Comment on Indoor Vault Marks

[roger/over]

The relatively limited data I've just posted on 2006 indoor performances offer indirect support for one of my beliefs about vault stats: that indoor and outdoor marks should not be combined in a single list, especially at international levels.

The most recent edition of Winfried Kramer's authoritative National Athletics Records shows outdoor vault records for 202 countries; 91 of those at or above 5.00m. Only 37 of these countries appear on Jalava's 2006 world indoor list, which I have summarized.

My current list of women's outdoor records shows those for 120 countries. Only 46 are shown on the list of 2006 indoor bests I have summarized.

It seems clear to me that vaulters of many countries have little or no opportunity for year-round practice and competition with adequate facilities. To compare performances of vaulters who have this year-round advantage with those who don't is simply unfair.

Even within a single country, these comparisons may be inappropriate. Vaulters in larger city high schools often have opportunity for winter practice in gymnasia with built-in planting boxes and portable foam pits. Vaulters in smaller schools usually do not. To put them into the same competition outdoors in the spring months clearly disadvantages the small-school athlete. I'm not suggesting that they should not compete together--only that the differences in opportunities should be appreciated; for example, in considerations for college scholarships.

[altius]

Good thoughts. While Paul Burgess won the Donetzk Indoor meet - or at least i think he did - we do not have a single indoor competition facility in Australia - and only two places where the equivalent of high school gyms are available for training - the best situation is in Perth I believe where they have a runway alongside a 50 metre swimming pool.