Team USA | “Mondo” Duplantis Shatters World Record, Defends Gold Medal, As Sam Kendricks Soars To Silver

“I hate that we misplaced him to Sweden, I want we might get him again to American one among as of late,” Kendricks says, half-jokingly, about Duplantis, who grew partially in Louisiana and part-time in Sweden, as a twin citizen.

It appeared like ages previous to his information – his Olympic file on his first try, and the world file on quantity three – that Duplantis locked up his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, after Kendricks bid adieu to the three-hour competitors following three unsuccessful makes an attempt at 6.00m.

For the 31-year-old American from Oxford, Mississippi, his silver medal comes eight years after he gained his first Olympic medal – a bronze medal on the Olympic Video games Rio 2016.

“On the finish of the day, I’m on the monitor, I’m bleeding, and the tip of the story is Mondo set the world file, however I snared myself a silver medal alongside the best way,” Kendricks mentioned, displaying his hand to reporters, whereas referring to spiking his hand on his first 6.00m try.

Kendricks’ stellar efficiency is redemption, coming three years after he was despatched into quarantine after a optimistic COVID-19 take a look at at Tokyo 2020, forcing the six-time U.S. nationwide champion to overlook the Olympic pole vault competitors in Japan.

“An important man as soon as advised me that you simply don’t go to the Olympics to win,” Kendricks mentioned. “You go to characterize. Crew USA, we battle for the privilege simply to put on this flag. It’s a hard-fought privilege. Tokyo (2020) hurts.

Kendricks discovered himself behind eight ball after he missed an awkward-looking first strive at 5.85m. As Duplantis and 4 of his buddies and rivals sailed over the peak, the two-time world champion was compelled to go the peak and take his probabilities at 5.90m. He stood in sixth place, with a big hill to climb.

“It’s a risk-based occasion – it’s a must to type of guess what will occur ultimately as a result of your efforts at first make such an affect,” Kendricks defined.

“Making a go is definitely a transfer I pulled eight years in the past in Rio – I missed 5.75m on my first try and handed to five.85m, clearing it on a primary as a result of I knew my subsequent soar could be a very good one and put me in medal place.”