Nilsen Advances to World Championships final

EUGENE, Ore. South Dakota alumnus Chris Nilsen ’20 advanced to Sunday’s pole vault final at the 2022 World Athletics Track and Field Championships. The Finals are scheduled for 7:25 pm (CDT) Sunday.

Nilsen was clean through the Qualifying competition, clearing three bars on the first attempt makes leading up to the night’s final height of 18-10 (5.75m). The Qualifying competition wrapped up with only 12 men remaining over the height. They joined Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis and Germany’s Oleg Zernikel without any misses on the evening.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Nilsen was the Lone American to advance to Sunday’s final.

A three-time NCAA Champion for the Coyotes, Nilsen took home the silver medal at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics last summer and followed up with a Bronze at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in March. He vaulted an outdoor best of 19-8 (6.00m) back home in Vermillion at the USD Twilight in May, but also owns the American Indoor Record of 19-10 (6.05m) from the Perche Elite Tour in France this past March.