Bridget Williams (athlete)

Bridget Williams
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1996-03-18) March 18, 1996 (age 28)
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
EmployerUST ESSX VAULTING POLES[1]
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportAthletics
Track and field
EventPole Vault
Turned pro2019
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Pole Vault:
Outdoor: 4.71 m (15 ft 5 in) (Knoxville, 2021);
Indoor: 4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) (Clermont-Ferrand, 2024)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Santiago Pole vault

Bridget Williams (née Guy born March 18, 1996) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the pole vault.[2] Williams grew up training and competing in Artistiic Gymnastics, but started competing pole vaulting at her Junior High school, with some success in high school she earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Virginia.[3] Williams finished fourth at the US national championships in Eugene, Oregon in July 2023.[4] She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.[5] She qualified for the final with a clearance of 4.65 metres.[6] She won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.[7] She won the 2024 US Olympic trials with a clearance of 4.73 metres.[8] At the 2024 Paris Olympics games, Williams finished 12th in her heat, resulting in a 22nd place overall, which resulted in her not qualifying to the finals.[9]

Professional career

Representing the  United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Result
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 22nd (q) Pole vault 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
2023 Pan American Games Santiago, Chile 1st Pole Vault 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
World Championships Budapest, Hungary 12th Pole Vault 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
World Athletics Indoor Tour Birmingham, England 6th Pole Vault 4.51 m (14 ft 10 in)
2019 World Universities Games Naples, Italy 3rd Pole Vault 4.31 m (14 ft 2 in)

National championships

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2015 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships Eugene, Oregon 9th Pole vault 3.95 m (12 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
2019 USATF Championships Des Moines, Iowa 10th pole vault NH @ 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in)[10]
2020 USATF Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 11th pole vault 4.35 m (14 ft 3+1⁄4 in)
2021 US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 9th pole vault 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
2022 USATF Championships Spokane, Washington 3rd pole vault 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
2022 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 7th pole vault 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)[11]
2023 USATF Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 3rd pole vault 4.61 m (15 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
2023 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 4th pole vault 4.61 m (15 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
2024 US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 1st pole vault 4.73 m (15 ft 6 in)

NCAA Vaulting

Bridget is a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American as a Virginia Cavaliers track and field student-athlete.As a 6-time all conference performer in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Bridget won 2 ACC crowns.[12]

Bridget Williams improved from 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in) to 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in) at UVA. Williams attended the University of Virginia between 2015 and 2019.[13]

Bridget Williams left University of Virginia as a school record holder pole vaulter.

High School

Bridget Williams won 2014 Penn high school AAA state final clearing a Hempfield Area High School pole vault record 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in).[14]

References

  1. ^ UST ESSX VAULTING POLES Bridget Williams
  2. ^ "Bridget Williams". World Athletics. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Anglican Province of America (August 3, 2024). Elevated Ambitions: Bridget Williams on Pole Vaulting, the Olympics, and Faith in Jesus Christ. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Beckner, Bill (July 10, 2023). "Hempfield alum Bridget Williams headed to world championships in pole vault". Tribune Live. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Gault, Jonathan (August 7, 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "Women's Pole Vault Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Boal, Eric (November 3, 2023). "Erin Marsh Captures Heptathlon Gold, Bridget Williams Soars to Women's Pole Vault Title for U.S. at Pan American Games". Runnerspace. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Henderson, Jason (July 1, 2024). "World 400m hurdles record for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  9. ^ Hartlep, Bill (August 5, 2024). "Hempfield grad Bridget Williams' Olympic run ends in pole vault qualifying round". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  10. ^ "Results". results.usatf.org. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  11. ^ "Results". results.usatf.org. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  12. ^ Bridget Guy profile Virginia Cavaliers
  13. ^ "Bridget Williams". Hokie Sports. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  14. ^ Schofield, Paul (June 24, 2021). "Hempfield's Williams, Latrobe's Green advance at U.S. Olympic trials". Tribune Live. Retrieved August 23, 2023.

Media