Samuel Hathorn Kendricks (born September 7, 1992) is an American pole vaulter.[1] He is a three-time indoor and six-time outdoor national champion (2014–2019), the 2016 Olympics bronze[3] [4] and 2024 Olympics silver medalist, and the 2017 and 2019 World Champion. In 2019, Kendricks set the American pole vault record at 6.06 m,[5][6] tying him with Steve Hooker for fourth all time. He later won the gold medal at the World Championships in Doha.
 Kendricks at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Samuel Hathorn Kendricks |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 7, 1992 Oceanside, California, U.S. |
| Home town | Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[1] |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg)[2] |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | Pole vault |
| College team | University of Mississippi |
| Club | Nike U.S. Army UST-ESSX |
| Turned pro | 2014 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | Pole vault:
6.06 m (19 ft 10+1⁄2 in) (Des Moines 2019)
|
Medal record | |
Prep[clarification needed]
editKendricks vaulted for Oxford High School in his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, leading his team to the 2009 MHSAA 5A State Championship. He vaulted 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m) to set the then-state record, later broken in 2023 by his brother John Scott with a vault of 17 ft 1 in (5.2 m).[7] Sam won the state meet outdoors in 2010 and 2011, and indoors in 2011. He also lettered in cross country and soccer. In 2011, he was named the Gatorade boys' high school track and field athlete of the year for Mississippi.[8]
NCAA
editWhile vaulting for the University of Mississippi, Kendricks won the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Championships.[8] He broke both Ole Miss Rebels pole vault records as a freshman.[9] Kendricks announced that he would be turning pro in 2014.[10]
Professional
edit2015
editKendricks set his personal best of 5.86 m (19 ft 2+1⁄2 in) at the indoor 2015 Reno Pole Vault Summit. Kendrick uses a hand hold at 15 ft 5 in (4.69 m) and from his performance in Reno claims the "Push-off" World Record at 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m).[11][12] He won the men's pole vault at 2015 US Outdoor Championships in 5.75 m (18 ft 10+1⁄4 in).[13] He won the prelims of the 2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's pole vault and finished 9th in 5.65 m (18 ft 6+1⁄4 in).
2016
editAfter setting a personal best outdoors at the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing, at 5.92 m (19 ft 5 in) Kendricks won the US Olympic Trials at 5.91 m (19 ft 4+1⁄2 in). At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won the bronze medal.[14] Kendricks also garnered attention during the Olympics when he stopped mid run during a pole vault attempt to stand at attention while "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played.[15]
2017
editOn June 24, 2017, Kendricks became the 22nd person to join the six meters club by vaulting exactly 6.00 m (19 ft 8 in) while winning the 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, California.
2019
editOn July 27, 2019, Kendricks set the American pole vault record by jumping 6.06 m.[5][6]
2021
editKendricks placed second in the US Olympic trials at 5.91 m (19 ft 2+1⁄4 in) tied with KC Lightfoot, however, he was tested positive for COVID-19 in the Olympic Village, and had to withdraw from the 2020 Summer Olympics as a result, missing the pole vault competition.[16]
2024
editLeading up to the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials final Kendricks stated that he might be inclined to forgo the 2024 Olympics after his "bitter" experience from Tokyo 2020 when he claimed that his positive COVID-19 test had been a false positive and the USOC had done nothing to fight on his behalf.[17] On June 23, 2024 he won his 7th outdoor (11th overall) U.S. National Pole Vault championship by clearing 5.92 m (19 ft 5 in) and earned an automatic bid for the Olympics.[18] Shortly after the competition was over he confirmed that he would be going to Paris after all.[19] In the 2024 Olympic Men's Pole Vault final he claimed the Silver Medal for Team USA by clearing a height of 5.95 m (19 ft 6+1⁄4 in).[20][21] He was bested by Armand "Mondo" Duplantis who set a new world record at 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in).[20]
Personal life
editKendricks is the son of Scott and Marni Kendricks; his father is also one of his coaches. He has a twin brother, Tom.[22]
On December 29, 2017, Kendricks married Leanne Zimmer in Oxford, MS.
As of 2024, Kendricks is a member of the United States Army Reserve.[22]
Competition record
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing | |||||
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 9th | 5.65 | |
| 2016 | World Indoor Championships | Portland, Oregon | 2nd | 5.80 | |
| Summer Olympics | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 3rd | 5.85 | ||
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 5.95 | |
| DécaNation | Angers, France | 1st | 5.75 | ||
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 2nd | 5.85 | |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 5.97 | |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 2nd | 5.90 | |
| Summer Olympics | Paris, France | 2nd | 5.95 | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Sam Kendricks". teamusa.org. USOC. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- ^ Sam Kendricks Archived August 26, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. rio2016.com
- ^ Hipps, Tim (August 18, 2016). "Army Reserve officer takes Olympic bronze in pole vault". www.army.mil. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ "Men Pole Vault SR". flashresults.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Shinn, Peggy (July 27, 2019). "Sam Kendricks Sets American Record And Wins Record Sixth Consecutive Pole Vault National Title". Team USA. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ a b "Kendricks tops 6.06m in Des Moines| News | iaaf.org". www.iaaf.org. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/john-scott-kendrickswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Sam Kendricks Bio – Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site – Track & Field Archived August 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Olemisssports.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2016.
- ^ Oxford Citizen interview with Sam in 2014. Oxfordcitizen.com (May 23, 2014). Retrieved on August 17, 2016.
- ^ Sam announced his professional ambitions in 2014 with Nike. Clarionledger.com (September 17, 2014). Retrieved on August 17, 2016.
- ^ "New push-off world record of 1.36 meters (55") set on Essx Recoil Advanced". UST Essx (January 19, 2015). Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ Sam Kendricks Pole Vault Summit 2015. VAULTER Magazine (January 19, 2015). Retrieved on August 17, 2016.
- ^ USATF Championships – 6/25/2015 to 6/28/2015 Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore. Archived October 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine usatf.org
- ^ "Sam Kendricks wins 3rd place in Men's Pole Vault". Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ Stump, Scott (August 22, 2016). "US pole vaulter Sam Kendricks stops mid-stride to stand at attention for national anthem". Today News. NBC. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^ Siemaszko, Corky (July 29, 2021). "U.S. pole vault champ out of Games after positive Covid test". NBC News. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ Kilgore, Adam (June 22, 2024). "Bitter over 2021, pole vaulter Sam Kendricks may turn down Olympic bid". Washington Post. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Results". Results. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ Denney, Jarrid (June 24, 2024). "Sam Kendricks wins 11th national title, sounds off on Olympic Games". Statesman Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ a b ""Mondo" Duplantis Shatters World Record, Defends Gold Medal, As Sam Kendricks Soars To Silver". Team USA. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ Schnell, Lindsay (August 5, 2024). "Sam Kendricks wins pole vault silver despite spikes puncturing hand". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Sam Kendricks: Athlete Bio". Team USA. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
External links
edit- Sam Kendricks at World Athletics
- Sam Kendricks – Ole Miss profile at TFRRS
- Sam Kendricks at Ole Miss at the Wayback Machine (archived August 7, 2016)
- Sam Kendricks at www.USATF.org
- Sam Kendricks at Team USA (archive July 11, 2022)
- Sam Kendricks at Olympics.com
- Sam Kendricks at Olympedia (archive)
- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2017)