Suhr brings home Olympic pole vault gold for US

Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, 100-meter gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and 400-meter winner Sanya Richards-Ross also made it through. Richards-Ross had the best time of the bunch at 22.48 seconds after a restless four or five hours of sleep the night before with her new gold medal.

"I just feel lighter and free and so I'm just going to go out there and give it my best and hopefully make it through the semifinals as well," she said.

While Richards-Ross was expected to win in the 400, Suhr wasn't really the favorite, not only because of Isinbayeva's presence, but because of all she's been through the last four years.

Some might say the real drama started at the Beijing Olympics, where television cameras caught her husband and coach, Rick Suhr, berating her minutes after her runner-up performance. At that time, few knew they were romantically involved. They married in January 2010.

This time — a much different scene at the end.

Rick Suhr discovered his future wife playing pickup basketball in 2004, saw a fantastic athlete there and turned her into a pole vaulter. They worked out in a pair of Quonset huts Rick pushed together at his home in western New York.

As time passed, Suhr kept expanding the practice facility upward — as his wife's jumps threatened to scrape the roof.

An investment well worth it.

"That's all I kept thinking," Suhr said. "We're doing this for more than one person. It's not just me."