The Support Fuels Kendricks
(This is a continuation of part 2 of this series of articles)
Kendricks came into this event as the one to look out for. He was expected to win, especially after the outcome of the world indoor championships in March, where he emerged as the second best pole vaulter on the day. He was only bested by the defending Olympic champion from France, Renaud Lavillenie. Kendricks also had the season’s second highest jump in the world, again only behind the Frenchman, Lavillenie. (If you are interested in high quality vaulting poles, check out these ones).
Kendricks had his fair share of love and support from the fans on the day. Here is his reaction to the fantastic support he received: "There's that thunder in your heart when you hear the crowd behind you, especially when you look around." He went on to say, "it's funny, when you look to the left, you hear them right there in your ear, and then you look to your right and hear that clap, you get that double heartbeat action. It made me feel like everyone was behind me, and that's what I love about the pole vault. We get to be out there all day and you can really feel the crowd get behind you."
Now that he has secured his spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kendricks can now focus on the mission at hand. The stage does not get bigger than this, especially for track and field athletes. So the army reservist has to, and will, bring his absolute best to the table, even if it means facing the giant that is, Renaud Lavillenie.