Intel

Army Reservist Sam Kendricks, Who Stopped for Anthem in 2016, Out of Olympics With COVID-19

July 29, 2021Matt White
Sam Kendricks pole vault

Army Reserve 1st Lt. Sam Kendricks, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the pole vault, withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics Thursday after a positive COVID-19 test. Photo courtesy of DVIDs.

Army Reserve 1st Lt. Sam Kendricks — who came to attention for the national anthem in the middle of a pole vault attempt in the 2016 Olympics — withdrew from the Tokyo Games Thursday morning after testing positive for COVID-19. Kendricks is the reigning world champion in pole vaulting and was the bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympics. He was expected to compete for the gold in Tokyo.


But Kendricks is probably best known to the American public for a moment of military bearing and patriotism in the 2016 Games. Then a second lieutenant, Kendricks was in the middle of a pole vault attempt in the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos in Rio when a medal ceremony for a different event began playing the US national anthem over the stadium’s loudspeakers.



Kendricks stopped his run and stood at attention for the duration of the anthem.


USA Today reported that Kendricks’ father, who is also his coach, posted on Instagram — and then deleted — that Kendricks “feels fine and has no symptoms.”



Kendricks was a two-time NCAA national champion in the pole vault at the University of Mississippi and has competed internationally as an Army Reserve officer since.


Kendricks is at least the seventh US Olympian to miss a competition as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.


Read Next: How To Watch US Military Members and Vets in the Olympics: A Day-by-Day Viewing Guide



Matt White
Matt White

Matt White is a former senior editor for Coffee or Die Magazine. He was a pararescueman in the Air Force and the Alaska Air National Guard for eight years and has more than a decade of experience in daily and magazine journalism.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
navy seal training
Navy SEALS Training Plagued by Massive Problems, According To Investigation

Medical oversight and care were “poorly organized, poorly integrated and poorly led and put candidat...

memorial day arlington
Memorial Day Is a Day of Remembrance, Not Celebration

Memorial Day was created as a remembrance to honor the fallen by decorating graves — a holiday meant...

air force joint chiefs
Air Force Fighter Pilot Tapped As Next Joint Chiefs Chairman Has History of Firsts

The Air Force fighter pilot about to be nominated as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

sowf special operations warrior foundation
BRCC Donates $500K to Special Operations Warrior Foundation

In an effort to continue Black Rifle Coffee Company’s mission of supporting the veteran community, B...

Coca Cola 600
BRCC to Honor Fallen Marine During NASCAR’s Legendary Coca-Cola 600

Black Rifle Coffee Company will honor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa during NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day. Menusa was killed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.

uss gerald r. ford oslo
US Aircraft Carrier Arrives In NATO Member Norway, To Take Part In Drills

The nuclear-powered ship USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed personnel on board.

adam driver indy 500
Marine Vet, Actor Adam Driver Named Honorary Starter for Indianapolis 500

Two-time Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, who will soon be starring as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved