PoleVaultPower.com

Canberra Telstra A-Series meet 26 January 2006.

Kym Howe broke Emma George's Australian record of 4.60.

Women Pole Vault Open:
1. Howe, Kym, WAIS, 4.61m; 2. Grigorieva, Tatiana, QAS, 4.41m; 3. Parnov,
Vicky, WAIS, 4.20m; 4. Young, Wendy, VIS, J4.20m; 5. Miroshnichenko, Katrina,
QAS, J4.20m; 6. Lynn, Jacinta, VIC, J4.20m; 7. Boyd, Alana, QAS, 4.10m; 8.
Lucock, Charmaine, QAS, J4.10m; 9. Ditton, Rosanna, VIS, 4.00m; 10. Beckman,
Amy, QLD, 3.80m.


Men Pole Vault Open:
1. Markov, Dmitri, SASI, 5.35m; 2. Vedelago, Luke, WAIS, J5.35m; 3. Hooker,
Steve, VIS, J5.35m; 4. Filshie, James, VIC, 5.05m; 5. Boyd, Matt, QAS, 4.85m;
--. Pocklington, Joel, VIC, NH; --. Miroshnichenko, Alex, QLD, NH; --.
Burgess, Paul, WAIS, NH.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common ... 22,00.html

Howe's that for a record
Scott Gullan
27jan06

KYM Howe yesterday became Australia's greatest female pole vaulter and promptly declared that her career could be over after the Commonwealth Games.

Emma George's national record of 4.60m from 1999 had stood the test of time -- even through Tatiana Grigorieva's 2000 Olympic silver medal performance -- but it only took two jumps yesterday for Howe to claim the honour by just 1cm.
"It's a huge relief," Howe said. "Ever since Emma George used to train with us in Perth I have wanted to break her record and it has been a long time going."

After winning silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester behind Grigorieva, the Western Australian vaulter made it to the Olympics in Athens two years later but was battling a knee problem which later needed surgery and 12 months off.

Despite only being 25 and seemingly now coming to the peak of her powers, Howe said the reality of her situation was that if she didn't get a sponsor after the Games then she would most likely be lost to the sport.






"It has been a nightmare so it is so good to be back," Howe said.

"My original plan after Athens was to go Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games and then retire.

"Hopefully I might get some sponsorship now and I might be able to keep going but I need it to continue. It's just too hard without it as I work in childcare, the worst paid job in the world and physically draining.

"I would love to go to Beijing (Olympics in 2008) as I just missed the final in Athens and I would have a lot more mental stability now, but at this stage all I can do is work towards Melbourne."

Her motivation this summer is to be the No. 1 Australian at next week's selection trials and then gain revenge over Grigorieva -- who cleared 4.41m for second yesterday -- in Melbourne in March.

"I was so disappointed after the Manchester Games coming second and I'm tired of being No. 2. I want to be No. 1 and get out there and win gold in Melbourne," she said.

She sensed something special brewing after clearing 4.5m in Perth last week and didn't come into yesterday's competition until 4.4m -- her highest ever starting point.

"I think this year more mentally I knew I had it (the record) in me, whereas before I was probably a bit soft," Howe said. "I don't think 4.8m or 4.9m is out of reach."

There was no such excitement in the men's pole vault. Paul Burgess, who cleared 6m this time last year, failed to clear a height. Former world champion Dmitri Markov won with a 5.35m leap.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=33259.html

Howe breaks Australian women’s Pole Vault record with 4.61m in Canberra
Thursday 26 January 2006
Kym Howe needed just two jumps to break the Australian women's Pole Vault record, Jana Pittman won her 400m Hurdles comeback and Matt Shirvington cleared his own mental barrier to win the 100 metres in the first Telstra A-Series of 2006 held in Canberra, Australia, earlier today.

West Australian Howe, 25, who trained with Emma George when she vaulted a World record height of 4.60m in early 1999, opened today at 4.41m - a centimetre higher than the automatic qualifying entry standard for the last Olympic final which Kym was unable to clear in Athens.




Pittman powers to 54.81 400m Hurdles win in Canberra
(Getty Images)

Sydney Olympic silver medallist Tatiana Grigorieva also cleared 4.41m at her first attempt to secure second place but she failed at 4.50m and could only watch as Howe gave an exhibition clearing 4.61m at the first try.

Howe then packed away her pole, a precaution against injury with the 84th Telstra Australian Championships running next week from 2 to 5 February at Sydney Olympic Park. The nationals double as team selection trials for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March.

""It's a huge relief,'' Howe said. "Ever since Emma (George) used to train with us in Perth I've wanted to break her record and it has been a long time coming.â€Â

Pictures!

These photographs were taken by David Reid.

Parnov



Grigorieva




Howe

I like the wrap on Howe's pole. The bright yellow does a lot to compliment that bright skypole green.

Vault&Flip wrote:I like the wrap on Howe's pole. The bright yellow does a lot to compliment that bright skypole green.

Yeah, you'd think a Baylor alum ran Gill or something.

Howe to Miss Games Selections
January 31, 2006 - 7:44PM

Commonwealth Games gold medal favourite Kym Howe will miss the Australian selection trials in Sydney starting Wednesday after injuring her shoulder during training in Canberra.

Less than a week after breaking Emma George's pole vault record during the Canberra A-Series, the 25-year-old childcare worker will have to place her faith in selectors to make the team for Melbourne next month.

Providing she can satisfy selectors she has fully recovered from her injury, her inclusion should be a formality given that she has met the A-Selection criteria of 4.30m four times this season.

Howe produced the jump of her career when she cleared 4.61m in her first attempt - setting a national and Commonwealth mark - with one of the best jumps in the world during the past year.

A silver medallist in Manchester four years ago, Howe has been in sensational form since returning from a 15-month injury enforced lay-off late last year with three Commonwealth Games A-Qualifiers before her record breaking leap in Canberra.

Howe said she was in the gym for a routine weights session on Sunday night when she hurt her shoulder.

AIS medical staff diagnosed a strained AC joint and said she would be out of action for seven to 10 days and any attempt to compete this weekend could cause enough damage to put her out of action for two months.

Howe has requested exemption from trials, which is usually a pre-requisite for selection, and will now watch nervously as her rivals battle for spots on the team.

"There is nothing you can do to prevent an injury of this kind," she said.

"I was using a bench-press slightly different from the one I use at home at WAIS and the angle of my shoulder joint caused the strain."

Howe has had a cortisone injection to help reduce inflammation and won't be able to do any training for the next couple of days.

"I will be able to run and do some hurdles next week and start jumping soon afterwards to resume where I left off," Howe said.

"It has been hugely disappointing because I've been in great form."

Howe said she didn't have any intention of producing a big jump in Canberra because of the swirly conditions.

She planned just one attempt at a record height which she cleared first up to erase George's former world record of 4.60m from 1999.

The women's pole vault will be one of the most competitive events at selection trials with a bunch of talented juniors up against Sydney Olympic silver medallist Tatiana Grigorieva.

(Source)

An A-C separation doing bench press??

Either the reporter got something wrong or something is up . . .

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 03,00.html

Meanwhile, new national pole vault record holder Kym Howe is out of the athletics trials after injuring her shoulder in a training mishap.

Howe, who vaulted 4.61m in Canberra last week to break Emma George's 1999 record, strained her AC joint during a routine training session yesterday.

She has been advised by AIS medical staff to rest for seven to 10 days.