"I have to be honest"- Olympic Medalist Sandi Morris speaks on the harsh truth of being an athlete ahead of the Paris Olympics

Incoming three-time Olympian Sandi Morris opened up about the difficulties that athletes face off the field as she gets ready to head to her third Games. The pole vaulter recently spoke about the pressure of scrutiny that sports stars must deal with.

Morris made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games as the freshly crowned World Indoor Championships silver medalist. The American faced a difficult field, but walked away with yet another silver, finishing behind Katerina Stefanidi.

From there, the 32-year-old continued to give spectacular performances, bagging silver at the 2017 as well as 2019 World Championships, and gold at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, making her one of the frontrunners to take the crown in Tokyo. However, disaster struck the American at the 2020 Games, where a snapped pole resulted in an injury that took her out of the competition.

Now, one more World Championships silver and World Indoor Championships gold later, Sandi Morris is getting ready to head to her third Games, this time as an alternate. Detailing the pressure that comes with being an athlete at the top of their sport, the pole vaulter wrote on X,

“Man, I have to be honest. One of the worst parts of being an athlete is having to see the world pick apart/evaluate your performances/career under a microscope and having to keep your mouth closed and eyes ahead because the only way forward is to perform.”

Morris went on to add that while scrutiny could be intense for athletes, it translated to growth for the sport of track and field.

“And to add to this, we know the fans talking is good for the sport. I like when I see comments bickering about who’s the best/which performances were best because, hey, they’re talking about us! Just can’t let it get in your head. Shut it out if you see it & let it motivate you!”

Sandi Morris finishes third at the London Diamond League

In a busy year that’s already seen her compete a handful of times, Sandi Morris' latest outing came at the London Diamond League. Taking to the field a week after she competed at the Ed Murphy Classic, the American cleared a height of 4.65m to finish third.

Ahead of her, Australian World Champion Nina Kennedy was first with a mark of 4.85, while Canada's Alysha Newman was second having cleared 4.75m.

This marked Morris' second Diamond League meet of the season. Her first was the Doha DL, where she finished sixth after clearing a mediocre 4.53.

Outside of these performances, Sandi Morris has clinched gold multiple times in 2024. She opened her year on a winning note at the National Pole Vault Summit. The American's season had also seen her win the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, the USATF San Diego Imperial Association Championships, and the Ed Murphy Classic.