Sam Kendricks made history by becoming the first former Rebel to win a medal in Paris, securing silver in the men’s pole vault event. Competing alongside him, Valarie Allman successfully defended her title in the discus throw, earning her second consecutive Olympic gold.
In a thrilling competition, Kendricks finished with a height of 5.95 meters (19 feet, 6 1/4 inches), narrowly outperforming Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, while Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis stole the spotlight by breaking his own world record with a vault of 6.25 meters (20 feet, 6 inches). Both medals contributed to the U.S. total of 11 medals in the Games, which includes three golds.
Kendricks, who missed the Tokyo Olympics due to a positive COVID-19 test, reflected on his difficult experiences leading up to Paris. With lingering disappointment from his isolation in Tokyo, he wrestled with the decision to compete again. However, he ultimately faced his fears, stating, “Rather than run away from it like I really wanted to, you’ve got to come back.”
Kendricks admired Duplantis’s remarkable journey to the top, declaring, “His story is written in the stars.” Meanwhile, Allman revealed her own struggles after winning gold in Tokyo. Feeling overwhelmed by her training focus during the pandemic, she decided to take a step back, prioritize her well-being, and enjoy life outside the sport.
Allman started slowly, fouling her first attempt but regained her composure to throw a distance of 69.50 meters (228-0) with her fourth attempt, ultimately finishing ahead of China’s Feng Bin and Croatia’s Sandra Elkasevic. Embracing the pressure, she remarked, “Pressure is becoming my friend,” highlighting her adaptability and determination to showcase her best performance under challenging circumstances.