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Olympic Q&A: Stacy Dragila
08-11-2004

Defending Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila (33, Phoenix, Ariz.) is on the island of Crete for Team USA training camp as she prepares to defend her gold in the women's pole vault. A two-time world champion and 8-time U.S. outdoor champion, Dragila spoke to the press on Wednesday. Below are excerpts from the conversation. For a full bio of Dragila and all Team USA Olympic track & field athletes, visit http://www.usatf.org/events/2004/Olympi ... _alpha.asp


Q: What is being here at training camp doing for you?

A: I think it's good. Obviously, coming off the Trials, after making the team, you get on a little bit of a down. To come back here to regroup, it's such a relaxing atmosphere. It's a nice track and good food. Plus some fun stuff. It's a great way to recharge. I get a chance to talk to people I've never talked to before. It's a team atmosphere and it's really fun.

Q: How do you feel about your jumping this year?

A: I'm really happy. I've been very consistent. The things I moved to Phoenix to work on are coming together. Looking back a year ago, I wasn't sure they would.

Q: How do you feel about your Olympic chances, given how high people have been vaulting this year?

A: It's very exciting for women's pole vault to be part of the ground-breaking process and see where it's going. I'm very competitive, and I think I'll be on the medal stand. I'm the defending Olympic champion, and I'll fight my way to the top.

Q: Do you have an edge against your competitors?

A: The Olympic experience can be very overwhelming. I've been here before, so maybe I have a little bit of an edge. You can't communicate with your coach very well [in the Olympic stadium], so you better know sign language. All kinds of things come into play that you don't experience in small meets.

Q: Are there still bigger things to come from you?

A: I think so. I have a couple extra poles in my bag, and if I can get on those, we'll see some big things. That comes down to confidence in myself - having confidence in what we've done this year.

Q: Talk a bit more about the Russians.

A: I think they've been very consistent, they know what they're going. They learned it right from the time they started. When I started, the vault was new. I got away with a lot of things and developed some bad habits that we're still trying to correct.

Q: You dominated for so long, was the emergence of the Russians a surprise?

A: It was pretty much expected. They have a long tradition of great pole vaulters. It was just a matter of finding that perfect athlete. The competition between the two of them is very hot, and I think either one of them will do anything to beat each other. For me, it's not about beating them, it's about doing my best.

Q: How long will you compete?

A: For sure I see myself going two more years. Things are good, I'm still competitive and I still have that drive. Who knows? Beijing is just around the corner. These four years went so fast.

Q: Sergey Bubka has said a woman will never jump 5 meters. What do you think?

A: He better bite his tongue, because he's going to see it soon.

"Q: Sergey Bubka has said a woman will never jump 5 meters. What do you think?

A: He better bite his tongue, because he's going to see it soon."

thats right, bubka is wrong... just wait.

I think Bubka was misquoted. I believe he said that the event couldn't be considered mature until women were jumping 5m.

achtungpv wrote:I think Bubka was misquoted. I believe he said that the event couldn't be considered mature until women were jumping 5m.

yea i agree with u. i don't think bubka would ever try to say something that would discourage women from trying to vault to 5m.

achtungpv wrote:I think Bubka was misquoted. I believe he said that the event couldn't be considered mature until women were jumping 5m.

You right. I remember when he said it, because he told Stacy the same thing when they met for the first time. And I don't want to sound like a sheep, but he was right in a way. With the amount of athleticism that women have, they should be jumping 5m or better, and they will. I think that 5.20m will come in the next two years personally........What do you guys think?

VaultNinja wrote:

achtungpv wrote:I think Bubka was misquoted. I believe he said that the event couldn't be considered mature until women were jumping 5m.

You right. I remember when he said it, because he told Stacy the same thing when they met for the first time. And I don't want to sound like a sheep, but he was right in a way. With the amount of athleticism that women have, they should be jumping 5m or better, and they will. I think that 5.20m will come in the next two years personally........What do you guys think?

i would say eventually 520 but not in the next two years. maybe ten

VaultNinja wrote:

achtungpv wrote:I think Bubka was misquoted. I believe he said that the event couldn't be considered mature until women were jumping 5m.

You right. I remember when he said it, because he told Stacy the same thing when they met for the first time. And I don't want to sound like a sheep, but he was right in a way. With the amount of athleticism that women have, they should be jumping 5m or better, and they will. I think that 5.20m will come in the next two years personally........What do you guys think?

Isinbajeva may do it in the next two years (or not), but no one else is close. I don't see any great number of vaulters out there who will jump over 4.80m. I predict that 4.80 will still medal at the 2012 olympics. There are still only a handful of women running in the 8-8.5 mps range and that does not appear to be changing in the forseeable future. For a woman, a 5.20m jump is going to take 8.5+ mps. Almost all of the young females capable of running that fast are going to be channeled into other events (100h, LJ, TJ) where they can have more success earlier in their careers.

my 2 cents

Barto