Nate Allen

FAYETTEVILLE - Former Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA women’s pole vault champion Sandi Morris’ Olympic quest to surpass her U.S. 2016 silver medal snapped with her pole during Monday’s qualifying at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Morris’ had cleared 4.50 meters when her pole snapped on her first attempt at 4.55 meters and spilled  her into a crash landing that injured her hip.

““I overstretched my hip a little bit,” Morris was quoted. ”But, I think I’m okay.”

Unfortunately she wasn’t.

“I don’t know what I did, but my hip is really hurting,” Morris, the 2019 World champion  said. “It’s like popping.”

She couldn’t reach the bar on her next attempt and failed to get airborne on her finale ending her 2021 Olympics in tears.

In Fayetteville, Arkansas Head Women’s Coach Lance Harter had talked with Bryan Compton, Arkansas’ women’s vault coach and still Morris’ coach including coaching her in Tokyo.

“Bryan said her pole snapped at the base,” Harter said. “She was jumping really well and getting ready to jump at 4.55 which was going to take her to the final.  She had been jumping dead on but there apparently was a weakness in that pole right on the base and it hit the box and then just snapped.  When it broke she ended up straining her hip.  When it breaks it’s just a mess and she’s out.”

Of course at this point Harter didn’t know Morris’ future plans but certainly could foresee her trying again for the 2024 Olympics.

“I’ve never heard say anything to the contrary,” Harter said. “Her husband just finished his masters, MBA at the University of Texas and I think they were eventually planning in moving back to North Carolina (Sandi’s native state).  But I would certainly think she would stay with it.”

Representing her native Slovenia, former Compton coached Razorback NCAA champion vaulter Tina Sutej cleared 14.55 Monday and advanced among the Olympic vault’s eight finalists.