Stacy Dragila Profile
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 8:31 am
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04216/355756.stm
America's Athletes: Stacy Dragila, Women's pole vault
Profile of a U.S. athlete contending for gold...
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michael Dwyer, Associated Press
Stacy Dragila
Click photo for larger image.
Name: Stacy Dragila
Sport: Women's pole vault
Birthplace/hometown: Auburn, Calif.
Age: 33
College: Idaho State University
Olympic experience: She was the first women's pole vault champion in the Olympics, which introduced the discipline four years ago.
International achievement: She won the World Championships in 1999 and 2001, and the World Indoor Championships in 1997. She also claimed the international records, outdoor and indoor, at various times. Most recent, she held the world indoor mark briefly in 2003. That came after an injury-plagued 2002 and a challenging change of coaches and technique that forced her to alter nearly everything about her approach to vaulting.
Claim to fame: Shortly after taking gold, she became the first female pole vaulter to grace the cover of a Wheaties box.
Goal for Athens: She has a chance to repeat, representing the clear class of the U.S. field. Her greatest competition will come from defending world champion Yelena Isinbayeva, 22, and Svetlana Feofanova, 24, of Russia. Dragila took fourth in that event, a foot below the winner. "I'm ready for that challenge," she said.
Personal: Studying toward master's degree in physical and health education at Idaho State, where she also serves as assistant coach. ... As teenager, was rodeo-barrel racer. ... Does charitable work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. ... In college, was heptathlete.
Quotable: On changes to her technique: "My jumps are more effortless. Before, I had to fight through some of my jumps to make them. I have a freer takeoff, much like Sergey Bubka, and the jumps are easy. I look at my coach and say, 'How come that's so easy?' and he says, 'It's supposed to be easy.' And I'm like, 'Wow, I never knew that concept.'
America's Athletes: Stacy Dragila, Women's pole vault
Profile of a U.S. athlete contending for gold...
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michael Dwyer, Associated Press
Stacy Dragila
Click photo for larger image.
Name: Stacy Dragila
Sport: Women's pole vault
Birthplace/hometown: Auburn, Calif.
Age: 33
College: Idaho State University
Olympic experience: She was the first women's pole vault champion in the Olympics, which introduced the discipline four years ago.
International achievement: She won the World Championships in 1999 and 2001, and the World Indoor Championships in 1997. She also claimed the international records, outdoor and indoor, at various times. Most recent, she held the world indoor mark briefly in 2003. That came after an injury-plagued 2002 and a challenging change of coaches and technique that forced her to alter nearly everything about her approach to vaulting.
Claim to fame: Shortly after taking gold, she became the first female pole vaulter to grace the cover of a Wheaties box.
Goal for Athens: She has a chance to repeat, representing the clear class of the U.S. field. Her greatest competition will come from defending world champion Yelena Isinbayeva, 22, and Svetlana Feofanova, 24, of Russia. Dragila took fourth in that event, a foot below the winner. "I'm ready for that challenge," she said.
Personal: Studying toward master's degree in physical and health education at Idaho State, where she also serves as assistant coach. ... As teenager, was rodeo-barrel racer. ... Does charitable work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. ... In college, was heptathlete.
Quotable: On changes to her technique: "My jumps are more effortless. Before, I had to fight through some of my jumps to make them. I have a freer takeoff, much like Sergey Bubka, and the jumps are easy. I look at my coach and say, 'How come that's so easy?' and he says, 'It's supposed to be easy.' And I'm like, 'Wow, I never knew that concept.'