The United States added another track and field gold medal Monday when Jenn Suhr won the gold in women’s pole vault. An Olympic medal isn’t new to Suhr -- she won silver in 2008 -- but to win gold she had to get past a strong field which included two-time defending gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva.
Jennifer Suhr’s Pole Vaulting Gold Ends Yelena Isinbayeva’s Three-Peat Bid
“To beat Yelena and her resume and her record, it’s an honor,” Suhr said according to the Associated Press. “That’s the only thing I can say, to have someone so good in the field and come out on top, it really is an honor. It’s a special title in that situation.”
Her path to a gold medal wasn’t the easiest. She suffered an Achilles injury, and also battled a gluten allergy. The added adversity made winning the gold medal an even more emotional event.
“It’s very emotional,” she said. “It’s something you work very hard for for four years. And heartbreak and joy and some more heartbreak. To overcome it and come out on top, is something that whenever I thought of, I started crying. I knew it was going to be emotional.”
Suhr had help from her husband Rick, who also serves as her coach. Despite the tough competition and less than ideal weather conditions, Rick remained confident.
"Before I went out there (Rick) said 'you are going to win this', he has never said that," Suhr said, according to Reuters. "I have competed hundreds of times and he has never said 'you are going to win' and I was like that is not something he says and it just put that extra spunk that I could do this. Someone else believes in me that much."
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