Army 2nd Lt. Sam Kendricks took first place in the men's pole vault at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials here July 4, securing a spot on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete next month in Rio de Janeiro.
Kendricks cleared the bar at 5.91 meters -- 19 feet, 4 3/4 inches -- setting an Olympic trials record.
Just behind him in second place was Air Force 1st Lt. Cale Simmons, who cleared the bar at 5.65 meters.
Kendricks said he wasn't completely surprised by the outcome, as he knew he could do it and felt his best in terms of mental and physical preparedness. He jumped 1 centimeter higher earlier in the year at the World Challenge in Beijing, he noted, so he knew he had it in him.
Conditions during the preliminary and final rounds, July 2 and 4 respectively, were hot and windy. But in Oxford, Mississippi, where he lives and trains, it is even hotter and much more humid, Kendricks said, so conditions here were actually pretty good by comparison.
A "favorable wind" pushed him along, he said.
"I have been to meets where it has rained,” he added. “The wind has been directly in your face or to the side, and that makes it very difficult. I'd say that the pole vault is favored by the man who is the most-hardy jumper, because he can jump in all conditions."
Vaulting to Rio
Kendricks said he's participated at pole vault competitions all around the world and knows how he stacks up against competitors from this country and other countries, so he knows who he’ll be up against in August.
In competitions over the last 13 months, Kendricks said, he has the second-highest vault aggregate average among all of his top-level competitors, just behind a Frenchman. That means he's rated as No. 2 overall in the world, which bodes well for his chances to earn an Olympic medal, he said.
The more pressure there is, the better he performs, Kendricks said.
"I thrive on that," he added.
Rigorous Training
Kendricks made the pole vault seem effortless at Eugene, especially compared to the long-distance runners at the trials, who were dealing with the heat. For him, Kendricks said, the pain factor comes into play during the many hours of arduous training.
If one were to look closely at the faces of pole vaulters, he said, "you'd see scowls on our faces as we swing on our poles trying to fight the forces of gravity."
Since pole vaulting involves running speed as well as strength and nimbleness, the training regimen has more parts to it than some other sports. In pole vaulting, he explained, he trains as a long sprinter "so I can have that strength and stability on my runs, which is the most important part of being a vaulter -- having a strong run."
He said the other component is gymnastic strength. Kendricks said that portion of the training is similar to what a gymnastics competitor would do, with the goal of striking the right balance between speed and strength.
Early Years
Kendricks said he's been a track and field athlete throughout high school in Oxford, his hometown. He said he loves to run the relays, for instance, but pole vaulting was his strength so he settled on becoming really good at that. Later, he said, he joined a "really great" Army ROTC unit at the University of Mississippi, also in Oxford.
"I loved the Army unit and the level of excellence that they pursued," he said, so he stayed with ROTC for four years and graduated last year as a second lieutenant.
Looking Ahead
Kendricks is scheduled to attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, in October, following his Olympic competition. He's currently in the Army Reserve with the 655th Transportation Company in Millington, Tennessee, a 90-minute drive from his hometown.
He also plans to continue with full-time pole vault training. He's currently sponsored by Nike, he said, but hopes to get a position with the Army's World Class Athlete Program.