PoleVaultPower.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbWVoCac_-Y

http://rochester.twcnews.com/content/ne ... -accident/

CHURCHVILLE, N.Y. -- Jenn Suhr, a Western New York native and Olympic gold medalist, is recovering from injuries sustained Wednesday in a pole vaulting accident.

Rick Suhr, Jenn's husband and coach, said Jenn was practicing at their home training facility in Churchville when her pole snapped. You can see and hear it in the video, posted above.

Rick said Jenn suffered rib, wrist, hand and neck injuries. Rick said the video shows the danger of pole vaulting. She was taken to Strong Hospital in Rochester, where she was treated and released.

Suhr is the defending gold medal champion and a favorite heading in to Rio in 2016.

Suhr is a Fredonia native and currently resides in Churchville.

Several media news reports are calling the pole vault event "Dangerous", I need to go on record and say it is a risk event, but so is line drives in the face from baseball, and falling on a hurdle and breaking a wrist. Football, skateboarding, surfing, gymnastics, my list could go on and on! Pole vaulters are a rare breed, they turn upside down land on their head and pick the pole up and do it again. No other athlete can I call a risk taker more than pole vaulters! Even in their off times when the are not pole vaulting they are taking risks , even Jenn Suhr . I am not going to post the video of the pole breaking because it is not for the good of the pole vault community and you have seen it elsewhere I am sure.
I personally wish she makes a speedy recovery and gets back on that horse. What I am going to post is this "how a pole vaulter and in this case their husbands take risk and do not realize as it is in their everyday lives!

http://youtu.be/J5bLyrpPHyA?list=UUzh4X17HKHpYz0CFcftwkIA

http://youtu.be/pWkcwyRA7WU?list=UUzh4X17HKHpYz0CFcftwkIA

And now I am going to post a video as to why we as pole vaulters keep picking up the pole and taking risks! This video is what it is all about ENJOY!! The thrill of Victor comes with risks!

http://youtu.be/FrkXeG1YoKg?list=UUzh4X17HKHpYz0CFcftwkIA

Bruce Caldwell

Using the WRONG pole!!


dj

dj wrote:Using the WRONG pole!!


dj

Using the wrong BRAND!

But the Gill vs. UCS argument aside. Does anyone else think her poles just look so much slower since she switched to carbons? All her jumps look like the smoosh and react really slow compared to her jumps on glass. Not to mention she is not jumping near as high....

PV2020 wrote:

dj wrote:Using the WRONG pole!!


dj

Using the wrong BRAND!

But the Gill vs. UCS argument aside. Does anyone else think her poles just look so much slower since she switched to carbons? All her jumps look like the smoosh and react really slow compared to her jumps on glass. Not to mention she is not jumping near as high....

Not at all. Her jumps on UCS looked just as slow, what makes the difference is if she gets to a stiffer pole or not. Her and Renaud seem to grip at the some spot on every pole... So at meets (not practice), when they can get on a stiff enough pole the jump and timing line up better.
If they don't get to their stiffer poles then they are left over gripping with a slow/ sinky vault.
I am a fan of carbons, never had one break on my career coaching college and club career.
But with Renaud and Jenn's method of gripping and jumping in my opinion they should stick to glass poles. Just my two cents...

Never trust a carbon pole...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87yFWNHsclM
Carbon fiber was made to be resistant and light, not to be flexible on my opinion...
But be carefull with fiber glass too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMUCpFdwitk
... even a UCS one

I don't know that it was a carbon... But I am very confident that how the pole was made is responsible for the break... Not the vaulter.

Instead of automacticly laying it on the jumper the company needs to take a good hard look at how... Where the break occurred on the pole? The mandrel size, number of wraps, glass thickness, pattern design.. Where the "corners" of the sail piece is positioned, based on where the center of mass is creating the most force, has shown recently to be a major break point...

The only way a vaulter can maximize their talent is to trust their that pole will not break when they vault correctly according to physics.. Run fast ... Plant high with an UP Impluse ... Swing fast..

Dj

It has taken me years to find the formula to reduce breakage.
If you catch the pole after every jump and make sure it does not hit the standard.
And you store your poles properly there should never be a pole broken unless it is under your weight or you need a stiffer pole and take it to the max load!

Pole breaks are a NIGHTMARE, literally!! As manufacturers, we sometimes find ourselves awake at night thinking up better ways to make poles safer for the vaulter.
The reality is that poles rarely break, and when they do it is even more rare that it is from a manufacturer's defect.
If it were then none of us could continue to be in business. However if one pole maker is experiencing a rash of breaks they need to take a look at what they are doing or not doing.
It is more likely a combination of variables, like the weather you're jumping in, the vaulter was on the wrong weight pole, with the wrong grip, wrong body weight, the pole was dropped, scratched or stepped on, etc.

We have solved this problem and we recommend that if a pole maker does not know what they are doing, do not make CARBON poles.
It is an art and you have to know what you are doing.
I am not saying poles will not break, (all pole brands break even non carbon) I am saying you are less likely to have one of ours break.
see the pole replacement policy in the sales forum;
http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=48312

A minor typo on your link, Bruce. It goes to the wrong thread.

I fixed it for you here:

ESSX wrote: ... see the pole replacement policy in the sales forum;
http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=48312

Kirk

Hey Bruce,

We have known each other for quite a few years... I think we have discussed every and any issue...

You have always been willing to listen, wither you agreed with the athlete or coach or not, you listened.

You have always made every effort to make a better, safer pole... Always..

For you it hasn't been about getting rich or pole sales.. It's been about building a pole the athlete can trust, set records and win with.

I appreciate that...

Dj