Today, helmets for all (article)

[ACvault]

I myself have seen the advantages of a helmet and experienced them as well. My freshman year it was my first meet and I understepped severely and the pole rebounded, I landed on my back and my head did rebound as well and the back of my head was protected by the helmet I had on. I have seen crossbars fall on athletes heads, when they scratch, and they have been protected by their helmet. I do not take one side or the other I am simply stating what I have seen, I do wear a helmet because my league requires it of vaulters. However if given the choice I do feel that I would still wear a helmet because I am used to it and comfortable in it and it gives my parents a better sense of security. However one major problem in my opinion is many vaulters wear clunky oversized helmets and they don't seem to be aware of the major affects.

[bel142]

I understand the situation and safety is a must in the pole vault, being a Penn State Vaulter, we are still feeling the ripples and wake from Kevin's death.

One of my problems with the helmet is, I have seen vaulters use the Helmet as a crutch and vault with it on, and even thou they are not vaulting safely they still vault, this I feel is where it gets dangerous... Yes, obviously the use of a helmet will reduce injuries; however in cases of false security it may be more dangerous.... There is no substitute for safe vaulting….

Being so close to the KD situation it is difficult for me to discuss....

[bel142]

Tim McMichael wrote:

[quote]I also would like to also see some more extreme rule changes: miss the mats and you are disqualified, miss the coaches' box and it is a failed attempt. Something could even be done to the bar to force an attempt to go over the middle six feet or risk displacing it. We could simply drop the middle of the bar four inches with little extensions so that if an athlete misses the center they have to jump four inches higher to make the bar. How hard would that be?[/quote]

Although safety is very important I’m not sure I agree with this statement...

First off, if said jumper is missing the mats the white or red flag should be the last of his worries

Secondly In terms of missing the coach's box and it being a failed attempt, if the bar was not removed from the pegs, but it was cleared and but the PLZ missed, then to get to the next bar you would have to pass, and loose an attempt at the next bar because the previous bar was a failed attempt, or take two more attempts and risk missing the bar on account frustration etc. In the grand scheme of things the bar stayed up, and the winner would not necessarily be the best jumper....

Thirdly by raising the ends of the bar 4 inches in cases of champions being decided, If the 2nd place taker clears the 4 inch higher part of the bar, with out any problem, and the 1st place winner clears the lower bar by getting a hand on the bar, then you do not have a winner, you have a guy who cleared a four inch higher bar to take 2nd place....

Although safety is important I feel what your suggesting would not really solve the helmet/safety problem and just lead to having more rules that would lead to more controversy..... Safety is important however I do not have the same opinion with your suggestion....

PS only jumper i have ever seen miss the matt would be Pavel Gerasimov at 2004 Olympic games. Very Ugly, but he was on the runway again to 'attempt' his next bar...

[Tim McMichael]

Secondly In terms of missing the coach's box and it being a failed attempt, if the bar was not removed from the pegs, but it was cleared and but the PLZ missed, then to get to the next bar you would have to pass, and loose an attempt at the next bar because the previous bar was a failed attempt, or take two more attempts and risk missing the bar on account frustration etc. In the grand scheme of things the bar stayed up, and the winner would not necessarily be the best jumper....

That is the very point I am trying to make. Under current rules the highest vaulter might also be the least safe. This should be discouraged. I don't care how it is done. I just threw a few wild and some not so wild ideas out there to show that it could be done. Regardless, I think that the "best" vaulter should be defined, at least in part, by issues of safety. If an athlete can clear a bar, miss the pit, and win the meet; we are rewarding unsafe jumping.

[Decamouse]

Ok - but there already is precedence in this area - does the farthest throw or jump always win - no - legal throw or distance - throw it a mile but not leave the ring in the prescribed area and "under control" and it does not count. Huge long jump but but land outside the pit to the side!!!! or fall backward outside the pit to the side!!!! does it count??? well - miss the pit or exit not not under control and it is a miss - just like other events - then if you go and have a safe or unsafe area - ie. you land on last .5 meter to the side or back of the pit it is a miss - if you exit the ring thru the front half it is a foul - if you step on the javelin foul line - long after releasing the javelin - it is a foul - so this is not a new precedence - it is just different than the present rules - why did they change the javelin rules and balance - safety - so again no precendence by suggesting or making a change

[vaultmd]

Darn decathletes know all the rules . . .