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The 114th iteration of the Drake Relays began on April 21 and will go on until April 27 in Des Moines, Iowa. This competition consists of multiple events and renowned athletes, and the pole vault event in particular, which took place at the Jordan Creek mall, has drawn the attention of fans on social media.
Pole vault returned to the Drake Relays this year for the first time since 2014. The fact that it took place in a mall saw the event receive eyeballs from the public. Additionally, videos of the event made it onto X (formerly Twitter), grabbing the attention of pole vault enthusiasts online as well.
A page named SoundOFF shared a video of pole vault performances at the mall, which instantly received responses from fans.
Trending
The post was captioned:
"After a 10 year hiatus the Drake Relays Pole Vault returned to Jordan Creek mall and vaulters dazzled fans. KC Lightfoot wins the men's competition with a jump of 19' 4 1/4. 2nd best jump in the world this year. Bridget Williams wins the women's vault, 15' 4 1/4"
One fan praised the decision to execute the pole vault event in a mall as a great marketing idea.
"YO THIS IS THE DOPEST S**T I HAVE EVER SEEN!! This is how you market to consumers outside of tthe sport!!" the fan wrote.
Another fan stated:
"That is so cool! I think this would be a hit anywhere."
Appreciating the addition of the indoor pole vault at the event, one user left a comment that read:
"The Drake Relays this week. This indoor event has been a cool addition to the long and storied tradition of the Drake Relays."
Results of pole vault in the Drake Relays 2024
The men's title of the pole vault at Jordan Creek was nabbed by American record holder KC Lightfoot.
He soared to the height of 19 feet 4 1/4 inches to clinch first place with the second best performance in history. Lightfoot also grabbed a facility record, surpassing the previous record of 19-0 1/4 by Bjorn Otto of Germany in 2013.
In the women's category, Pan American gold medalist Bridget Williams took the gold medal. She cleared the height of 15-4.25/4.68m on her very first attempt.
Lightfoot opened up about his experience of vaulting in a mall after his victory, saying (via godrakebulldogs.com):
"It was definitely a unique experience. I've jumped in several street vaults but never in a mall, so I had to get used to the visuals, but it was a lot of fun."
