Olmsted Falls native and Ashland University alumna Katie Nageotte has won gold in the women’s pole vault at the Tokyo Olympics.
Nageotte cleared 4.9 meters on her second attempt and was the only woman to successfully vault that high. She had some missteps early — she failed to clear 4.5 meters in her first two attempts — but got into a groove shortly thereafter. The 30-year-old was a favorite heading into the final, having cleared a personal-best 4.95 meters earlier this year.
It only took one jump for Nageotte to make the Olympic finals. She cleared 4.55 meters with ease earlier this week.
Nageotte now trains at the Atlanta Track Club. Her family and local supporters gathered for a watch party locally during the Olympic final and WKYC captured the reaction after her medal-winning vault.
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This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 10, 2021.
