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Seems like a weird place for a pole break? I wonder if it got dinged somehow and he didn't know? It only broke into two pieces, not even that cleanly, and it seemed too high to be damage from the box but too low to be from getting kicked mid-swing (and much too low to be from the standards).

Curious what decamouse thinks...

hye

the shape and position of the sail piece is probally the answer..

was the sail and ridge high and it broke between the bottom corner of the "ridge" or was it a very low sail piece and this break was at the bottom corner of the ridge?

dj

neither -- would be in the slope area -- ding is possible -- is a strange place -- and single point -- so between a ding or small internal stress riser - possible a small fold or roll on the sail edge - but without seeing - all just a guess

the poles was a 5.10m 12.3 flex... only the 10th vault on it, so pretty much new

Hey

I didn't qualify high or low…

To…. If a 5 meter pole had a 180 inch sail piece, normal or middle would be at 90 with the top 18"to 20" free from a sail piece… and a symmetrical piece would be 60-60-60.. with the ridge being 60 inches… and the width of the slop on each end 60".

The bottom would have a 60"wide 'sloop. A high sail piece would have the sail pattern moved up from this, say 72" giving a foot longer slop.. I have seen new poles break right in the middle of that slop.

Not all poles break much at all.. and we can be very thankful for that but sometimes when they do there is a correlation.

I once had an athlete break the tops from 2 new "George Moore" pacers (he had a circus performer swing) back to back jumps because he was holding the top and both hands were above the sail piece.. that was when all/or most of the pacers had the sail stop with 21" to the top and he had a narrow grip anyway..

Later

dj

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpres ... 388167810A


Lewis suffers fitness blow
(UKPA) – 1 hour ago
Pole vaulter Steve Lewis admitted it was "back to the drawing board" after it was confirmed he has fractured a bone in his left hand.
Lewis suffered the injury after his pole snapped during his second attempt at 5.50 metres during the Aviva Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Commonwealth silver medallist will be in plaster for three weeks and misses out on the European Indoor Championships in Paris next week.
He said: "I am gutted. Things were really coming together and I have put in so much good work over the winter.
"I had my best opening competition clearance of any season at the trials and was banking on building on that in Birmingham with the European Indoors clearly on the radar.
"Now it is back to the drawing board with my plans, but I remain positive as I can still train.
"I will work out a plan with Dan Pfaff, my coach, and keep my fitness levels up for when I can start to pole vault and run again.
"I was due to train in California for four weeks after the European Indoors, but this may change dependent on the need to see specialists."