From USD To Tokyo, Chris Nilsen Qualifies For The Olympics

University of South Dakota alum and pole vault stand out Chris Nilsen has qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

On Monday, Nilsen won gold at the Olympic Trials event in Eugene, Oregon to punch his ticket to the big show. He cleared 19-4 ¼ to win the competition. The other two qualifiers from Monday’s trials, Sam Kendricks and KC Lightfoot, both had top heights of 19-2 ¼.

Nilsen did qualify for the Olympic Trials as well back in 2016, but he fell short of making the US Olympic team. At that point, he was only 18-years old.

“I have been thinking of this day for the last five years, and even more so the last two months. It is such an honor to be able to represent the University of South Dakota here on the big stage,” stated Nilsen. “Tonight, I get to go to bed as an Olympian.”

“If you asked me a year ago if I was going to make the Olympic team, that answer would have been immediately ‘No.’ If you would have asked me this morning, I would have said ‘I don’t know, maybe not,’” Nilsen said.

USD Track and Field coach Derek Miles is also an elite pole vaulter. He’s qualified for the Olympics three times and in 2008 (Beijing) won the bronze medal in the event.

“Coach [Derek Miles] told me, ‘Don’t think about pole vault, don’t think about winning, don’t think about top three – just go out there and have fun.’ That probably sounds cliché, but that was probably the only time he’s actually said that to me,” explained Nilsen. “After I won, he congratulated me and gave me a hug.”

Nilsen graduated from USD in 2020 and during his time as a Coyote won three NCAA championships. He’s also a seven-time All-American. He is one of six USD student-athletes competing this week at US Olympic Trials events.