Jenn Suhr to pole vault on Broadway

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Jenn Suhr to pole vault on Broadway

Steve Bradley, Staff writer 10:04 a.m. EDT June 3, 2014

Jenn Suhr will be starring on Broadway next week.

Suhr, the 2012 Olympic women's pole vault champion and a Riga resident, will be the featured vaulter in a showcase event on June 11 in New York City's Herald Square.

The event is being held in conjunction with the adidas Grand Prix in New York and will include five world-class vaulters.

"They are running on Broadway and are literally landing in front of Macy's," Suhr's husband and coach, Rick Suhr, said on Monday afternoon. "I think that this is so big and is such a significant honor for Jenn that adidas chose her to be featured in this."

Jenn Suhr, 32, has never been to Macy's, but the owner of 14 U.S. national titles and 11 American records is having a hard time containing her excitement.

"The pole vault has given me so much and taken me so many places that I never thought I would go," Suhr said. "This is an opportunity that I want to enjoy because it's fun and it's historical. I want to come out, have fun and enjoy the atmosphere."

Janice Keppler of Medina is expected to compete along with American April (Steiner) Bennett, Australian Liz Parnoff and Katerina Stefandi of Greece. The event begins at noon.

Suhr may also participate in a similar event near an international landmark later this summer, but details have not been finalized. She will, however, take part in the adidas Grand Prix in New York's Icahn Stadium with the top eight pole vaulters in the world.

Suhr's outdoor season is off to a flying start. She cleared 15-feet, 6-inches, the best outdoor vault in the world this year, at a warm-up meet at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario on Sunday.

Suhr has also agreed to terms with adidas, her sponsor the past eight years, and is poised to sign a four-year contract extension that will take her past the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, soon.

"We have stayed with adidas because it has been a winning formula and a winning relationship," Rick Suhr said.

This season's success has come after Suhr has switched from a fiberglass pole to an FX carbon pole made by Gill Athletics.

"Things are falling into place," Jenn Suhr said. "It's still early in the season, but I've got a great base."