INDIANAPOLIS — Winning the Perche en Or pole vault meet with a pending American record, Chris Nilsen (Vermillion, South Dakota) earned recognition as the fifth USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2022. Nilsen, the silver medalist at last summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games, joined the elite 6-meter club with his winning clearance of 6.02m/19-9 at the pole vault-only event in Tourcoing, France, which was part of the Perche Elite Tour. The ratified American indoor record is 6.01m/19-8.5, set by Sam Kendricks at Rouen, France, on February 8, 2020, and Nilsen’s mark is pending verification by the USATF Records Committee. Nilsen had no misses in winning the competition at Tourcoing, going over five heights on his first attempts before the pending record clearance. After opening at 5.54m/18-2, Nilsen made quick work of 5.64m/18-6, 5.74m/18-10, 5.81m/19-0.75, and 5.92m/19-5. He is the 14th man in world history and the fourth American to clear 6.00m/19-8.25 or better indoors. Other top performances from last week:
Now in its 21st year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week. 2022 Winners: January 10, Alicia Monson; January 17, Keira D’Amato; January 24, Nyckoles Harbor; January 31, Elle Purrier St. Pierre; February 7, Chris Nilsen. We welcome your nominations! To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to communications@usatf.org. Join the conversation with USATF on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #USATF.