Former Wahoo Bridget Williams Qualifies for Olympics as US Pole Vault Champion

Another Wahoo is headed to Paris. Former Virginia track star Bridget Williams secured her spot at the Olympics by winning gold in the women’s pole vault at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday. Williams cleared the bar at every height on her first attempt, and her victory in the 4.73m event made her the U.S. national champion in the event.

Williams (formerly Guy) is a 28-year-old from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. She was a three-time All-American, two-time ACC champion, and six-time All-ACC selection during her time at UVA. She broke the school pole vault record eight times.

Since turning professional, Williams has qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she qualified for the final, and won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Three years after finishing ninth at the 2021 U.S. Olympic qualifying events, Williams will head to the Olympics for the first time as the U.S. women’s national pole vault champion.

The women’s pole vault competition begins with qualifications on Monday, August 5. The final will take place on Wednesday, August 7 at Stade de France.

Now that Williams has secured her ticket to Paris, 10 current, former or future Cavaliers are now confirmed to represent the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris:

US Olympic Tennis Team: Danielle Collins (UVA ’16) and Emma Navarro (UVA ’22)

United States Olympic Swimming Team: Paige Madden (UVA ’21), Gretchen Walsh (UVA ’25), Kate Douglass (UVA ’23), Emma Weber (UVA ’26), Alex Walsh (UVA ’24), Thomas Heilman (UVA ’29)

US Women’s Olympic Soccer Team: Emily Sonnett (UVA ’16)

US Olympic Track and Field Team: Bridget Williams (UVA ’19)