PoleVaultPower.com

National Record Stat-bits (women's outdoor marks only):

I keep my file of all-time record ties and improvements for all countries as a single AppleWorks spreadsheet. Recently, I did a sort of that file by year; something I'd not done before. Some stats that I think are interesting jumped out at me.

1. What country had the greatest number of improvements or ties of its record in 2005?

Given all of Isinbayeva's world records, that seemed a cinch to be Russia. Wrong. Isinbayeva bettered her own world and Russian records five times, but Rogowska improved Pyrek's Polish record six times. Poland, then, right? Wrong. Together, Solanki and Surekha tied or improved the record for India nine times.

2. What vaulter improved her country's record the most times in any one season?

Many vault fans, having read in the 2004 ATFS Athletics Annual of Monika Pyrek's total 67 indoor and outdoor records would nail this as being Pyrek. According to the ATFS summary, this would be correct. It lists 14 improvements or ties for her in 1998. I have only 13 of those, which would have her sharing the lead in this category with the Czech Republic's Daniela Bártová, with 13 in 1995. Since the Annual doesn't list dates or heights, I'm not sure why my data disagrees for Pyrek in 1998.

3. Which U. S. vaulter has broken the national record the most times in one season?

Easy, huh? It's gotta be Dragila. Wrong. Melissa Price bettered the record seven times in 1995, topping Jana Edwards' six improvements in 1983. Stacy had four records in 1996 and again in 2001.

Indoors, Dragila does lead, with six improvements in 1997. Price's best was three times in 1995. Second only to Dragila is Irene Spieker's 5 improvements in 1979--all in ONE meet! (8'7", 9', 9'3", 9'7", 10' 1/4"--Mason-Dixon Games, Louisville, 9 February)

4. What year saw the greatest number of improvements or ties of national records for all countries?

I would have guessed this to be in the last two or three years, as a result of the interest stimulated by the competition of Dragila, Feofanova and Isinbayeva for world records in the event. I would have guessed wrong. The greatest number was in 1998, when I count 160 NR improvements or ties. If publicity for any one vaulter sparked that interest and record peak, it would have been Emma George's ascendency.

By year, I have the number of national records as:

1996 - 83
1997 - 111
1998 - 160
1999 - 113
2000 - 129
2001 - 99
2002 - 128
2003 - 98
2004 - 92
2005 - 91


Have yourself a happy new year!

Thanks Roger! I think you have some of the most interesting posts on the board.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:Thanks Roger! I think you have some of the most interesting posts on the board.

Agreed

Wow! You are truelly a plethora of pole vault knowledge. I printed it out. Thanks!

Thanks, nice people!


Gérard Dumas, my one-time team-mate and first fiberglass mentor, is at least four times as passionate about men’s vault stats as I am about the women’s. After he saw my note about Irene Spieker’s five national records in a single meet, he wrote:

In the men’s section, they pole vault too: What is the national record beaten or tied the most time in the same competition?

It has to be the UK.

On September 6, 1980, during the AAA championships in London, Brian Hooper and Keith Stock established a UK record seven times--5.52, 5.53, 5.55, 5.56, 5.57, 5.58, 5.59 !

Now, why did they pass at 5.54 ? Beats me. Certainly the imperial system has to be involved. I have the increments in feet and inches. Boy, what a screw up.!

The record was 5.51 by Hooper the previous month.( August 20, London)

Gérard also sent a copy of the score sheet. I can’t format that for clear alignment on this site, but I’ll list the attempts for Hooper and Stock at each height. What an intricate competition!

5.00 – (H)xo, (S)xxp
5.52 – (H)p, (S)o
5.53 – (H)xo, (S)p
5.55 – (H)xxp, (S)xxo
5.56 – (H)o, (S)p
5.57 – (H)p, (S)o
5.58 – (H)o, (S)p
5.59 – (H)o, (S)xp
5.60 – (H)xpp, (S)xx