australian combination of Olympic medallists Welsford and O'Brien, plus debutants Bleddyn and Leahy, clocked three minutes 42.067 seconds to win Wednesday night's decider.

It wasn't as quick as their world record time in the heats, but enough for the gold medal. "Obviously I'm super happy. I'm just really proud of the team and it's an awesome battle (with) Great Britain obviously - really happy to be on top," O'Brien said.

Keegan Palmer makes it a golden double in park stakeboarding

Palmer achieved the incredible feat of winning his second Olympic gold medal at the age of just 21. Palmer made it a golden skateboard double for Australia, after Arisa Trew won the women's park event at age 14 on Tuesday.

Palmer followed it up 24 hours later at La Concorde with his second Olympic title in the park event in three years, after he also won gold in Tokyo. "It's a wild, crazy feeling, dude, to be able to say I'm a two-time Olympian, let alone two-time Olympic gold medallist, it's a crazy, crazy feeling like I literally can't believe it," he said.

"I'm speechless, to be able to back up Arisa from yesterday is a dream come true. We grew up skating the same park together, Elanora in the Gold Coast. Elanora's holding it down right now! A hundred per cent, Arisa's gold was an inspiration for me."

Matt Wearn defends Olympic title in men's dinghy

And sailor Wearn also clinched a history-making second Olympic gold medal in a dramatic men's dinghy final. The 28-year-old from Western Australian became the first person to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in in the event and extended Australia's golden run in the class.

Australia has now claimed four consecutive titles, with Wearn's two medals following Tom Burton in Rio 2016 and Tom Slingsby's triumph at London 2012. "It's just pure excitement," he said. "It's something no one's done before, going back to back in the ILCA (dinghy), or the laser as it was before. That was a massive goal and I've made it happen so it's pretty special."

Australia's 18 gold medals at the Paris Olympics:

• Grace Brown - Women's time trial (cycling)

• Ariarne Titmus - Women's 400m freestyle (swimming)

• Australia's 4x100m freestyle relay team - Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris (swimming)

• Mollie O'Callaghan - Women's 200m freestyle (swimming)

• Kaylee McKeown - Women's 100m backstroke (swimming)

• Kaylee McKeown - Women's 200m backstroke (swimming)

• Australia's 4x200m freestyle relay team - Mollie O'Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus (swimming)

• Cameron McEvoy - Men's 50m freestyle (swimming)

• Jessica Fox - Women's canoe single (canoe slalom)

• Jessica Fox - Women's kayak single (canoe slalom)

• Noemie Fox - Women's kayak cross (canoe slalom)

• Saya Sakakibara - Women's BMX racing (cycling)

• Matt Ebden and John Peers - Men's doubles (tennis)

• Arisa Trew - Women's park (skateboarding)

• Keegan Palmer - Men's park (skateboarding)

• Matt Wearn - Men's dinghy (sailing)

• Australia's men's pursuit team - Sam Welsford, Kelland O'Brien, Oliver Bleddyn and Conor Leahy (cycling)

• Nina Kennedy - Women's pole vault (athletics)

with AAP