Pole vaulting and discus are two of the most technically-demanding sports on the Olympic budget. Like all of the track and field events, a fraction of a centimeter can mean the difference between earning a medal and leaving without any prize at all.

In pole vaulting and discus, that margin depends on when the athlete decides to release their grip.

On the latest daily episode of The Podium: An NBC Olympic and Paralympic podcast, titled "Day 13: Flight Protocols," American thrower Valarie Allman and pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, who won gold and bronze, respectively, just minutes apart from each other on Aug. 5, explain the way their sports work and discuss the art of letting go — both mentally and physically.

"It's a math equation that we do day-in and day-out to get us in the air with physics helping us," Kendricks said. "If you do your equation wrong, you're going to be fraught with failure."

Hear all of that and more on the thirteenth daily episode of The Podium.

New episodes of The Podium will be released every day during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

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