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Jun. 23—EUGENE, Oreg. — University of South Dakota alum Chris Nilsen will return to the Olympics in the pole vault.
Nilsen ensured his spot in Paris by tying for second at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials with a mark of 5.87 meters (19 feet, 3 inches) in the pole vault final on Sunday evening at Hayward Field.
The former Coyote reached Sunday's final by placing in the top 12 during the preliminary competition on Friday. Other Olympic qualifiers include Jacob Wooten, who matched Nilsen in second, and Sam Kendricks, who won the event with a vault of 5.92 meters (19-5), which set a new U.S. Olympic Trials record. Kendricks' win ended a streak of three straight U.S. outdoor titles for Nilsen.
Nilsen won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he cleared 5.97 meters (19-7) and is also a three-time medalist — one silver and two bronze — at world championship meets. He'll look to contend for a medal once again, standing as the third-ranked pole vaulter in the world. Nilsen owns a personal best of 6.05 meters (19-10.25) from the 2022 season.
The Kansas City, Missouri, native was a three-time NCAA Champion and owns USD's indoor and outdoor pole vault records. Overall, he was a seven-time All-American, taking at least bronze at each NCAA Championship event during his collegiate career.
The pole vault preliminary round at the 2024 Paris Olympics is Aug. 3, and the final is Aug. 5.
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