Plainfield Central alum falls short of competing at Paris Olympics

Joliet — Plainfield native and Joliet business owner Luke Winder competed last month at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, and qualified for the finals, placing sixth overall.

Although not a high enough placement to send him to the Summer Olympics in Paris this August, Winder, who had an uphill battle training for the trials after several bouts of illness this winter, said he was very happy with the experience and his results.

He also suffered a case of appendicitis that recurred as he was finishing at the trials and required surgery upon his return home.

“Overall, it was an awesome experience to be out there,” Winder said. “After everything I’ve been through getting sick, to get to compete at that level and do well was amazing. I’m very thankful to be in the position I’m in, three spots out of the Olympics at my first-ever trials.”

The former Illinois state track and field champion finished the preliminary rounds June 21 in a three-way tie for 11th place, having cleared four bars with a top height of 5.65 meters (18 feet, 6.5 inches).

Usually, the top 12 contestants advance to the final round; however, given the complex tie, 13 contenders were allowed to compete in the final Olympic-qualifying round June 23.

“I struggled a little in the prelim,” Winder said. “I ended up jumping higher in that round than I did in the final, but I needed multiple attempts on a few jumps, which affects the ranking. After the prelim, I got the jitters out. I watched the replays to make a few technical adjustments, and I felt more in control on Sunday, like I could just go out there and compete.”

During the final round, Winder cleared two bars with his highest vault coming in at 5.62 meters (18 feet, 5.3 inches), which he cleared on his first attempt. He tied for sixth place with one other contestant, Zach Bradford, another former Illinois High School Association state champion from Bloomington.

Four years is a long time, but with the support of my family and my wife, I hope to continue for another four years and see where it takes me in 2028.”

—  Luke Winder

“It was a really, really fun time,” Winder said. “It was a super close competition in the final round. All 13 finalists came within a foot-and-a-half spread for their highest jumps, and the three who made it were three of the heaviest hitters in the event going in.”

The three athletes who will be representing the U.S. in pole vault in Paris are Sam Kendricks, who placed first with a jump of 5.95 meters (19 feet, 5.1 inches), alongside Chris Nilson and Jacob Wooten, who tied for second at a height of 5.87 meters (19 feet, 3.1 inches).

This will be Kendricks’ third trip to the Olympic games, while Nilson will be competing on the Olympic stage for the second time.

Although the trials may have marked the end of Winder’s season, it’s not the end of his Olympic ambitions, as he continues to train while coaching full time at Rise Pole Vault, the business he owns with his older brother Jake, who also is his personal coach.

“There’s a lot of time,” the 28-year-old said. “Four years is a long time, but with the support of my family and my wife, I hope to continue for another four years and see where it takes me in 2028.”

Winder expressed his extreme gratitude to his wife Amber for her ongoing support, which she has been providing since the couple first met in high school in 2013.

“All of this depends on the support of my wife,” he said. “It’s incredibly helpful having someone like her in my life, being supportive of my nontraditional career. She has done so much for me this year. She’s had a huge impact on my performance and my ability to stay confident in myself.”

Winder said that Amber surprised him the morning of the trials with a video that she had edited of more than 20 people sending him well wishes and support, including former coaches, relatives and family friends.

“She didn’t need to do that,” he said. “It meant a lot to me, and it took a lot for her to go and do all that. There were definitely some happy tears shed before the competition.”

Winder is currently recovering from his appendectomy surgery and will resume training for the indoor track and field season in the fall.