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PARIS — Alysha Newman found happiness long before she reached the Olympic pole vault final.
Yet, despite her contentment, the London native still needs to overcome the disaster of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when she failed to gain any altitude in the qualifying rounds, a performance that accelerated her personal and professional decline.
“I was miserable until they told me I was in the final,” an ecstatic Newman said Monday morning at the Stade de France. “A lot of people don’t know that I haven’t been in the final since 2019 and it’s been bothering me for five years and it’s been emotional and sad because it’s not like somebody wakes up and says I want to pole vault every day.
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“You have to have passion and enthusiasm behind it. And my environment, that’s what keeps me coming back. My coaches. They know me better than I know myself, and without them, I definitely wouldn’t keep trying. I laugh. I say this could be my last Olympics, but I don’t know. I’m having fun, I just turned 30, so maybe I’m entering a golden period, and I thought I was in my golden period before. This could be a new type of golden period.”
She competed in the Tokyo Olympics three months ago after suffering a concussion following a fall in a bathroom in Des Moines, Iowa. She was competing in the Drake Relays when she slipped and hit her face on the faucet while entering the tub.
She was devastated by the aftereffects of the concussion and the devastation caused by the Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, she told a reporter from The Athletic that she began drinking heavily around the Olympics to cope with severe anxiety that she attributed to the concussion.
Three years later, she’s back on track, and she credits the help of her coach and California neurologist Dr. Daniel Ammann, who gave her a rare understanding of brain health that she can use as a competitive advantage.
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“I’m not upset anymore. I used to do vaults based on my mood, and I think I’ve made a lot of progress with my neurologist this year. It’s been great to work with someone who’s so deep, not in mental health, but in brain health. It’s a different thing. It’s taking care of the brain.
“After I’m done I’m going to go take a shower, then I’m going to take a nap, and I’m going to sleep 10 hours tonight. It’s a different way of looking at vaulting and my athletic career, and I’m glad to have that advantage because I’m learning more about the brain and how my brain works on the track.”
She sprinted across the track on Monday, becoming one of 11 women to clear 4.55m. World athletics rules dictate that there must be at least 12 athletes in the final, so anyone who clears 4.40m on their first attempt is included. Somewhat shockingly, Britain’s Molly Cowdery, the current world indoor champion, failed to advance after failing to complete the high jump.
Newman started at 4.40m and failed on her first attempt, but she didn’t panic and simply adjusted.
“I’m nervous. This is my third Olympics and it doesn’t get easier, I’m telling you right now,” she said. “The great thing about this experience is that I’m more adaptable now. I’m very flexible when things don’t go as planned.”
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She’s ready to go with a bigger bar, and having cleared 4.55 meters, she looks like she could match her personal best of 4.83 meters set indoors in February, or at least the 4.75 meters she’s cleared five times this year. In other words, she should be a standout in Wednesday’s final.
“I kept hearing Oh Canada in my dreams, so whatever that means,” she said.
Qualifying for this Olympics final means she can forget about the Tokyo Olympics, and the string of disappointments she endured in 2019 long before the concussion, and focus on doing well here.
Newman, who attended Mother Theresa’s School in London, has proven she can excel on the big stage, winning gold and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games and bronze at the Pan American Games. She also finished fifth and seventh at the world championships. She is 17.day It was her debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but she has since learned a lot more about herself and her sport.
“I’m ready to show everyone what my true skills are,” she said. “I know I’m one of the best technicians in the world and I’m ready to show that on Wednesday.”
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