Jenn Suhr is sick and may not be able to defend her gold medal

Jenn Suhr’s defense of her gold medal from the London Games is in serious jeopardy as the American pole vaulter continues to battle a respiratory infection that has hampered her time in Brazil.

Suhr, who won the Olympic competition in 2012 and a silver at the 2008 Games in Beijing, woke on Friday “coughing up blood,” according to a tweet sent from her account by her husband Rick. The tweet contained a picture of Suhr lying on the floor looking ill.

Rick Suhr also took to his Facebook page and more or less said that his sick wife has no chance of winning Friday night’s final. Jenn Suhr struggled through qualifications earlier this week, though she did qualify for the finals by clearing a height of 15 feet, 1 inch.

According to Rick, Jenn will try to get through warmups and then see where her night goes from there.

“I ask all her supporters to not expect anything today,” Rick Suhr wrote on his Facebook page, estimating that Jenn has been sick 8 of the 11 days they’ve spent in Rio. “If this was any other meet, any other place or time we get treatment and cancel out.

“The result won’t matter today, but this will be our greatest Olympic effort. Let’s watch and appreciate what Jenn is willing to go thru to represent America. I told her no matter how tough or ugly this is, you already won by being a great Olympic champion.”

Jenn Suhr has won 17 U.S. championships and owns 11 American records. She broke her own world indoor record earlier this year, clearing 16 feet, 6 inches.