US Jennifer Suhr wins Olympic gold in the pole vault

American pole vaulter Jennifer Suhr won the gold after clearing 15 feet, 7 inches, or 4.75 meters.

The Associated Press reported Suhr defeated Cuba’s Yarisley Silva, who cleared the same height but lost on a tiebreaker because she had one more miss in the competition.

CBS Sports reported Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, who took the bronze, was attempting her third straight gold after winning the pole vault in 2004 and 2008.

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Suhr took the silver medal in Beijing and has been fighting an Achilles injury and a long illness that turned out to be a gluten allergy, the AP reported.

‘‘It’s very emotional,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s something you work very hard for for four years. And heartbreak and joy and some more heartbreak. To overcome it and come out on top, is something that whenever I thought of, I started crying. I knew it was going to be emotional.’’