Former Ole Miss athlete Sam Kendricks makes the podium at the Paris Olympics

Day 10 was an eventful day for the US. A bronze medal in the mixed triathlon was upgraded to silver, while gymnast Simone Biles missed out on the podium after slipping on the bar. When it got to track and field in the evening, Ole Miss's McKenzie Long made the women's 200m final, with Sam Kendricks competing in the men's pole vault final.

Kendricks missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a positive COVID test, despite his adamant claim that it was a false positive. Four years on, the Mississippi native turned his disappointment into a drive, winning the silver medal by clearing a 5.95-meter hurdle last night.

"“Rather than run away from it, like I really wanted to, you gotta come back, you gotta face that lion.” "

- Kendricks speaking about Tokyo Olympics

Kendricks finished second behind Swedish athlete and Louisiana native Armand Duplantis, who broke the Olympic record height, before breaking the world record of 6.25m on his third attempt. It was a great pole vault final, with Greek athlete Emmanouil Karalis taking the bronze medal.

During his second attempt at 6.00, Kendricks cut his hand on his spikes, resulting in blood visible on his arm and shoulder. The 31-year-old continued despite the injury, attempting his final attempt at the height, but couldn't continue the gold medal challenge.

"“I’ve got very sharp spikes. “As I was really committing to first jump at six meters (19 feet, 6 1/4 inches), I punctured my hand three times and it wouldn’t stop bleeding. And rather than wipe it on my nice uniform, I had to wipe it on my arm."

- Kendricks on cutting his hand

The silver medal is added to the collection, alongside the Bronze medal he won at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Kendricks also won the pole vault at the 2017 and 2019 World Athletic Championships.