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Jenn Suhr was due in Korea on Friday and remains in Rochester here on Tuesday night, she never went. Talking to them tonight neither Jenn or Rick would talk about Korea, they seem gloom. They were vague on the details but she has spent the last seven days getting medical treatment by multiple doctors, two visits to the ER.... It's beyond bad luck and at this point can you even make the adjustment to the time change which people say it takes 10 days to adjust? I'm surprised no one has said anything about this yet.

HATE to hear that. Is Melissa Gergel there yet? She is our alternate, correct? Bubba

xpvjumper wrote: I'm surprised no one has said anything about this yet.

They're not the type to tell people anything... and more than likely they will wait until the very last second to make a final decision about whether or not to send Jenn, and by then it'll probably be too late to send Melissa if they did decide to scratch.

Melissa did jump in Clovis recently, so she could probably fake it and do OK, but she's already started her fall training and even at her best is not a medal contender for Worlds (yet). I'd take a questionable Jenn any day, she's got a knack for pulling through when it counts.

On a related note, I find it odd that Lacy didn't compete in any meets after USAs. Does anyone know what the deal is there?

Walt Murphy is reporting that Jenn is enroute to Daegu.

Lacy has been fighting an injury which is why she didn't compete after USAs, but she'll be fine to jump at Worlds, it's no worse than it was when she jumped at USAs.

That's a great relief. How much bad injury luck can a girl survive?! Hope she lights it up!! Bubba

Hope she's alright. I would really love to see her at 100% vs Isi at 100% - unfortunately things haven't really panned out that way in the past.

-Andrew

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUST ... 6?irpc=932
Painful summer fails to derail Suhr's world plans
DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA | Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:43pm EDT

By Gene Cherry

DAEGU, South Korea (Reuters) - Jenn Suhr sharpens her pole vault technique in an icy hut where frost often covers her pole during a New York winter.

That discomfort pales in comparison to the pains the Olympic silver medallist has endured this spring and summer, she told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

An energy-zapping sickness called coeliac disease nearly derailed her world championship plans in June.

"I couldn't jump," said Suhr, who on the night before the U.S. world trials convinced herself that by taking muscle relaxers to reduce cramping in her legs she could compete and qualify for the American team for Daegu.

She made it, qualifying a struggling second, but new problems days ago put the trip in doubt again.

Suhr, having overcome the coeliac disease which is caused by a reaction to gluten found in grains such as wheat and barley and feeling great after vaulting a world-leading 4.91 metres, awoke one recent morning with pain in her stomach.

"I thought she was joking at first," said husband and coach Rick Suhr. "Then she said don't make me laugh because it hurts. Then I knew we had a problem."

The pain was so bad that Jenn Suhr said she could not move.

"I felt like my ribs were going to come out," the 29-year-od said. "It was horrible."

For the third consecutive world championships, it appeared an injury was going to derail her hopes of a medal.

"But I kept saying I am not pulling out; I am not," Suhr said.

She and Rick flew to Orlando, Florida, in search of a solution from a muscle therapy specialist.

"Two days went by and nothing happened," said Jenn Suhr. "Then it made a turn.

"I woke up and the pain was no longer an eight, more like a four."

Still the trip to Daegu was not certain.

"We had to vault one time at home before we got on the plane," she said. "I wasn't going to travel all this way if I could not jump."

As rumours swirled that the former basketball player might pull out of the championships, she cleared 4.70 meters and the flight to South Korea was rebooked.

"I will vault," Suhr said. "We have a shot and I am going to take it."

The field was so deep that anything could happen, she said of the competition, which begins on Sunday.

Despite her world-leading jump, Suhr said Russian world record holder and Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva was the favorite.

"I don't want to be the favorite," said Suhr. "I want to be the underdog. I want to be Cinderella. No one roots for the favorite.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/ ... VD20110826


Painful summer fails to derail Suhr's world plans

By Gene Cherry
DAEGU, South Korea | Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:43pm EDT
(Reuters) - Jenn Suhr sharpens her pole vault technique in an icy hut where frost often covers her pole during a New York winter.

That discomfort pales in comparison to the pains the Olympic silver medallist has endured this spring and summer, she told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

An energy-zapping sickness called coeliac disease nearly derailed her world championship plans in June.

"I couldn't jump," said Suhr, who on the night before the U.S. world trials convinced herself that by taking muscle relaxers to reduce cramping in her legs she could compete and qualify for the American team for Daegu.

She made it, qualifying a struggling second, but new problems days ago put the trip in doubt again.

Suhr, having overcome the coeliac disease which is caused by a reaction to gluten found in grains such as wheat and barley and feeling great after vaulting a world-leading 4.91 metres, awoke one recent morning with pain in her stomach.

"I thought she was joking at first," said husband and coach Rick Suhr. "Then she said don't make me laugh because it hurts. Then I knew we had a problem."

The pain was so bad that Jenn Suhr said she could not move.

"I felt like my ribs were going to come out," the 29-year-od said. "It was horrible."

For the third consecutive world championships, it appeared an injury was going to derail her hopes of a medal.

"But I kept saying I am not pulling out; I am not," Suhr said.

She and Rick flew to Orlando, Florida, in search of a solution from a muscle therapy specialist.

"Two days went by and nothing happened," said Jenn Suhr. "Then it made a turn.

"I woke up and the pain was no longer an eight, more like a four."

Still the trip to Daegu was not certain.

"We had to vault one time at home before we got on the plane," she said. "I wasn't going to travel all this way if I could not jump."

As rumours swirled that the former basketball player might pull out of the championships, she cleared 4.70 meters and the flight to South Korea was rebooked.

"I will vault," Suhr said. "We have a shot and I am going to take it."

The field was so deep that anything could happen, she said of the competition, which begins on Sunday.

Despite her world-leading jump, Suhr said Russian world record holder and Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva was the favorite.

"I don't want to be the favorite," said Suhr. "I want to be the underdog. I want to be Cinderella. No one roots for the favorite.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/su ... story.html


Suhr thing: Back spasms alleviated, American pole vaulter Jenn Suhr ready to compete at worlds

By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, August 26, 4:01 AM

DAEGU, South Korea — Laying on her couch in pain just before the world championships, American pole vaulter Jenn Suhr figured for sure she was out of the competition.

Her back was mysteriously throbbing — she couldn’t even think about training — and missing another worlds with another injury looked like a real possibility.

Then, just as quickly as the back spasms arrived, they disappeared. And just in time, too, as Suhr gets set to challenge Yelena Isinbayeva and the rest of the field starting Sunday.

“I was panicking,” Suhr said Friday. “I was like, ‘I have to pull out. I can’t do it.’”

It’s simply been that kind of year for Suhr. She’s been vaulting well, only to have to contend with one ailment after another.

Suhr was hardly herself at U.S. nationals in June, constantly fatigued and easily cramping.

Turns out, she was allergic to gluten, meaning she can’t eat wheat, rye and barley. Since giving up foods such as pizza and pasta, Suhr has more energy.

And more energy has translated into better performances as she has the top two vaults this season.

Still, Suhr would hardly call herself the favorite in this event. That label belongs to Isinbayeva, especially since the Russian star has something to prove after no-heighting at the worlds in Berlin two years ago.

“It doesn’t matter how high she’s jumping, she’s always going to be there because she knows how to win,” Suhr said.

Not all that long ago, Suhr knew next to nothing about pole vaulting. She was a basketball player for Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y, with no interest in the event.

In spite of her reluctance, she was goaded into giving it a try by her coach and now husband, Rick Suhr.

“He kept convincing me,” said Suhr, who was formerly known as Jenn Stuczynski. “Once I started, it was an addiction. I was in love with the event and everything about it. I’ve taken off since.”

Taken off in a big way, too. She captured the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finishing behind Isinbayeva.

Not bad given her unusual pole-vaulting practice facility.

In the backyard of their home in upstate New York, Suhr and her coach-husband have constructed quite a setup. They connected two steel Quonset huts, one with a long, narrow tunnel for the run-up. That feeds into the bigger room that has a high ceiling for the vault.

In the winter, it’s heated by two propane blowers.

“Only one works,” Suhr said, laughing. “There’s frost on the poles, frost on the runway. It’s some brutal training. I think it makes you tough.”

Suhr was looking forward to competing at worlds this season, especially after withdrawing in ‘09 because of an Achilles’ tendon injury. Her training was going well. She was in top shape.

Then, about a week ago, her back suddenly acted up and put her trip to Daegu in jeopardy.

“I found some treatment,” Suhr said. “Right now I’m able to compete and that’s all I wanted to do.”