Katie Nageotte (© Jay Bendlin / WCH Oregon22)
Katie Nageotte was back on top of the pole vault world Sunday.
Getting there was the hardest part.
Nageotte, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the women’s pole vault, added her first World Athletics Championships gold medal Sunday night when she won the event with a world-leading clearance of 4.85m at the reimagined Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
It seemed unlikely Nageotte would be in contention for a win at World Athletics Championships Oregon22 after going into a post-Olympics funk.
“I can honestly say this has been the hardest year of my life from a pole vault standpoint in my career,” Nageotte said. “Even two months ago I was considering retirement because coming in every day feeling defeated and unmotivated, was really hard.”
But Nageotte was able to bounce back just in time to win the event at the first World Athletics Championships on U.S. soil.
"It’s so special," Nageotte said. “I think my sobbing on the podium kind of sums that up. To be standing here today, on top of the podium, with my family and the crowd on home soil, is as good as it gets.”
The 2021 season was a dream season for Nageotte, who cleared 4.95m at last year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field to make her the favorite, and she delivered there, winning the gold medal. But finding that motivation to keep competing at the highest level was hard for Nageotte to find during most of 2022.
“After the Olympics, I never really got a break," Nageotte said. “I got a physical break; I never got an emotional break. I was always talking about (winning the gold medal) and doing events, and opportunities surrounding it, which was amazing, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I didn’t realize how exhausting that was and how tired I was because at the end of the day it was five years, not four years, but five years of constant stress of making the team and winning.
“So, I finally just crashed emotionally and mentally, and I just needed some time to bounce back. And I did bounce back. It took most of the year, but I was also wondering, is this what it feels like when you’re 31 and ready to retire? I don’t know. Is this what it feels like when you’re burned out? I don’t know because I’ve never experienced this before.”
Nageotte was able to clear 4.80m indoors this season and finished second to her training partner, Sandi Morris, at the indoor World Athletics Championships in March in Belgrade, Serbia.
She cleared 4.30m in her first Diamond League meet of the season, no-heighted at another one and cleared her outdoor season-best of 4.65m last month at the U.S. Outdoor Championships to finish third and qualify for WCH Oregon22.
“It was really difficult going through it,” Nageotte said. “I worked with sports psychiatrists, I tried all kinds of things and so it did come back. I think I just needed time for it to bounce back and I’m so grateful that I did.”
There was no greater proof than that Sunday when she and Morris went 1-2, respectively, in the pole vault to give the United States two of the nine medals it won Sunday. They were the only two vaulters to clear 4.85m, and Nageotte got the win when she cleared the height on her first attempt, and Morris needed a second attempt to clear it.
It was another silver medal for Morris in an outdoor major global championship. She took the silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and had outdoor silver medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships. She won the gold medal at the indoor World Athletics Championships this year and in 2018 after taking silver at the 2016 indoor championships in Portland.
“It would be amazing to finally break my silver outdoor streak and get a gold medal someday," Morris said. “I didn’t quite do it today and that’s all right because I do believe if I keep trying and keep coming back for more, my day will come but I just cannot stop believing that.”
Morris was the world leader at 4.82m entering the meet.
Australia’s Nina Kennedy was third with a season best of 4.80m to win the bronze medal.
By Ashley Conklin
