Bridget Williams (née Guy born March 18, 1996) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the pole vault.[2] Williams grew up training and competing in Artistiic Gymnastics, but started competing pole vaulting at her Junior High school, with some success in high school she earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Virginia.[3] Williams finished fourth at the US national championships in Eugene, Oregon in July 2023.[4] She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.[5] She qualified for the final with a clearance of 4.65 metres.[6] She won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.[7] She won the 2024 US Olympic trials with a clearance of 4.73 metres.[8] At the 2024 Paris Olympics games, Williams finished 12th in her heat, resulting in a 22nd place overall, which resulted in her not qualifying to the finals.[9]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | March 18, 1996 Greensburg, Pennsylvania |
| Employer | UST ESSX VAULTING POLES[1] |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Athletics Track and field |
| Event | Pole Vault |
| Turned pro | 2019 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Pole Vault: Outdoor: 4.71 m (15 ft 5 in) (Knoxville, 2021); Indoor: 4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) (Clermont-Ferrand, 2024) |
Professional career
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 22nd (q) | Pole vault | 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in) |
| 2023 | Pan American Games | Santiago, Chile | 1st | Pole Vault | 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in) |
| World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 12th | Pole Vault | 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in) | |
| World Athletics Indoor Tour | Birmingham, England | 6th | Pole Vault | 4.51 m (14 ft 10 in) | |
| 2019 | World Universities Games | Naples, Italy | 3rd | Pole Vault | 4.31 m (14 ft 2 in) |
National championships
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | USATF U20 Outdoor Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 9th | Pole vault | 3.95 m (12 ft 11+1⁄2 in) |
| 2019 | USATF Championships | Des Moines, Iowa | 10th | pole vault | NH @ 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in)[10] |
| 2020 | USATF Championships | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 11th | pole vault | 4.35 m (14 ft 3+1⁄4 in) |
| 2021 | US Olympic Trials | Eugene, Oregon | 9th | pole vault | 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in) |
| 2022 | USATF Championships | Spokane, Washington | 3rd | pole vault | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| 2022 | USATF Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 7th | pole vault | 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)[11] |
| 2023 | USATF Championships | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 3rd | pole vault | 4.61 m (15 ft 1+1⁄4 in) |
| 2023 | USATF Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 4th | pole vault | 4.61 m (15 ft 1+1⁄4 in) |
NCAA Vaulting
editBridget is a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American as a Virginia Cavaliers track and field student-athlete.As a 6-time all conference performer in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Bridget won 2 ACC crowns.[12]
Bridget Williams improved from 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in) to 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in) at UVA. Williams attended the University of Virginia between 2015 and 2019.[13]
Bridget Williams left University of Virginia as a school record holder pole vaulter.
High School
editBridget Williams won 2014 Penn high school AAA state final clearing a Hempfield Area High School pole vault record 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in).[14]
References
edit- ^ UST ESSX VAULTING POLES Bridget Williams
- ^ "Bridget Williams". World Athletics. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Anglican Province of America (August 3, 2024). Elevated Ambitions: Bridget Williams on Pole Vaulting, the Olympics, and Faith in Jesus Christ. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Beckner, Bill (July 10, 2023). "Hempfield alum Bridget Williams headed to world championships in pole vault". Tribune Live. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan (August 7, 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Women's Pole Vault Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Boal, Eric (November 3, 2023). "Erin Marsh Captures Heptathlon Gold, Bridget Williams Soars to Women's Pole Vault Title for U.S. at Pan American Games". Runnerspace. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ Henderson, Jason (July 1, 2024). "World 400m hurdles record for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Hartlep, Bill (August 5, 2024). "Hempfield grad Bridget Williams' Olympic run ends in pole vault qualifying round". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ "Results". results.usatf.org. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ "Results". results.usatf.org. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Bridget Guy profile Virginia Cavaliers
- ^ "Bridget Williams". Hokie Sports. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Schofield, Paul (June 24, 2021). "Hempfield's Williams, Latrobe's Green advance at U.S. Olympic trials". Tribune Live. Retrieved August 23, 2023.