Cavaliers Now

Former Wahoo Bridget Williams Qualifies for Olympics as US Pole Vault Champion

Matt Newton

Bridget Williams clears the bar in the women’s pole vault on her way to gold during the final day of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene Sunday, June 30, 2024.
Bridget Williams clears the bar in the women’s pole vault on her way to gold during the final day of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene Sunday, June 30, 2024. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA

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)

Published
Matt Newton

MATT NEWTON

Managing Editor and Publisher, CavaliersNow Email: mattnewton@virginia.eduTwitter: @mattynewtssWebsite | LinkedIn | Instagram Matt Newton is the managing editor and publisher at CavaliersNow. He has been covering UVA athletics since 2019 and has been the managing editor at CavaliersNow since launching the site in August 2021. Matt covers all things UVA sports, including Virginia basketball and football news and recruiting, former Wahoos in the pros, and coverage of all 23 of the NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. A native of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Matt grew up a huge Philadelphia sports fan, but has also been a UVA sports fanatic his entire life thanks to his parents, who are alums of the University of Virginia. Matt followed in his parents' footsteps and attended UVA from 2017-2021, graduating with a degree in Media Studies and a minor in Economics in May of 2021.