US women finish in Olympic pole vault finals

Americans Jenn Suhr and Sandi Morris go for medals

American Sandi Morris nearly got the gold in the women’s pole vault in Rio Friday but settled for a silver after missing her last jump.

Morris is a 24-year-old South Carolina native who won the silver at the 2016 World Indoor Championships.

The other American in the competition, Jenn Suhr, was favored to defend her 2012 Olympic title, but did not medal Friday.

Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece won the gold and Eliza McCartney of New Zealand won the bronze.

Besides her gold in London, Suhr also won silver at the 2008 Beijing Games and won gold at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in March. Suhr finished seventh in Friday's finals.

Fellow American Lexi Weeks failed to advance from qualifying on Tuesday.

The event was missing Russia's biggest track and field star in two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva, who was banned from the Rio Games with the rest of the Russian track and field team.

The 34-year-old Isinbayeva, who won bronze in 2012 after winning gold in 2008 and 2004, announced her retirement on Friday.


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