American Katie Nageotte won gold for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics women’s pole vault finals on Aug. 5.
The 30-year-old from Cleveland cleared 4.9 meters (16 feet, 1 inch) on her third attempt. It’s the third time that the United States has taken home a gold medal in the event’s history.
“This is the biggest dream I have ever had for myself. And here I am living the dream. I will tell you when it finally sinks in. This is about as good as I could feel. We’ve all been through so much with COVID and everything. I’m really grateful.”
Nageotte, who also won the event at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, failed on her first two attempts of the competition, but improved from there to clinch her first major medal.
“It was the worst warm-up I have had in a long time, and I did an ugly first few jumps,” Nageotte said. “It took me a few heights to get into it, but I was just fighting, and I finally found a smooth jump.”
Sidorova, who won a gold medal at the 2019 World Championships, ended in second place and took home silver after clearing 4.85 meters.
The Russian champion’s silver was the first medal in track and field at the Tokyo Games for the team, which is competing under the ROC name as a result of the country’s long-running doping scandal.
The bronze medal was earned by Holly Bradshaw of Great Britain.
“I'll always have that Olympic medal now,” Bradshaw said. “I’ve dreamed of how I would feel as an Olympic medallist and it’s not sunk in. It’s a wave of emotions.”
