FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2016
US ARMY RESERVE SOLDIER WINS BRONZE MEDAL IN MEN’S POLE VAULT AT 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES
RIO DE JANEIRO – Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Sam Kendricks earned the bronze medal during the men’s pole vault final at his first-ever Olympic competition with a jump of nineteen feet and two inches.
Thiago Braz da Silva (Brazil) won the gold medal, and current world record holder Renaud Lavillenie (France) took silver medal honors.
Kendricks came a long way last night as an accomplished soldier-athlete from a small Mississippi town. Excelling as a track and field athlete throughout high school, his military and pole vaulting careers took off as a freshman at the University of Mississippi. He joined Ole Miss’ ROTC program to earn money for tuition, enjoying continued success as a pole vaulter on the school’s track team. Kendricks also won NCAA championships in 2013 and 2014 while breaking the university’s indoor pole vault record.
He began his rise to global prominence at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, placing ninth in the finals.
Kendricks set an Olympics trials record during the 2016 World Indoor Championships, taking first place in the men’s pole vault at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., securing a spot on Team USA. His best jump this season was 19 feet and five inches — second only to 2012 gold medal winner Lavillenie, who set the current world pole vaulting record in 2012 with a height of 20 feet and three inches.
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FOR MEDIA CONTACT:
Mr. Jamal Beck
U.S. Army Reserve Communications
Executive Communications
Office of the Chief, Army Reserve
Office: (703) 806-7550
Mobile: (571) 305-0220
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
The Army Reserve’s mission is to provide trained, equipped, and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to meet global requirements across the full range of military operations. It consists of approximately 200,000 highly-skilled members in 148 career fields and provides trained, equipped and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to meet the nation’s requirements at home and abroad. For more information about the Army Reserve, visit http://www.usar.army.mil/