achtungpv wrote:I see no one other than Whitt with the potential to jump 6m+. He will have to progress faster than he has in college though. Off the top of my head, I think every vaulter that has cleared 6m more than once had a PR higher than 5.80 at age 23 except for Hartwig (most were probably 5.90+ at 23). Old guys jumping 6m is pretty rare. Most have been 23-27 when they first cleared 6m. I don't know if we have the system in place any longer to support vaulters to peak in those prime years.
Unless the Birthdays are wrong>>>> I did not take into account birth day to day of 5.80 and 6 meter jump. I simply did year they jumped and year of birthday so these figures are not 100% accurate but paints a picture.
Average age for their first 5.80 was 23 years old. Youngest was 19 (sick). 6 did it after their 26th birthday.
Average age for their first 6 meter jump was 26 years old. Youngest was 22. 6 did it after their 28th birthday.
Unless the date of Otto is wrong it actually says he was 35 when he jumped 6 meters. Stating his birthday was in 1977.
Personally I think the opposite is true. Our system is better for late development than early. In the countries of the other 6 meter club members from a young age when you are identified as a vaulter you go into the club system with the top coaching at a National center. You become a product of your country and are supported. In the US the opposite is true. You work with a club coach in your area or your dad. You than pick a college coach. Neither of which may have the knowledge or expertise to develop a 5.80 pole vaulter. Jumping 5.50 and 5.80 are not even close to the same. Our system in the US is not set up for success at a high level before the time you graduate from college. The college system is based off scoring points at conference and nationals not long term development.
According to TrackandFieldNews.com
These are the only college vaulters to jump 5.80+
Lawrence Johnson never jumped 6 meters
Jacob Davis never jumped 6 meters
Bill Payne never jumped 6 meters
Joe Dial never jumped 6 meters
Russ Buller never jumped 6 meters
Jim Davis never jumped 6 meters
Tommy Skipper never jumped 6 meters
Brad Walker jumped 6 meters
The US has had only 8 guys in college ever jump over 5.80 and only 1 of them ever made it to 6 meters. The US has 4 members of the 6 meter club. Only 25% jumped 5.80 in college. I'd say that shows our system is built on late development not college development. I wish Whitt, Irwin, LeLuex, and many of the 5.50 and 4.40 woman the best of luck. I'll see them after college cause unless they have a college coach who cares more about their development and less about conference and NCAA titles even if they jump high enough they could become part of the 5.80 in college never to jump 6 meter club. I will agree from all my conversations with Jack's coach I believe he is setting him up for long term development. Time will tell if he can bend the poles needed to jump 5.80 and 6 meters.
Till we see another 5.80 jump in college and give them 3 to 6 years after that to hit 6 meters I think the safer bet is the older guys who can stick around long enough. Its not like it once was. There isn't meets ever 4th day especially not of any quality here in the US. For a none medal contender you may have to wait weeks before your next high quality start. The costs and lack of money to go to Europe is detrimental towards building momentum. It was interesting looking at the data and noticing a pattern. All the top marks happened at basically the same venues year in and out. Venues we tend to not jump at. As a coach I have a list of roughly 10 venues around the world I want to get my athlete too because those are the places where everyone in the meet jumps really high. If you don't get to that venue than your chances of jumping high are less IMO.
As a coach of an athlete working towards the 4.80 club and past coach of an athlete who is aiming for the 6 meters it comes down to the simple truth. If you can't get into enough high quality meets to get on a roll the likelihood of finding that awe awe moment is reduced. Who is your agent becomes as or more important in International Pole Vault today than what your doing in training. Sad but true. Technique is vitally important but the math behind it isn't rocket science. Do you have the technique to grip high enough and to get on a stiff enough poles to your body weight to get enough push off the top to first make 5.80 or 4.60 than can you find an extra 20 more centimeters to clear 6 meters and 4.80. Can you grow the consistency to jump 4.50 and 5.70 every meet so you're consistently taking shots at 6 meters and 4.80. If you get only one chance at it a year odds are you won't make it. If you get 16 shots at it than you will probably get it to stay up once a year. Like anything 12' seems high till you make it. 5.50 seems so hard till you do it. 5.80 seems like a mountain to climb till you do it. From the guys and woman I have talked to once they became part of the 6 meter and 4.80 club to them it was just another height and only thing that matter was the WR.
Till we have more athletes with the technique to get on the poles able to take them over the numbers provided talking 6 meters and 4.80 is just a waste of time. Right now I don't think we have enough athletes who meet that criteria male or female.