Georgia Tech grad Chaunté Lowe finished in fourth place in the women’s high jump Saturday night at the Rio Olympics, missing her first Olympic medal by the narrowest of margins.
Lowe’s best jump was the same as the three medalists – 1.97 meters, or 6’5 1/2”. All three failed to clear 2.00 meters, but Lowe placed fourth on countback – which separates jumpers based on how many failed attempts they had at the last successful height.
Competing in her fourth Olympics, Lowe cleared 1.97 meters on her third attempt, while the three women who also cleared it needed two or fewer attempts.
The American high-jump record holder and a three-time medalist in world championship events, Lowe had a last attempt at 2.00 meters (6’6 3/4”) where a successful jump would have given her gold and a failed attempt meant fourth place. She just missed a successful attempt, brushing the bar on her way over.
Graciously, as Lowe collected herself after her last failed attempt, dealing with having come up short again of the medal podium, she stood up to give gold-medal winner Ruth Beitia an enthusiastic embrace. Beitia, 37, was competing in her fourth Olympics like Lowe, and had also never medaled.
"Don't cry for me," Lowe wrote on her Instagram account after the event. "I am okay!!! i fought my hardest and (am) proud of that. I did not shed one tear. So proud of the ladies that medaled!!!!"
Lowe had come into the meet with the world’s best jump of the year, 2.01 meters – 6’7” – achieved at the U.S. Olympic trials in July.
Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria won silver and Blanka Vlasic of Croatia took bronze.
Georgia graduate Levern Spencer, competing for St. Lucia, finished sixth.
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