Pole vaulter Natalie Uy nears recovery from wrist injury

MANILA, Philippines – Filipina-American pole vault ace Natalie Uy is nearing full recovery from her aggravated wrist injury to get back on her preparations for the remaining Tokyo Olympics qualifiers.

“Injury is better. I’m almost fully training now,” she told The STAR on Thursday, adding a scheduled doctor's appointment next week to get full practice clearance.

The 26-year-old star initially suffered a cut on her left hand last August that sidelined her since then before having her return this month got stalled anew with a fractured wrist.

Still, Uy remains upbeat that she can regain top condition and reach peak form in time for the gradual resumption of around 20 Summer Games pole vault qualifying events left amid the pandemic.

With an added fuel from setting a national record of 4.30 meters in North Carolina last July, Uy aims at the Olympic standard 4.70-meter tally or make it inside the world’s Top 32 rankings to book a ticket to Tokyo.

She is currently training with former Olympian-turned-coach Brad Walker and world no. 5 Katie Nageotte in Atlanta for a bid to join EJ Obiena as the country’s pole vault Olympic representatives next year.