2017 IAAF World ChampionshipsAug 8, 2017 by Taylor Dutch
Sam Kendricks Wins World Championship Gold In Pole Vault
Sam Kendricks Wins World Championship Gold In Pole Vault
Team USA's Sam Kendricks earned his first global championship in the pole vault on Tuesday at the IAAF World Championships in London. The performance is an improvement on the bronze medal that he earned at the 2016 Olympic Games last summer.
Team USA's Sam Kendricks earned his first global championship in the pole vault on Tuesday at the IAAF World Championships in London. The performance is an improvement on the bronze medal that he earned at the 2016 Olympic Games last summer.
Behind Kendricks, Piotr Lisek of Poland earned silver and 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France claimed bronze.
Most of the favorites remained intact on the opening height of 5.50m, including Louisiana-based teen sensation Mondo Duplantis. But the attempts began to waver at the 5.65m height when Duplantis, Shawn Barber, and Lisek missed on the first two attempts.
Duplantis missed his third and final attempt at 5.65m, but finished ninth in the world as a 17-year-old. He is the youngest athlete to qualify for a world pole vault final.
Barber, the 2015 world champion, got knocked out at 5.75m. By the 5.89m height, Changrui Xue missed on all three attempts and Pawel Wojciecheowki also got knocked out.
The competition was left to the top three -- Kendricks, Lavillenie, and Lisek. But the Polish vaulter couldn't clear the 5.95m height. After missing on his first two attempts, Lavillenie passed on his last attempt and decided to go straight to 6.01m.
He was unable to clear the height. Kendricks also made an attempt at 6.01m but missed as well.
As the only athlete to clear 5.95m, Kendricks took home the gold while Lisek earned silver and Lavillenie walked away with bronze.
For Lisek, the performance follows a gut-wrenching fourth-place finish at the 2016 Olympic Games. London marks the fourth global championship medal of his career. Lavillenie's bronze marks his ninth global championship medal.
OMG GO SAMMMMMM! #TeamUSA #USA !!! @samkendricks pic.twitter.com/GF1N0ely5N
— Sandi Morris (@sandicheekspv) August 8, 2017
Behind Kendricks, Piotr Lisek of Poland earned silver and 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France claimed bronze.
Most of the favorites remained intact on the opening height of 5.50m, including Louisiana-based teen sensation Mondo Duplantis. But the attempts began to waver at the 5.65m height when Duplantis, Shawn Barber, and Lisek missed on the first two attempts.
Duplantis missed his third and final attempt at 5.65m, but finished ninth in the world as a 17-year-old. He is the youngest athlete to qualify for a world pole vault final.
Barber, the 2015 world champion, got knocked out at 5.75m. By the 5.89m height, Changrui Xue missed on all three attempts and Pawel Wojciecheowki also got knocked out.
The competition was left to the top three -- Kendricks, Lavillenie, and Lisek. But the Polish vaulter couldn't clear the 5.95m height. After missing on his first two attempts, Lavillenie passed on his last attempt and decided to go straight to 6.01m.
He was unable to clear the height. Kendricks also made an attempt at 6.01m but missed as well.
As the only athlete to clear 5.95m, Kendricks took home the gold while Lisek earned silver and Lavillenie walked away with bronze.
For Lisek, the performance follows a gut-wrenching fourth-place finish at the 2016 Olympic Games. London marks the fourth global championship medal of his career. Lavillenie's bronze marks his ninth global championship medal.