Disclaimer: I 100% agree that for the health and safety of everyone this was the right call. I do not want this to sound like I don’t care about that in any way. This is just purely from the perspective of an athlete hoping to become an Olympian, and to give a different perspective on events being postponed and cancelled.
When it first seemed a genuine possibility that the Olympics could be postponed, my heart sank. The Olympic Trials are unlike any meet that I’ve ever competed in. Our entire career comes down to being top 3 on that day. This creates a constant, ever-present weight on your shoulders. Whether you’re 4 years or 4 months out from the games, that feeling never goes away. Often I’ve found myself jealous of the athletes in other countries that automatically make their team once they jump the height standard. The thought of having to wait to alleviate the anxiety affiliated with the Olympic Trials was daunting. No matter how good you are, no matter how well prepared, it’s a nervousness that never goes away. With everything that’s going on, I know it’s selfish, but I was ready to compete at the trials and, for lack of a better phrase, get it over with. I don’t say that to sound careless, but to be on the other side and just know one way or another, whatever the outcome. To postpone that, I felt like, would have been miserable.
When it was actually announced, however, I felt this sense of relief I wasn’t expecting. Time has always worked in my favor. Every preseason in Brad’s system has helped me improve exponentially. We now ultimately get an entire year of a preseason. We have the time to work on and fix things technically in a way we never have before. Before this was announced, I was truly jumping better than I ever have before. This time will allow me to continue to improve on that, and then rep it out over and over again. The trick to pole vault is just vaulting. Drills are fine and good, but it’s getting on the runway over and over again that creates true consistency.
This year we will have opportunities to jump. It’ll look different than what we had originally envisioned, but there will be competitions. And the exciting part is now, more than ever, it’s about the love of jumping. Let’s go out and try to jump as high as freaking possible without the stress of major competitions. Takes me back to high school when each meet was about trying to set a new PB.
I love this sport more than anything and this is reminding me that getting to pole vault is truly a privilege, not a right. I know I won’t take another session for granted, and I’ll make every day count so that I’m not only on that team in 2021, but that I have the best chance of bringing home a medal. I’ve always said that I want to compete against people at their best, and that would not be the case if the Olympics went on as planned this year. So while it’s strange and a tough pill to swallow, postponing it is 100% the right decision for athletics, as well the safety and health of humanity. Stay strong, stay safe, and God bless.