PARIS, FRANCE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW):  Track and Field events at the Paris games have begun.  

Former UVA Pole Vaulter Bridget Williams kicked off her Olympic competition in the Women’s Preliminaries at the Stade de France.  During the Olympic trials last month in Eugene, Williams came back from 13th position with 5 first attempt clearances in a row to win the Olympic trials over former Olympic medalist Sandy Morris, and Olympic champion Katie Moon.

 She began preliminary competition this morning as a medal contender alongside Moon and fellow American Brynn King.  After clearances at 4.20 and 4.40, Williams missed clearing 4.55 three times, eliminating her from the competition.    

However, Williams was not the only one who had trouble at that height, enough women had three missed at 4.55 that the field was expanded from 11 to 20 for Wednesday’s final.  Sadly, for the Greensburg, Pennsylvania native, she missed once at 4.40 before clearing it, causing her to finish 22nd overall, bringing her debut Olympic Games to a premature end.  

Williams will exit the competition alongside gold-medal favorite Molly Caudrey of Great Britain, who was unable to place a single mark in the entire preliminary competition.