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Ludwig finished fourth at the Olympic track and field trials in the United States and was named a substitute for the United States pole vault team. He was packing boxes to leave his apartment at Akron University, where he is a volunteer trainer, on Wednesday when the phone rang.
Sam kendricks, Ludwig, America’s top pole vaulter and favorite for gold in Tokyo, was told had tested positive for COVID-19 and was not at the Games. He had eight hours to pack up and get on the plane.
Ludwig arrived in Tokyo at 4 p.m. Friday. He had a snack, some sleep, got a uniform just before getting on the team bus for the competition which started around 10 a.m. on Saturday.
He cleared two runs at 5.5 yards, but missed all three tries at 5.65. meters. And just like that. Ludwig’s Games were over.
But whatever. Under these circumstances, Ludwig’s performance was simply amazing. And he will forever be an Olympian.
“The guy had a 14 or 13 hour flight from Chicago to Tokyo, slept six or seven hours, then got on the runway and jumped two bars,” his teammate said. Chris Nilsen said Tom Schad of USA Today. “So the respect I have for this man is enormous. “
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