SUKMA debutant Iskandar Alwi’s decision to switch from high jump to pole vault six years ago has paid off handsomely.The 18-year-old from Johor was in smashing form as he upstaged the more experienced Mohd Fahme Zamzam Mehamad of Federal Territories to break the Sukma record with a height of 4.80m at the Darul Makmur Stadium yesterday.His effort shattered the six-year-old mark of 4.71m, set by Wong Teck Ho of Sarawak in Kedah in 2006, by nine centimetres.Only five athletes took part in the event and Fahme, who has a personal best of 4.75m, could only clear 4.50m to bag the silver. Mohd Iqbal Hakim, also of Johor, took the bronze on 4.30m.Two months ago in Kangar, the Kluang-born Iskandar broke the National Schools (MSSM) meet record with a personal best of 4.73m – erasing the old mark of 4.60m.Iskandar broke the Sukma record by clearing 4.72m in his first jump. But he was far from done as he asked for the bar to be raised to 4.80m – and clearing it in his first attempt. more
Daily Archives: July 13, 2012
Steve Hooker struggles with crisis of confidence ahead of Olympic Games
STEVE Hooker has jumped higher than any pole vaulter in history except the world record-holder Sergey Bubka but with two weeks to go to his Olympic title defence, he can’t clear the bar at all. In his last two meets before the Olympics, Hooker has not been able to clear a height as the crisis of confidence on the runway that he revealed last summer continued.He failed to clear any of his three attempts at 5.40m (66cm lower than his best) on a damp track at Crystal Palace in London today, running through twice and getting stuck on the pole once, before falling sideways on to the mat. Continue reading
10 Things You Need to Know About Trey Hardee
Trey Hardee is arguably the best athlete in the world. Competing in the decathlon, which he calls the purest form of competition, he looks to bring home a gold medal for the U.S. at the 2012 Summer Olympics.The decathlon is 10 events over two days and can leave competitors exhausted for weeks after the last event. It is the most challenging and demanding of any event at the Olympics, and Hardee will look to dominate it during the London Games.This is the second Olympic Games Hardee has been a part of as he participated in Beijing and shockingly finished in fourth, just outside of the medals. However, he is back with a vengeance and looks to claim a gold medal.Before Hardee begins his quest for gold in London, these are 10 things you should know about the world’s greatest athlete. Trey Hardee has been pole vaulting longer than any other event, and it has become his best. Recruited out of high school to Mississippi State as a pole vaulter, he has the ability to make up ground or extend his lead during the pole vault on Day 2 of the decathlon. Ironically, it was the pole vault that cost him a medal in the 2008 Olympics, as he failed to clear the starting height and finished fourth. However, it remains his best event
Huskies at the 2012 Olympics: Brad Walker
Brad Walker has pole vaulted higher than any American in history. Only three other people have ever vaulted higher than he has, and they’re all retired now.Walker came to the UW from University High School in Spokane, turning down a larger scholarship from WSU to do so. During his years as a Husky, he set league records and won two consecutive NCAA championships. Since then, he has trained relentlessly to improve, and in 2006 he became one of only 12 vaulters ever to clear the six-meter mark. This is Walker’s second run for the Gold more
Walker jumps big
Yesterday at the Olympic Training Center located at Chula Vista, California, VAULTER Magazine was on hand and ready to watch the action. The crowd was geared up and Brad did not disappoint! Finishing the best vault of the season and saving it for just before the London Olympics was surly exciting for all to see. Walker cleared 5.90
Brad took a moment to speak with us after the jump and give us some insight on the Olympic Trials and his big jump.
NACAC U-23 Championships
Hombres 20-22 Salto con Garrocha SUB 23EdadEquipoNombre FinalesFinales
usaWoepse, Michael1 5.40m
Jamaica22133 Samuels, K´don2 5.35m
United States AM21280 Cunnigham, Logan3 5.30m
Mexico21216 Viveros W., Ruben4 5.10m
Saint Lucia22243 Valcin, Rick 5 4.90m
EL Salvador21104 Figueroa, Pedro6 4.90m
Mexico21188 Patiño B., Roberto7 4.
The Great Capitol Hill Olympic Debate – Go American Or Go Naked
Nude Olympics? Definitely. That’s what one U.S. senator is saying he would rather have American athletes do than wear foreign-made uniforms.All day yesterday, Republicans and Democrats whined about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese-made uniforms, saying the contract to manufacture the Ralph Lauren blazers, berets and pants should have gone to job-hungry Americans.“Today there are 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in this country and the Olympic committee is outsourcing the manufacturing of uniforms to China? That is not just outrageous, it’s just plain dumb,” said Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.). “It is self-defeating.”Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), said that “there is no reason why U.S. Olympic uniforms are not being manufactured in the U.S. This action on the part of the U.S. Olympic Committee is symbolic of a disastrous trade policy which has cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and must be changed.” more
Former Idaho Great and Olympic Gold Medalist Inducted into Hall of Fame
CHICAGO – Dan O’Brien will always be remembered as one of the great decathlon stars. Now, the gold medalist can call himself a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.O’Brien, along with six other athletes, were inducted into the hall of fame Thursday evening in Chicago as the Class of 2012.The former Idaho Vandal won Olympic gold in 1996 decathlon and held the American record in the event up until two weeks ago when Ashton Eaton broke it as the Olympics Trials for Track and Field.In his lengthy career, O’Brien won five U.S. national 10-event titles. His 1996 Olympic golf was his 11th conseuctive decathlon win.Other members of the Class of 2012 include Gail Devers (track and field), Kristine Lilly (soccer), Gary Hall, Jr. (swimming), Lisa Fernandez (softball), and Jenny Thompson (swimming). source
Da Silva is the latest Petrov Pole Vault protégé to win a World title
Barcelona – Brazil’s one and only previous gold medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships came back in 1994 when Clodoalo da Silva won the now-defunct 20km road race title but pole vaulter Thiago da Silva doubled that meagre number when he sailed clear at the first time of asking at 5.55m on Wednesday (12).
Croatia’s Ivan Horvat and Canada’s Shawnacy Barber also cleared the same height in the Montjuic Olympic Stadium but had more failures on the night and as the chess game, that a top class Pole Vault competition often becomes, reached its end game, da Silva gambled on passing at 5.60m.
It proved to be an astute decision as his two rivals brought the bar down three times and a rare gold medal was won by a South American athlete.
“I know the history of Brazil at these Championships but there wasn’t any pressure on me as I had only jumped a best 5.35m before I arrived here,” reflected da Silva.
“However, I was confident I could jump higher because I had been training so well in the last month-and-a-half in Formia and clearing much better heights there more
How to Pole Vault with Holly Bleasdale
Taking pole position. National record holder Holly Bleasdale and her coach, Julien Raffalli, give us an insider guide to pole vaulting.
Duplantis makes honor roll
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – LSU placed 18 student-athletes on the 2012 Southeastern Conference First-Year Honor Roll Thursday as announced by the league office.The LSU track and field program headlined the list with five student-athletes represented, including pole vault standout Andreas Duplantis. Not only did Duplantis qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman, he also recently competed in the pole vault final at the World Junior Championships held in Barcelona, Spain.The 2011-12 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2011-12 academic calendar. Any student-athlete who participates in a Southeastern Conference championship sport or a student-athlete who participates in a sport listed on his/her institution’s NCAA Sports Sponsorship Form is eligible for nomination to the Academic Honor Roll. Each student-athlete must 1) have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution; 2) be on scholarship or a letter winner; 3) have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit at the nominating institution; and 4) have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment. more
Local pole vaulter bound for London
MPNnow.com —Rochester, New York can boast about a number of local Olympians. All eyes will be on Riga pole vaulter Jenn Suhr as she goes for gold in London.Jenn Suhr and her husband and coach, Rick Suhr, leave for London in two weeks. Suhr enters the London games as the number one female pole vaulter in the world. She’s healthy, excited and ready to go for gold.Suhr said, “I’m excited, when I was in the 2008 Olympics, I didn’t know what to expect. I know what’s out there and I’m going to be prepared for this one.”Winning gold in London may not be a sure thing, but Jenn Suhr is certain of one thing. She is in the best place she can be heading into her second Olympic games, both physically and mentally.Suhr said, “To be able to out and hit and execute the form that I needed under those conditions I was happy.”Suhr, the top ranked female pole vaulter in the world, cleared 15 feet 1 inch to win the women’s pole vault in the U.S. Track Trials in June. Despite her world ranking, it was a high pressure must win to even be able to qualify for the Olympics. Suhr suffered a quadricep injury in the weeks leading up to the critical meet. more
Grand Haven beach hosting world’s largest outdoor pole vault event (320)
Michigan –Mary Saxer had her mind set on a trip to London this summer.The former Notre Dame pole vaulter was hoping to qualify for the Summer Olympics in her event, but last month at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., the 25-year-old South Bend resident just missed getting her ticket stamped, placing fourth.Her jump of 14 feet, 9 inches earned her a place as the team’s alternate, but not that coveted spot on the team.“Fourth was tough, because I cleared the same height that made the team,” Saxer said. “So that stabbed me through the heart. But I have to keep in shape because you don’t know (if she will get a call to go to London). My plan was to keep jumping anyway, no matter if I made the team or not. Last week had a meet and went 14-10, so I’m ready to jump high. It’s disappointing to miss making the team, but I’m excited to jump to make pesonal best (15-2).”Saxer’s consolation prize, and the ability to keep jumping, will be a trip to Grand Haven City Beach this weekend to compete in the 12th Annual Grand Haven Beach Vault.This will be Saxer’s second trip to the Beach Vault, and she says she loves it.
Grove advances to pole vault finals of World Junior Championships
University of South Dakota’s Emily Grove advanced to the finals in the pole vault at the IAAF World Junior Championships on Thursday morning in Barcelona, Spain.The finals are set for Saturday.She cleared four bars without a miss and made the final height of 13 feet, 5.25 inches to advance to the 12-person finals.”I was feeling really good today,” Grove told USA Track and Field. “I was running really well today and had to scoot back, which is a good sign. The wind was swirly, but was mainly a tail, so you just had to watch the ribbon. I had comfortable clearances. I’m hoping the final goes as smooth as today. I hope to jump a pretty decent bar and maybe place fairly high.”The final round is set for Saturday at 2:05 a.m. Central time (9:05 a.m. local time) in Barcelona. source
Watts wins a state title after joining Bulldogs
WESTERLY, RI — Sophomore transfer student Lexi Watts and the Westerly High girls’ track team’s 4×800 meter relay team provided the two Coaches All-State awards for the Bulldogs in 2012.Watts took home a state championship in the pole vault with a school record-tying 10-foot, 6-inch effort and as a result earned first-team All-State honors in that event.“It was a nice surprise in a lot of ways,” Westerly coach Dave Federico said. “It’s been a little rough, too. I really didn’t get chance to get to know her.“We haven’t had a lot of good vaulters in this area and it will be interesting to see what else she can do if and when she comes back.”Watts is a transfer student from the Williams School, arriving in early May, and has not made it clear as to whether she or her sister will return to Westerly for the 2013 season, Federico said. more
