Toby Stevenson Retires

[rainbowgirl28]

Toby Stevenson retired last night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjhNSCeRxI8

[KirkB]

I couldn't hear his entire farewell speech very well (bad audio), but he did make a good point about vaulters retiring after XXX ... so he wanted to go out with a MAKE. Nice idea ... he'll certainly fondly remember The Reno Summit 2010.

Actually, almost every MEET ends in XXX.

In my career, I think I had only one meet where I ended the day with a MAKE ... it was a twilight meet, and I set a PR ... so by the time they got a forklift truck out to raise the official to measure the bar, it was too dark to continue.

Are there any memorable MEETS where a vaulter finishes with a MAKE?

I seem to recall that Tommy Skipper once started at 19-0, cleared it on his first try, then packed it in for the day! Is this true?

Perhaps Bubka had a few meets where he set a WR and then didn't attempt any higher ... leaving room for subsequent WRs for another day and another paycheck. Is this true?

Personally, I don't like to leave ANYTHING on the table. If Skipper was so pumped to START at 19-0, then why not go for 6.00m ... or at least something higher? What was his point in taking just one jump ... he might have missed an opportunity for a significant PR?

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

I think that Bubka and Isi rarely attempt anther jump after breaking a WR.

[achtungpv]

Tarasov was notorious for never taking an attempt after a winning vault.

It's kind of a double edged sword. When Dial set his last AR, I remember him being quoted as saying that he stopped there since you rarely end a meet with a make. Maybe that day Dial had 6m+ in him but we'll never know since he stopped and never PR'd again. Mesnil did the same thing after jumping a PR 5.95 and he said there would be plenty of opportunities to jump 6m later. Well, he's taken exactly zero attempts at 6m after that PR. That day may have been his chance. Sometimes you gotta strike while the iron's hot. Better to be a "tried and didn't" than a "woulda coulda shoulda", IMHO.

[CowtownPV]

Congrats to Toby on a great career. I must come clean and admit that when he took a year off after HS I didn't think he would make it. He certainly proved me wrong. Toby has brought alot of positve attention to the pole vault community and is an excellent young man who represented other vaulters and his country very well. I'm sure he will be a success at whatever he does. Good luck to him.

[Cooleo111]

Are there any memorable MEETS where a vaulter finishes with a MAKE?

The 2009 World Championships?

[VTechVaulter]

excellent call. WC 2009 was crazy. Avurbukh did that this summer. Last meet opened at 5.00m made it on a first. Put his poles away and say goodbye to the local crowd.