Some big gals!

[roger/over]

Updating my files to include Gao Shuying's recent Chinese and Asian record of 4.55m, I noticed on Mirko Jalava's world list entry for her that she's 180cm tall by 66 kilos in weight. Even after 40 years living in Canada, I would usually have to make the English conversions to get any real impression of how big that is (5'11 by 145 pounds), but even the metric numbers caught my attention, because I recognized that as being two inches taller than I was when I last vaulted and more even than I currently weigh (not exactly what I'd prefer).

I thought that was pretty big for a female vaulter, so I scanned Mirko's recent world lists (he shows the women's marks to 3.60m) for comparisons. The only one as tall and heavy seems to be Zhao Yingying, at the same 180/66. (Whatever happened to the traditionally petite Chinese?) Jenn Stuczyinski is as tall, but 180/64: only 141 pounds. The next tallest would appear to be Naroa Agirre, the Spanish record holder at 177/64.

Mirko shows the height/weight of the three most recent world record holders as:

Isinbayeva--170/59 (5'7" x 130 lbs). Looks bigger than that, doesn't she?
Feofanova--163/50 (5'4" x 110 lbs). And looks even smaller, standing beside Isy.
Dragila--172/63 (5'8" x 140 lbs). Just right: and good to see her vaulting again!

[Barto]

Mirko shows the height/weight of the three most recent world record holders as:

Isinbayeva--170/59 (5'7" x 130 lbs). Looks bigger than that, doesn't she?
Feofanova--163/50 (5'4" x 110 lbs). And looks even smaller, standing beside Isy.
Dragila--172/63 (5'8" x 140 lbs).

Issy is bigger than that. I think 5'8" and 140.
Feo is smaller than that. I believe 5'2" and 110.

[PVstudent]

Yelena Isinbayeva
>Date of birth: 3 June 1982
>Place of birth: Volgograd (USSR)
>Height: 174 cm (5 feet 8 1/2 inches)
>Weight: 65 kg (143lbs)


Svetlana Feofanova
>Date of birth: 16 July 1980
>Place of birth: Moscow (USSR)
>Height: 163 cm (just a fraction above 5 feet 4 1/2 inches)
>Weight: 52 kg ( 114.4 lbs)

Source as per the Athens 2004 Olympics event programme profiles by the ABC Australia. Current weights I do not know.