US Jennifer Suhr wins Olympic gold in the pole vault
Gold medalist Jennifer Suhr of the United States celebrate after the Women’s Pole Vault final on Day 10 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 6, 2012 in London, England.
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.
More from GlobalPost: 2012 London Games Coverage
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.’’
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