Who is Bridget Williams? All about the 28-year-old who stunned reigning Olympic champion Katie Moon to win the pole vault title at U.S. Olympic Trials

Bridget Williams etched her name in the annals of history at the U.S. Olympic trials where she beat a stacked field to seal her ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris, France. Bridget Williams cleared 4.73m to claim a win at the Hayward Field in Oregon.

The 28-year-old beat Katie Moon and Brynn King, who finished second and third respectively, clearing 4.73m. Bridget Williams will now make her Olympic Games debut on top of being crowned the national champion. This comes three years after she finished ninth at the 2021 U.S. Olympic qualifying events to miss out on the golden chance.

Her feat comes as a surprise since for the longest time, Sandi Morris and Moon had been on the top of American pole vaulting.

Before Sunday’s event, the former world university bronze medallist had never finished among the top three at any U.S. outdoor championship.

Speaking after the win, Williams credited her hard work that enabled her to push beyond limits and finally make her first Olympic team.

"It’s been a whirlwind of a few days. It’s part of a dream, but there are bigger things ahead other the Paris. Everyone wants to win a gold medal, but there is going to be a lot more opportunities for me to jump even higher," Williams told Trib Live.

Bridget Williams finished fourth at the USA Indoor Championships, failing to make it to the World Indoor Championships. She was also a contender in a series of Diamond League Meetings including Doha and the Prefontaine Classic where she finished fourth and fifth respectively.

We will now dive deep into knowing more about Bridget Williams’ journey in athletics so far.

Bridget Williams' family and hometown

Bridget Williams was born on March 18, 1996, and is 28 years old. She was born and raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Daria and Jim Guy. Williams also has two younger brothers, James and Jack, and a younger sister Megan.

When did Bridget Williams start competing in pole vault?

The American started playing pole vault in seventh grade in the Hempfield Area School District.

Bridget Williams education

Williams joined the University of Virginia from 2015 to 2019, exiting with a school record of 4.50m. She graduated with a earned her M.Ed. in higher education at the UVA School of Education and Human Development.

Bridget Williams’ other achievements

Williams at the World Championships in Budapest

Williams won a gold medal in the pole vault at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. She also finished third at the World University Games in 2019, clearing 4.31m.

She is also the 2014 Pennsylvania pole vault state champion and a two-time indoor All-State in pole vault. The pole vaulter also won the 2013 Westmoreland Community Coaches Association MVP Field Award.

Meanwhile, she is also a three-time NCAA All-American, when she represented the University of Virginia as a track and field student-athlete. In 2019, she was recognized as UVA’s top female point scorer at the NCAA Championships. She is a six-time all-conference performer in the Atlantic Coast Conference where she won twice.

As a university athlete, she also showcased class, setting a school record at three consecutive meets, clearing 4.20m at the Dr. Sanders Columbia Challenge, 4.30m at the Liberty Flames Invite, and 4.38m at the Tiger Paw Invite.