Arizona high jumper Emma Gates is Tokyo-bound after earning a spot on Team USA for the World Athletics Championships.
Not only is she making history as the first active Wildcat athlete to qualify for the world championships, sheβs also seeing a dream 13 years in the making come to fruition.
βBeing selected for the World Championships has been a dream for me since I started track 13 years ago,β the UA senior said. βNot knowing the specifics on how qualification works, I thought I was out of the running to join Team USA this year, but the odds ended up in my favor.
βGetting to experience this while still being a collegiate athlete is so amazing to me. Iβm extremely grateful for this experience, and Iβm so excited to be competing against the best in the world and representing USA.β
Emma Gates soars at the 2025 Big 12 Indoor Championships at Texas Tech on March 1, 2025.
Gates secured her spot on the U.S. roster Aug. 1 when she placed third in the womenβs high jump at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She cleared 1.91 meters (6-3ΒΌ) to match her personal best.
One of the two youngest athletes in the field, Gates entered the meet as the No. 1-ranked amateur in the country and is currently ranked 36th in the world by World Athletics, according to a news release.
Arizona high jump coach Bob Myers described Gates as βextremely dedicated.β
βThis year she has improved technically and in her fitness,β Myers said. βShe has out-jumped many Olympians this year and will be a tough jumper to beat in the next few years heading into the LA Olympics.β
Emma Gates stands next to UA high jump coach Bob Myers, as Arizona track and field competes in the second day of the 2025 Jim Click Shootout at Roy P. Drachman Stadium on April 5, 2025.
βWe are so thrilled for Emma,β said Arizona track and field head coach Andrew Dubs. βThis is an incredible honor for her to represent the USA at the highest level of our sport worldwide.β
Gates will compete in the first round on Sept. 18, with the final scheduled for Sept. 21.
Earlier this year, Gates placed fourth at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a clearance of 1.88 meters, finishing behind three Olympians.
