Todd Clausen and David Woods

Staff writers

The defending Olympic pole vault champion advances to compete in Friday's final.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Pole vaulter Jenn Suhr said Tuesday was the worst she has felt since becoming ill in Brazil. Fortunately for her, she has until Friday night to attempt a repeat gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Suhr made it through the qualifying round by clearing 15 feet, 1 inch on her first attempt. Seven women made it at 15-1, plus five with first-time clearances of 14-9.

Suhr, 34, of Riga, said she thought she would start to feel better by Tuesday morning but did not. She welcomed the upcoming days off.

"I can deal with the respiratory (issues). It’s the dizziness, and the cough," Suhr said. "It’s just a battle right now."

She passed three heights, waiting for the bar to be raised to 14-9. She missed her first attempt but made the second, then made 15-1 on her first. She said she would consult with Rick Suhr, her husband and coach, about adjustments.

"I thought I came in pretty hard, but I know that I was off in terms of my head, and my perception was off," Suhr said. "Physically, I feel like I can vault higher than that, but mentally I’m not."

She wasn’t the only favorite to flounder. Less than 12 hours after Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva won a historic gold medal in the men’s vault, Brazil’s Fabiana Murer failed to make the women’s final.

Murer, 35, also opened at 14-11 and didn’t clear a height, just as she failed to make a bar at London in 2012. She was world champion in 2011, world silver medalist in 2015 and has the second-highest outdoor vault of this year, 15-11 3/4.

Cuban world champion Yarisley Silva needed a third attempt to vault 14-11, then made 15-1 on her first attempt.

"Everything is different in qualifiers," Suhr said. "When you get through, you breathe a sigh of relief."

Besides the 2012 gold medal, she has Olympic silver from 2008. She set a world indoor record of 16-5 1/2 on Jan. 30 at The College at Brockport, and won the world indoor championship in March.

Olympian Jenn Suhr fighting illness in Rio

World leader Sandi Morris of Greenville, South Carolina, was among those making 14-11 without a miss. Another was former Indiana University vaulter Kelsie Ahbe, a Canadian who trains in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a personal best for Ahbe.

Suhr, a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College, moves on to the finals.

The college will hold a free community party to cheer on her at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Garlock Hall, 2301 Westside Drive, Chili. The school is also encouraging supporters to use #Gold4Suhr on social media.

David Woods of The Indianapolis Star contributed to this report.

TCLAUSEN@Gannett.com