USD’s Chris Nilsen wins Olympic silver in pole vault

By Mitchell Now August 3, 2021 8:33 am

University of South Dakota track and field star Chris Nilsen has won the silver medal in pole vault at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nilsen cleared a personal best of 5.97 meters. Gold medalist Mondo Duplantis of Sweden won with a clearance of 6.02 meters.

The Kansas City native, Nilsen, is a six-time NCAA Div. I First-Team All-American and three-time NCAA track and field pole vault champion. He holds the South Dakota Coyotes school records in the pole vault for both indoor (5.80 meters) and outdoor (5.86 meters). Nilson graduated from USD in 2020 and is the highest American finisher in the pole vault since 2004

Nilson was the gold medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games and also competed with Team USA at the 2017 World Championships. He is USD’s fourth-ever Olympian on record. He follows in the footsteps of his coach, Derek Miles, who qualified for three Olympics — 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing and 2012 London. Miles earned the bronze in the pole vault in the 2008 Olympic Games.

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