From IAAF website: Stevenson pole vaults six metres!
Sunday 9 May 2004
Modesto, California (USA) - American vaulter Toby Stevenson became the ninth man in athletics’ history to reach the six-metre level outdoors with a magnificent 6.00m jump which easily stood alone as the highlight of Saturday’s 63rd Coca-Cola Modesto Relays (8 May).
“I’ve been expecting a big one all yearâ€Â
6 Meters for Toby
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6 Meters for Toby
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MODESTO RELAYS
Stanford grad clears 6 meters
Milestone vault by Stevenson
John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, May 9, 2004
Modesto -- With his helmet strapped on and fans clapping in rhythm, Toby Stevenson charged down the runway toward a height that would stamp him among the elite pole vaulters in the world if he cleared the bar on his third and final try.
The bar was set at 19 feet, 8 1/4 inches. Of greater significance for the rest of the metric world, that's 6 meters, a barrier first achieved by the great Sergey Bubka of Ukraine in 1985. Before he was finished, Bubka scaled 6 meters or better a whopping 44 times, finally topping out at his world outdoor record 20-1 3/4 in 1994.
This would be Stevenson's first. You always remember your first. For this 27-year-old Stanford graduate, it would be Saturday at the 63rd Tom Moore Modesto Relays.
Stevenson planted strongly and arced toward his appointment with his first 6-meter bar. He brushed it on the way over, causing a slight wobble, but it remained in place. Stevenson pumped his fist in celebration while still airborne.
"It was all-out,'' he said. "I hit the jump right. I was over the bar and I knew I made it ... I'm having a great time out here, getting some great stories for my kids and grandkids.''
The crowd at Modesto Junior College erupted in cheers at seeing only the third 6-meter vault on U.S. soil. Stevenson was joined in celebration in the pit by Kellie Suttle, one of the country's top women vaulters. They embraced and fell backward in the pit, blissed out both. They're just friends, mind you.
"That was awesome,'' said fellow vaulter Jeff Hartwig, holder of the American record at 19-9 1/4. "I think he's the 10th guy in history to jump that high. I think 10 total, in history, in the world, on the planet.''
Actually, Stevenson is the 11th man to clear 6 meters or better, indoors or out. He's only the second American to achieve the height, after Hartwig.
Though tired, Stevenson did not feel like stopping on the greatest day of his athletic life. When he woke up Saturday, his outdoor best was only 18-10 1/2; indoors, it's 19-0 3/4 from this winter.
In short order, Stevenson upped his personal best to 19-2 1/4, then 19-4 3/4 and finally 19-8 1/4 before having the bar jacked up to an American-record height of 19-9 3/4. He gave the rarified height three tries, coming close on his third attempt.
"I love this place,'' Stevenson said in acknowledging the support of the crowd. "I've been coming here six years. I've been expecting a big one all year. Things have been coming together -- training, diet. Six meters -- that's the mark to hit.''
Although statistics are not kept on such matters, Stevenson has to be one of the few elite vaulters to improve his outdoor personal best by nearly 10 inches in one competition. Until Saturday, Stevenson was primarily known as the guy in the helmet. He began wearing a roller blade hockey helmet in his senior year in high school in 1995 at his parents' insistence. He remains one of the few helmeted vaulters in the world.
MODESTO RELAYS
Stanford grad clears 6 meters
Milestone vault by Stevenson
John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, May 9, 2004
Modesto -- With his helmet strapped on and fans clapping in rhythm, Toby Stevenson charged down the runway toward a height that would stamp him among the elite pole vaulters in the world if he cleared the bar on his third and final try.
The bar was set at 19 feet, 8 1/4 inches. Of greater significance for the rest of the metric world, that's 6 meters, a barrier first achieved by the great Sergey Bubka of Ukraine in 1985. Before he was finished, Bubka scaled 6 meters or better a whopping 44 times, finally topping out at his world outdoor record 20-1 3/4 in 1994.
This would be Stevenson's first. You always remember your first. For this 27-year-old Stanford graduate, it would be Saturday at the 63rd Tom Moore Modesto Relays.
Stevenson planted strongly and arced toward his appointment with his first 6-meter bar. He brushed it on the way over, causing a slight wobble, but it remained in place. Stevenson pumped his fist in celebration while still airborne.
"It was all-out,'' he said. "I hit the jump right. I was over the bar and I knew I made it ... I'm having a great time out here, getting some great stories for my kids and grandkids.''
The crowd at Modesto Junior College erupted in cheers at seeing only the third 6-meter vault on U.S. soil. Stevenson was joined in celebration in the pit by Kellie Suttle, one of the country's top women vaulters. They embraced and fell backward in the pit, blissed out both. They're just friends, mind you.
"That was awesome,'' said fellow vaulter Jeff Hartwig, holder of the American record at 19-9 1/4. "I think he's the 10th guy in history to jump that high. I think 10 total, in history, in the world, on the planet.''
Actually, Stevenson is the 11th man to clear 6 meters or better, indoors or out. He's only the second American to achieve the height, after Hartwig.
Though tired, Stevenson did not feel like stopping on the greatest day of his athletic life. When he woke up Saturday, his outdoor best was only 18-10 1/2; indoors, it's 19-0 3/4 from this winter.
In short order, Stevenson upped his personal best to 19-2 1/4, then 19-4 3/4 and finally 19-8 1/4 before having the bar jacked up to an American-record height of 19-9 3/4. He gave the rarified height three tries, coming close on his third attempt.
"I love this place,'' Stevenson said in acknowledging the support of the crowd. "I've been coming here six years. I've been expecting a big one all year. Things have been coming together -- training, diet. Six meters -- that's the mark to hit.''
Although statistics are not kept on such matters, Stevenson has to be one of the few elite vaulters to improve his outdoor personal best by nearly 10 inches in one competition. Until Saturday, Stevenson was primarily known as the guy in the helmet. He began wearing a roller blade hockey helmet in his senior year in high school in 1995 at his parents' insistence. He remains one of the few helmeted vaulters in the world.
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http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0 ... 80,00.html
Stanford grad vaults to No. 2 all-time in U.S.
By Jeff Faraudo, STAFF WRITER
MODESTO -- Maybe now Stanford grad Toby Stevenson will be known for something besides being the pole vaulter who competes while wearing a roller-hockey helmet.
"I sure hope so," Stevenson said after becoming just the second American and the ninth vaulter in world history to scale 6.0 meters outdoors, a clearance of 19 feet, 81/4 inches that had fans at the 63rd Modesto Relays chanting his name.
Stevenson made three lifetime-best clearances and improved his previous outdoor best by 10 inches. He just missed three times at 19-93/4, which would have eclipsed Jeff Hartwig's American record.
"I'm just trying to be somebody," said Stevenson, 27, who won the NCAA pole vault title for Stanford in 1998. "Because I'm one of the rare few who wears (a helmet), I've spent my entire career trying to be known as the vaulter, not the vaulter in the helmet."
Stevenson had cleared 19 feet just once before -- a 19-01/4 effort to win the USA indoor nationals in Boston in late February. His previous outdoor best: 18-101/4.
He beat that with his second attempt, clearing 19-21/4 to give him the victory over Hartwig. Stevenson switched to a new, longer pole for 19-43/4 and made it on his first try.
It took three attempts to go over 19-81/4, but Stevenson was celebrating even before he landed in the pit with the world's highest outdoor clearance in three years. He immediately bounced to his feet, threw off his helmet, pumped his fists, got a big kiss from women's vaulter Kellie Suttle, then ran down the track, waving at the crowd.
"Six meters is the mark to get," Stevenson stressed. "I've been expecting a big one all year. It's been coming together for this day."
Hartwig wasn't surprised. "I thought he was going to make it on every jump, he's been so consistent. That's the key to jumping high," Hartwig said. "That was awesome."
For perspective, consider that no one had cleared 6 meters until Ukrainian star Sergei Bubka did it for the first of 44 times in 1985. He stands alone at the top, but had Stevenson cleared the U.S.-record height, he would have been just 1 centimeter shy of equaling the greatest non-Bubka vault of all-time.
Having cleared 18-91/2 as a senior at Stanford in 2000, Stevenson had improved just three-quarters of an inch in four years -- until Saturday. But he knew it was in him.
"I didn't want to continue unless I felt I had a legitimate chance to be one of the best," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do -- be the best."
Stanford grad vaults to No. 2 all-time in U.S.
By Jeff Faraudo, STAFF WRITER
MODESTO -- Maybe now Stanford grad Toby Stevenson will be known for something besides being the pole vaulter who competes while wearing a roller-hockey helmet.
"I sure hope so," Stevenson said after becoming just the second American and the ninth vaulter in world history to scale 6.0 meters outdoors, a clearance of 19 feet, 81/4 inches that had fans at the 63rd Modesto Relays chanting his name.
Stevenson made three lifetime-best clearances and improved his previous outdoor best by 10 inches. He just missed three times at 19-93/4, which would have eclipsed Jeff Hartwig's American record.
"I'm just trying to be somebody," said Stevenson, 27, who won the NCAA pole vault title for Stanford in 1998. "Because I'm one of the rare few who wears (a helmet), I've spent my entire career trying to be known as the vaulter, not the vaulter in the helmet."
Stevenson had cleared 19 feet just once before -- a 19-01/4 effort to win the USA indoor nationals in Boston in late February. His previous outdoor best: 18-101/4.
He beat that with his second attempt, clearing 19-21/4 to give him the victory over Hartwig. Stevenson switched to a new, longer pole for 19-43/4 and made it on his first try.
It took three attempts to go over 19-81/4, but Stevenson was celebrating even before he landed in the pit with the world's highest outdoor clearance in three years. He immediately bounced to his feet, threw off his helmet, pumped his fists, got a big kiss from women's vaulter Kellie Suttle, then ran down the track, waving at the crowd.
"Six meters is the mark to get," Stevenson stressed. "I've been expecting a big one all year. It's been coming together for this day."
Hartwig wasn't surprised. "I thought he was going to make it on every jump, he's been so consistent. That's the key to jumping high," Hartwig said. "That was awesome."
For perspective, consider that no one had cleared 6 meters until Ukrainian star Sergei Bubka did it for the first of 44 times in 1985. He stands alone at the top, but had Stevenson cleared the U.S.-record height, he would have been just 1 centimeter shy of equaling the greatest non-Bubka vault of all-time.
Having cleared 18-91/2 as a senior at Stanford in 2000, Stevenson had improved just three-quarters of an inch in four years -- until Saturday. But he knew it was in him.
"I didn't want to continue unless I felt I had a legitimate chance to be one of the best," he said. "That's what I'm trying to do -- be the best."
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