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"I survived the Olympic trials" - Katie Moon nearing her top form ahead of Paris Olympics 2024 after battling injuries at the start of season
Katie Moon has been at the forefront of the women's pole vault in the last couple of years. The 33-year-old has had an underwhelming season so far after suffering an Achilles injury earlier this year. However, the Olympic champion has expressed hope for a better season ahead as she slowly sees improvement in her performances.
Moon has been out of the competition for most of 2024 nursing an Achilles tendinosis, which also kept her out of February's World Indoor Tour. Though she didn't have to undergo any surgery, it did break her momentum, competing only thrice before the Olympic Trials in the 2024 outdoor season.
At the Olympic Trials, Moon jumped 4.50m in the qualification rounds to qualify for the finals. The 32-year-old posted 4.73m, also her best of the outdoor season so far, to finish second and set up her title defense at the Paris Olympics 2024. But before that, she is competing at the Monaco Diamond League on July 12.
Speaking at the Diamond League Press conference, Katie Moon claimed that the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials were stressful for her but she was grateful to manage to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
“It's been a rollercoaster, and I survived the trials. It's pretty much all you can do. Everything about that meet is stressful. It's not really fun but you just try to come out on the other side of having made the team and I am so grateful that i did that," she said.
Katie Moon also spoke about her Achilles injury, saying that she was feeling better with her runs. The reigning Olympic champion also expressed excitement for the season ahead, particularly the Olympic Games.
"But with that being said I do feel like that few weeks ago we turned the corner with Achilles and I am starting to get really good training again both on the runway and just running workout. So, I'm building out that fitness again that is required at these types of meets with this caliber of women jumping. I'm very excited to leave the stress of trials behind," she added.
Katie Moon suffered from "post-Olympic blues" after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Katie Moon won the pole vault gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with an impressive 4.90m. It marked her maiden Olympic medal in her maiden Olympic Games. However, the high of winning the gold was followed by an underwhelming season in the first half of 2022.
“I really struggled. I had what they have deemed ‘post-Olympic blues’ or ‘post-Olympic depression.’ I just really crashed in every sense of the word. I was so stressed all year long, and I had a terrible season," Moon told NBC.
After winning her first competition in January, Moon went winless in eight straight competitions in 2022. However, she redeemed herself with a maiden World Championship in July, which also ended her losing streak.
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