Former Wahoo Bridget Williams Qualifies for Olympics as US Pole Vault Champion
Another Wahoo is headed to Paris. Former Virginia track & field star Bridget Williams clinched her spot in the Olympics by taking gold in the women's pole vault on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Williams cleared the bar at each height on her first attempt and her clearance of the 4.73m mark made her the U.S. National Champion in the event.
A 28-year-old from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Williams (formerly Guy) was a three-time All-American, two-time ACC Champion, and six-time All-ACC selection in her time at UVA, breaking the school record in the pole vault on eight separate occasions.
Since turning pro, Williams has qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she qualified for the finals, and won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Three years after placing ninth at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2021, Williams is headed to her first Olympic Games as the U.S. National Champion in the women's pole vault.
Competition in the women's pole vault will begin with qualification on Monday, August 5th and then the event final will take place on Wednesday, August 7th at Stade de France.
With Williams punching her ticket to Paris, there are now confirmed to be 10 current, former, or future Cavaliers representing the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics:
United States Olympic Tennis Team: Danielle Collins (UVA '16) and Emma Navarro (UVA '22)
United States Olympic Swimming Team: Paige Madden (UVA '21), Gretchen Walsh (UVA '25), Kate Douglass (UVA '23), Emma Weber (UVA '26), Alex Walsh (UVA '24), Thomas Heilman (UVA '29)
United States Olympic Women's Soccer Team: Emily Sonnett (UVA '16)
United States Olympic Track & Field Team: Bridget Williams (UVA '19)