The Blended Zone in LA Grand Prix was large. Whereas many athletes didn’t cease for interviews, many did, and Sam Kendricks and Mondo Duplantis have been among the many group.
Sam and Mondo entertained a pair thousand followers for at the very least an hour after the observe races have been over. Afterward, each spoke to RunBlogRun and the assembled media.
Sam Kendricks is the 2016 Olympic bronze and gold medalist in 2017 and 2019. In 2021 he examined optimistic for COVID as he arrived in Tokyo, and in 2022, he broke his leg. Now totally recovered, the always-smiling Kendricks spent a while with us after his thrilling pole vault duel with Mondo Duplantis.
Sam Kendricks is a pole vault warrior. He has a bag of methods or techniques a dozen years lengthy. Pole vaulters are the chess gamers of the sky, they usually like to take probabilities, like to pole vault and luxuriate in their rivals whereas genuinely desirous to kick their butts within the pole vault pit.
The gang completely liked it in LA. It jogged my memory of Bubka competing in San Jose approach again in 1995 when 4000 followers frolicked on the Bruce Jenner Traditional two hours after the meet to see the nice star compete.
What many followers and media don’t admire, I consider, is absolutely the playing strikes that Sam Kendricks does when he competes. His requirements have been an infinitesimal distance from the pads (80cm, Mondo advised me). Mondo advised me, admiringly, Sam Kendricks had simply carried out one thing few others might accomplish, a lot much less attempt.
Kendricks has missed two years of competing. However his beautiful spouse, new son, and coaching middle in Oxford, Mississippi, have sustained him. We’ll see what he can do now.
We can’t wait to see him compete this week on the USATF Champs, July 6-9, 2023, https://www.usatf.org/occasions/2023/2023-toyota-usatf-outdoor-championships/status-of-entries, Sam, at 5.91m clearance, is quantity 4 on the qualifying listing!
Particular thanks as at all times to Sam Kendricks, who loves his occasion, sport, household, and rivals. An excellent man, an exception man. I’m fairly glad he’s again!
