by Larry Eder
Chelsea Johnson qualifies for the pole vault final….(photo by PhotoRun.net)
The picture I choose to post here is of Chelsea Johnson, the lone U.S. pole vaulter to make the final. Jenn Stuczynski had to withdraw due to achilles injuries, Jillian Schwartz did not move on and neither did Stacy Dragila. Chelsea Johnson is the second generation of women vaulters. Her father, Jan, a reknowned coach and head of Pole Vault Safety for USATF, was the 1972 bronze medalist in the pole vault. Chelsea is her own person, a strong athlete and has a great career ahead of her.
But, the focus of my column today is on Stacy Dragila.
While the 35,000 fans were in the Olympic stadium, watching the 10,000 meters, history was being made. Stacy Dragila, the 1999 and 2001 World Champion, as well as the 2000 Olympic champion, was vaulting in what will most likely be her last venture on the global stage.
Stacy Dragila is to the women’s pole vault what Joan Benoit Samuelson has been to the women’s marathon. A former heptathlete who took up the vault in 1997, Stacy took the women’s vault to heights never believed. Her world champs victory in Sevilla, her victory in Edmonton, were full of excitement and great vaults, as were her win in Sydney.
In Group A today, as Fabiana Murer, Anna Rogowska and Yuliya Golubchikova cleared 4.55m to move to to the final, Stacy Dragila, making no excuses, having recovered from her double achilles surgery, cleared 4.25m. ” I forgot how to pole vault today.” Stacy commented afterwards. Note that American Track & Field magazine will be doing a special feature on Stacy this coming fall/winter. An athlete who made no excuses in her career, we have been honored by her part in our sport and lucky to have seen her compete with the vigor and heart unusual in our sport.
In Group B, Yelena Isinbayeva did the towel over her face thing until she saw 4.55m and went over, cleared that once and moved on. Chelsea Johnson, the second US vaulter, had to use all three attempts at 4.25m, but cleared 4.40, 4.50 and 4.55m, moving on. Jillian Schwartz did not advance, having come close with 4.50 m clearance.
Yelena Isinbayeva, the queen of the pole vault, photo by PhotoRun.net.
I am not sure who can compete with Isinbayeva right now. Larry’s medal pick: Isinbaeyeva, Pyrek, Johnson.
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12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Berlin (GER) – Saturday, Aug 15, 2009
Pole Vault – W Qualification
Qual. rule: qualification standard 4.60m or at least best 12 qualified.
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Group A
15 August 2009 – 19:00
Position Bib Athlete Country Mark .
1 179 Fabiana Murer BRA 4.55 q .
1 725 Anna Rogowska POL 4.55 q .
1 792 Yuliya Golubchikova RUS 4.55 q .
4 383 Kate Dennison GBR 4.55 q .
4 411 Anna Battke GER 4.55 q .
6 814 Tatyana Polnova RUS 4.55 q .
7 505 Anna Giordano Bruno ITA 4.50 .
8 872 Nicole Büchler SUI 4.50 (NR)
9 717 Joanna Piwowarska POL 4.25 .
9 984 Stacy Dragila USA 4.25 .
11 279 Mariánna ZaharÃadi CYP 4.25 .
12 743 Sandra-Helena Tavares POR 4.25 .
13 367 Télie Mathiot FRA 4.10 .
14 286 Romana Malácová CZE 4.10 .
. 216 Shuying Gao CHN NM .
Athlete 4.10 4.10 4.25 4.25 4.40 4.40 4.50 4.50 4.55 4.55
Fabiana Murer – – O O O
Anna Rogowska – – O – O
Yuliya Golubchikova – – O – O
Kate Dennison O O O XO O
Anna Battke – O O XO O
Tatyana Polnova O XO XO XO O
Anna Giordano Bruno O XO XO O XXX
Nicole Büchler O O O XO XXX
Joanna Piwowarska O O XXX
Stacy Dragila – O XXX
Mariánna ZaharÃadi XO XO XXX
Sandra-Helena Tavares XO XXO XXX
Télie Mathiot O XXX
Romana Malácová XO XXX
Shuying Gao – XXX
Group B
15 August 2009 – 19:00
Position Bib Athlete Country Mark .
1 455 Silke Spiegelburg GER 4.55 q .
1 795 Elena Isinbaeva RUS 4.55 q .
3 1005 Chelsea Johnson USA 4.55 q .
4 724 Monika Pyrek POL 4.55 q .
5 801 Aleksandra Kiryashova RUS 4.55 q .
6 417 Kristina Gadschiew GER 4.50 q .
7 1024 Jillian Schwartz USA 4.50 .
8 203 Kelsie Hendry CAN 4.40 .
8 289 Jirina Ptácniková CZE 4.40 .
10 219 Ling Li CHN 4.40 (SB)
11 464 Nikoléta Kiriakopoúlou GRE 4.40 .
12 343 Minna Nikkanen FIN 4.40 .
13 298 Naroa Agirre ESP 4.40 (SB)
14 636 Roslinda Samsu MAS 4.25 .
15 568 Takayo Kondo JPN 4.10 .
16 608 Eun-ji Lim KOR 4.10 .
Athlete 4.10 4.10 4.25 4.25 4.40 4.40 4.50 4.50 4.55 4.55
Silke Spiegelburg – – O O O
Elena Isinbaeva – – – – O
Chelsea Johnson – XXO O O O
Monika Pyrek – – O XO XO
Aleksandra Kiryashova – O O XO XXO
Kristina Gadschiew – O O O XXX
Jillian Schwartz – O XO XO XXX
Kelsie Hendry – O O XXX
Jirina Ptácniková – O O XXX
Ling Li O O XO XXX
Nikoléta Kiriakopoúlou O XO XO XXX
Minna Nikkanen O O XXO XXX
Naroa Agirre O XO XXO XXX
Roslinda Samsu XO XO XXX
Takayo Kondo O XXX
Eun-ji Lim XO XXX
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