PoleVaultPower.com

Don't count the scores just yet in the womens pole vault and relay. Sources from the world cup say that protests in both events are being filed by numerous teams. As for the pole vault, it looked more like a poorly run junior high meet than the IAAF World Cup. Mistakes were so numerous that we will simply list them.

1. Seemed as if America's Stuczynski started early as officials in the call room took her chalk, pole tape, and english version tape measure. After several arguements and official phone calls with the help of Kym Howe, the items were returned just in time.

2. First indiciation something was wrong when Kym Howe blew over 4.30 by a mile three times in a row but knocked the bar off. Something didn't look right.

3. Stuczynski at 4.40 missed her first attempt. She requested the standards at 80 but looked like they were at 10. After discussion with the official she protested the jump.

4. 2nd attempt at 4.40 Stuczynski put her pole down at the end of the runway having requested 80 depth again but knowing they were wrong (65) went down the runway to tell the offiical the standards had not been moved. The official argued that they were in the right spot and told her she had 27 seconds left. She jogged to the end of the runway and over penetrated the cross bar which was clearly at 65 cm. The official seemed to start the clock over only have she hurried to start her attempt.

5. Pyrek 2 times in a row had a javelin thrower walk in front of her stopping her approach as she went back with time nearly expired, yet the officials would not restart the clock to 1 minute as you are supposed to. Pyrek argured in protest for 15 minutes to the same official that Stuczynski approached.

6. Yelena after winning the meet was not given enough time in between jumps. They gave her 1 min. , she too had to argue for the correct time. The pinnacle came when Yelena was given 3 min. with the clock nearly expired they had yet to put the bar up. She looked confused as her time was ticking and there was no bar to jump.

Is it too much to ask to simply have a some what qualified crew to run an event as complicated as the PV at a meet this big and important. This is an embarrasment not to the athletes who cried out but to the people who were incompitent in running the event.

Could someone let the officials know that all 4 team members are supposed to be in the same lane?!?

Bryce Carlson
Media and Marketing

As for the pole vault, it looked more like a poorly run junior high meet than the IAAF World Cup.

patchdoggydogg wrote:Jenn left some money and some team points in Athens by not starting at a lower height...remember, the World Cup is a scoring meet (and this was a point of emphasis in the USA team meeting on Friday night)...not only that, the team was told that in the technical meeting Friday afternoon at the Olympic Stadium, several teams had argued for lower starting heights in the PV & HJ so that their athletes had a better chance of scoring.

The top 8 finishers in each event walked away with a check...the only way not to go home with money (short of a positive drug test afterwards) was either a 9th place finish, a DNF or a no height.