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Katie Nageotte Leads Team USA Pole Vault in Tokyo

The first-time Olympian eyes gold

American athletics is in good hands, especially in the women’s pole vault with gold-medal hopeful Katie Nageotte.

The first-time Olympian is a leading chance in the event, which starts on Sunday. She’s not the only chance, Team USA also has Sandi Morris, who has a chance to medal.

Katie Nageotte reacts as she competes in the Women's Pole Vault Final
Andy Lyons/Getty Images/AFP

Online sports betting markets are also available for the women’s javelin, where Maggie Malone is an outside chance to win.

Nageotte Wins U.S. Trials

Katie Nageotte qualified for her first Olympic Games and it came in emphatic fashion. She won the U.S. Olympic Trials and she jumped 4.90m in the Diamond League in Monaco.

The two-time NCAA Division II champion for Ashland University is proud to make the Olympic team and she’s a +250 chance to win gold.

“I feel a bit of pressure ahead of Tokyo, but after the U.S. Trials, this is more like a relief and I am very excited now that I am there and get to go,” Nageotte told Team USA.org. “Let’s just show everybody what we have been working on and what we can do.”

It’s an open pole vault division, but Nageotte is a top chance to win gold and we wouldn’t turn down the Olympic Games odds of +250. She is the form vaulter in the competition and she could return the United States to its glory days.

Morris is looking to go one better than her silver medal at the Rio Olympics. The 29-year-old has every chance of winning a medal, but the silver came with pressure to perform.

“My emotions going into that Olympics were very different than now,” Morris said. “I was just a kid having fun, and I don’t think it truly sank in how likely I was to medal until I actually did it. This time around, expectations are high. I am on the radar of the media because I am a medalist from Rio, and it can be quite overwhelming.”

More than winning a medal, Morris wants to be known for her grit. The former world record holder and 2018 world champion is a tough competitor and demands respect.

“I think what I want more than anything else is for people who watched me throughout my career to think back and say ‘Dang, that Sandi. She was a tough competitor. No matter the circumstances she would show up and compete,” she said.

Maggie Malone Needs PB

The best chance for a medal in the women’s javelin is Maggie Malone, who would need a personal best throw to be in contention.

Malone is a +1800 chance in Olympic javelin betting markets and her national record of 66.82m would put her close to a bronze medal position.

The 27-year-old from Texas finished 25th at the 2016 Rio Games and fifth in the 2019 US Track and Field Championships. She also won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016, so she is well-credentialed and good enough to make a push for a medal.

The odds could be worth taking and there are much worse competitors at shorter odds.

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