University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Leleux Wraps Up Competition at Tokyo Olympics
8/5/2021 2:46:00 PM | Track and Field
2016 UL All-American battled partially torn achilles to reach finals
TOKYO - A partially torn achilles was never going to stop 2016 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Track and Field All-American Morgann Leleux from competing in the Olympics.
After disclosing her injury via Instagram following Monday's qualifying round in which she cleared 14 feet, 11 inches to reach the finals, the New Iberia native and Sun Belt Conference record-holder in the women's pole vault was not able to give a repeat performance as she missed on her opening mark in three attempts at 14-9 during Thursday's final.
"Heavy heavy heart tonight. I think I fought so hard this year to get to this point and while my mind was ready…physically I had nothing left to give," she said in an Instagram post. "I gave it all I had with every ounce of my heart and while it'll take sometime to gather myself…I am still very grateful for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics for the USA."
The eighth UL athlete to compete in the Olympics, Leleux excelled in her lone season as a Ragin' Cajun after an All-American career at the University of Georgia. She shattered the SBC record in 2016 with a mark of 14-10 at the SBC Outdoor Championships in Lafayette and finished second overall at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., after clearing a school- and SBC-record 15-1. Leleux finished fourth overall at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials before eventually going through a two-year period where she competed in one outdoor event.
Leleux's quest for the 2020 Olympics, moved back a year due to the Global COVID-19 pandemic, began in late March at the Texas Relays with a progression which saw a then-season best 15-31/2 at the SLU Pre-Conference Tuneup and a career-best 15-5 and a second-place finish at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
"I wish with all my heart I could have made you all so damn proud," said Leleux. "But through it all you stood by my side and cheered me on and I cannot thank y'all enough! It truly means everything. This is not over I will be back better than before????"
After disclosing her injury via Instagram following Monday's qualifying round in which she cleared 14 feet, 11 inches to reach the finals, the New Iberia native and Sun Belt Conference record-holder in the women's pole vault was not able to give a repeat performance as she missed on her opening mark in three attempts at 14-9 during Thursday's final.
"Heavy heavy heart tonight. I think I fought so hard this year to get to this point and while my mind was ready…physically I had nothing left to give," she said in an Instagram post. "I gave it all I had with every ounce of my heart and while it'll take sometime to gather myself…I am still very grateful for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics for the USA."
The eighth UL athlete to compete in the Olympics, Leleux excelled in her lone season as a Ragin' Cajun after an All-American career at the University of Georgia. She shattered the SBC record in 2016 with a mark of 14-10 at the SBC Outdoor Championships in Lafayette and finished second overall at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., after clearing a school- and SBC-record 15-1. Leleux finished fourth overall at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials before eventually going through a two-year period where she competed in one outdoor event.
Leleux's quest for the 2020 Olympics, moved back a year due to the Global COVID-19 pandemic, began in late March at the Texas Relays with a progression which saw a then-season best 15-31/2 at the SLU Pre-Conference Tuneup and a career-best 15-5 and a second-place finish at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
"I wish with all my heart I could have made you all so damn proud," said Leleux. "But through it all you stood by my side and cheered me on and I cannot thank y'all enough! It truly means everything. This is not over I will be back better than before????"
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