EUGENE, Oregon: USA pole vaulter Sandi Morris has emerged from Olympic disaster with a new outlook on competition, ready to challenge for gold as the World Championships in Athletics kicks off this week in Eugene, Oregon.
The two-time world silver medalist experienced an athlete’s worst nightmare at the Tokyo Games when her pole broke while she was in the air during a qualifying round attempt.
She was unable to continue in the competition due to injury, with her hopes of returning to the podium dashed after winning silver in Rio.
“Experiencing an injury at the Olympics was a life-changing moment because it made me realize, ‘Okay, I just went through pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you in sport, but I I’m fine,’” she said. Reuters at a Puma House event on Wednesday.
“That’s the key, keep getting up and trying again.”
Her resilience paid off in March, when she clinched her second indoor title in Belgrade, and she is unbeaten in 11 games this year.
With her family cheering her on with a home crowd, the 30-year-old said she believes she has a very good chance of winning the gold medal, having produced a world record 4.82 meters at the US Championships on last month.
“As long as I know I did my best that day, I’ll be fine,” she said. “I say this from experience: I got silver in Rio, I got silver in London 2017, I got silver in Doha 2019.”
Among her toughest challengers, we expect her compatriot and Olympic champion Katie Nageotte, with whom she trains.
The 31-year-old posted her best performance of 4.80 in February.
“I believe every dog will have their day if you keep fighting,” Morris said. “So that’s what I want to do: I want to keep fighting and maybe this dog will have his day.”
The world championships will run through July 24 in Eugene, Oregon.