http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/ ... id=1869585
Long after Marion had left the building and more than three and a half hours after the track and field competition began Friday night, the American pole-vaulting duo of Tim Mack and Toby Stevenson lifted higher to new heights.
The only American gold medalist of the day, Mack set an Olympic record, clearing 19 feet, 6¼ inches in his final attempt, and Stevenson cleared 19-4¼ as the United States finished 1-2 in the event for the second straight Games.
Poor Giuseppe Gibilisco. Italy's 2003 World Champion thought he had a shot at the gold when he was the only vaulter to clear 19-2½ on his first attempt. But a leg injury that has hampered him since May prevented him clearing anything higher, and left him with the bronze medal and a front-row seat to history.
Both Mack and Stevenson had been sailing over the bar all night, clearing it with room to spare. Fellow American Derek Miles, who trains with Mack and Stevenson and finished seventh at 18-10¼, wasn't surprised.
"I could tell Tim Mack had it for about a month," he said. "He was taking really good shots at 6 (meters) in training.
"Toby has had it this whole year."
Both men cleared 19-4¼, Mack's personal best, on their first try.
Then came 19-6¼. Mack missed first.
After Stevenson completely botched the job -- the pole slid through his hands as he ran up on the landing mat -- he held both hands to his head as if they were guns, pulled the triggers and collapsed.
"I was mad because I missed a chance to fine tune where I was in my head," said Stevenson, who has worn a hockey helmet while competing since high school at his parents' request. A demonstrative competitor -- he played air guitar with his pole after clearing 19-2½ -- Stevenson says he's kept the helmet to protect his Stanford degree. It also comes in handy when he needs something to throw, which he did after missing 19-6¼ on his third and final attempt.
After clinching the gold with a height 1-inch higher than the Olympic record, there was only one thought running through Mack's head -- a chance at 6.
Six meters -- or 19 feet, 8¼ inches -- is the holy grail of pole vaulting. Only nine vaulters in history have cleared it, including Stevenson earlier this year. It was a strange sight to behold, just Mack and his routine. Sweatpants on, jacket on, visor on, stretch, visualize, visor off, jacket off, sweatpants off. Three times.
If you're going to do it, you might as well do it right.
Though he was able to raise himself over the bar, Mack was unable to clear it, alternately knocking it off with his shins and his knees on the way down.
By the time he finished, it was 11:41 p.m. -- almost an hour after the scheduled time for the event's medal ceremony, which was pushed back to Saturday. Starting blocks were already packed up and scoreboards wheeled away. It was well past midnight when the medalists finished celebrating and signing autographs and left the field.
Will the last pole vaulter to leave Olympic Stadium please turn out the lights?
Olympics Men's Finals Articles
Moderators: achtungpv, vaultmd
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 517879.htm
U.S. takes gold, silver in men's pole vault
BY ANN KILLION
Knight Ridder Newspapers
ATHENS - (KRT) - All week long Toby Stevenson and Timothy Mack had been saying it, sometimes joking, sometimes serious.
"Let's go silver, gold," Stevenson said, repeating the training banter.
They didn't know who would get what. But at the end of a very long night of competition it came down to the two of them and a height of 19 feet, 6 inches, to set an Olympic record.
They both missed their first two attempts at 19-6. Stevenson, a Stanford graduate, lay on his back on the grass, knowing the gold was his if Mack failed.
But Mack, the U.S. trials champion, cleared the Olympic-record height.
"When Tim went over it, I wasn't expecting it," Stevenson said. "But it fired me up."
But Stevenson - who until Friday had the highest vault in the world this year - couldn't get over. He spiked his helmet - the piece of equipment that has made him famous because he's the only guy who wears one. Mack had won the gold medal.
"I'm a competitor," said Stevenson, who cleared 19-4. "But am I disappointed in a silver medal? Hell no."
Stevenson and U.S. teammate Derek Miles, who finished seventh in the competition, stayed on the field and cheered on Mack, who made three failed attempts at 19-8 before calling it a night.
It was the second consecutive Olympics that American pole vaulters had taken the top two spots: in 2000 Nick Hysong and Lawrence Johnson finished 1-2.
Friday, Italy's Giuseppe Gibilisco won the bronze with a vault of 19-2.
"It's awesome," Mack said of his accomplishment, which improved on the record of 19-5 set by three people in 1996. "That last jump is the hardest. I was thinking, there's everything to lose."
For the past four years, Mack, 31, of Cleveland, has had the e-mail screen name goldnathens. Like Stevenson, he is an athlete who is blossoming late in his career.
"Everything is coming together at the right time for both of us," said Stevenson, 27, who was the 1998 NCAA pole vault champion at Stanford. "Like I've been saying, I finally figured it out."
The pole vault competition lasted almost four hours. As the athletes vaulted, races were run, the Greek crowd exploded over and over again in noise, medal ceremonies were held, anthems were played. It was only at the end of the night that the vaulters had center stage.
"It was an amazing experience," said Stevenson, of Odessa, Tex. "You don't know what else was going on. I didn't even know the meet was over. You want to relish the atmosphere but not get overwhelmed by it."
When the crowd finally turned its undivided attention to the vaulter, the flamboyant Stevenson led them in cheers and played his pole like a guitar.
There was a frightening moment early in the competition, when Russian Pavel Gerasimov missed the landing mat and fell onto the hard surface of the stadium. He was OK, and even attempted one more jump.
But it was a reminder of how dangerous the event can be, and why it is a good thing that Stevenson promised his mother years ago that he would always wear a helmet.
U.S. takes gold, silver in men's pole vault
BY ANN KILLION
Knight Ridder Newspapers
ATHENS - (KRT) - All week long Toby Stevenson and Timothy Mack had been saying it, sometimes joking, sometimes serious.
"Let's go silver, gold," Stevenson said, repeating the training banter.
They didn't know who would get what. But at the end of a very long night of competition it came down to the two of them and a height of 19 feet, 6 inches, to set an Olympic record.
They both missed their first two attempts at 19-6. Stevenson, a Stanford graduate, lay on his back on the grass, knowing the gold was his if Mack failed.
But Mack, the U.S. trials champion, cleared the Olympic-record height.
"When Tim went over it, I wasn't expecting it," Stevenson said. "But it fired me up."
But Stevenson - who until Friday had the highest vault in the world this year - couldn't get over. He spiked his helmet - the piece of equipment that has made him famous because he's the only guy who wears one. Mack had won the gold medal.
"I'm a competitor," said Stevenson, who cleared 19-4. "But am I disappointed in a silver medal? Hell no."
Stevenson and U.S. teammate Derek Miles, who finished seventh in the competition, stayed on the field and cheered on Mack, who made three failed attempts at 19-8 before calling it a night.
It was the second consecutive Olympics that American pole vaulters had taken the top two spots: in 2000 Nick Hysong and Lawrence Johnson finished 1-2.
Friday, Italy's Giuseppe Gibilisco won the bronze with a vault of 19-2.
"It's awesome," Mack said of his accomplishment, which improved on the record of 19-5 set by three people in 1996. "That last jump is the hardest. I was thinking, there's everything to lose."
For the past four years, Mack, 31, of Cleveland, has had the e-mail screen name goldnathens. Like Stevenson, he is an athlete who is blossoming late in his career.
"Everything is coming together at the right time for both of us," said Stevenson, 27, who was the 1998 NCAA pole vault champion at Stanford. "Like I've been saying, I finally figured it out."
The pole vault competition lasted almost four hours. As the athletes vaulted, races were run, the Greek crowd exploded over and over again in noise, medal ceremonies were held, anthems were played. It was only at the end of the night that the vaulters had center stage.
"It was an amazing experience," said Stevenson, of Odessa, Tex. "You don't know what else was going on. I didn't even know the meet was over. You want to relish the atmosphere but not get overwhelmed by it."
When the crowd finally turned its undivided attention to the vaulter, the flamboyant Stevenson led them in cheers and played his pole like a guitar.
There was a frightening moment early in the competition, when Russian Pavel Gerasimov missed the landing mat and fell onto the hard surface of the stadium. He was OK, and even attempted one more jump.
But it was a reminder of how dangerous the event can be, and why it is a good thing that Stevenson promised his mother years ago that he would always wear a helmet.
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200408/s1187103.htm
Mack goes big to get pole vault gold
Last Updated: Saturday, August 28, 2004. 7:47am (AEST)
American pole vaulter Timothy Mack pulled off a last-gasp clearance at an Olympic record height of 5.95 metres to take the Olympic Games men's pole vault title this morning.
Mack had been lying second behind his compatriot Toby Stevenson, because of a failure earlier in the competition, until he lifted himself over the winning height at his third attempt.
Stevenson, nicknamed The Cat in the Hat because of the fact that he wears a black street hockey safety helmet, got the silver with 5.90m.
He nearly prolonged the contest when he slithered over 5.95m on his third attempt but, after an agonising few moments, the twitching bar fell.
Italy's world champion Guiseppe Gibilisco took the bronze with 5.85m.
After failing for the first time at 5.90m, and watching the Americans go clear, Gibilisco opted to take his two final attempts of the competition at 5.95m but he fouled out.
Gibilisco is coached by none other than the Ukrainian guru of the event Vitaly Petrov, the early coach and mentor to six-times world champion and 1988 Olympic champion Sergey Bubka.
A bizarre element was introduced after Mack had secured the gold medal when the stadium disc jockey started playing the Village People's famous 1970s hit YMCA.
Mack and his coach were clearly bemused about choice of music that accompanied Mack's first two attempts of an ultimately futile bid to become the 12th man in history to clear the benchmark of 6 metres.
The Bee Gees' Stayin Alive accompanied Mack's final attempt, but a mixture of distraction and elation conspired to ensure he could not pull it off.
With 17 men in the final, it was predictably a drawn-out affair, just being shaded by the men's 50km walk that had taken place earlier on Friday as the longest event on the athletics program.
It was first to start on Friday's evening athletics program and the last to finish after a contest of more than three-and-a-half-hours.
--AFP
Mack goes big to get pole vault gold
Last Updated: Saturday, August 28, 2004. 7:47am (AEST)
American pole vaulter Timothy Mack pulled off a last-gasp clearance at an Olympic record height of 5.95 metres to take the Olympic Games men's pole vault title this morning.
Mack had been lying second behind his compatriot Toby Stevenson, because of a failure earlier in the competition, until he lifted himself over the winning height at his third attempt.
Stevenson, nicknamed The Cat in the Hat because of the fact that he wears a black street hockey safety helmet, got the silver with 5.90m.
He nearly prolonged the contest when he slithered over 5.95m on his third attempt but, after an agonising few moments, the twitching bar fell.
Italy's world champion Guiseppe Gibilisco took the bronze with 5.85m.
After failing for the first time at 5.90m, and watching the Americans go clear, Gibilisco opted to take his two final attempts of the competition at 5.95m but he fouled out.
Gibilisco is coached by none other than the Ukrainian guru of the event Vitaly Petrov, the early coach and mentor to six-times world champion and 1988 Olympic champion Sergey Bubka.
A bizarre element was introduced after Mack had secured the gold medal when the stadium disc jockey started playing the Village People's famous 1970s hit YMCA.
Mack and his coach were clearly bemused about choice of music that accompanied Mack's first two attempts of an ultimately futile bid to become the 12th man in history to clear the benchmark of 6 metres.
The Bee Gees' Stayin Alive accompanied Mack's final attempt, but a mixture of distraction and elation conspired to ensure he could not pull it off.
With 17 men in the final, it was predictably a drawn-out affair, just being shaded by the men's 50km walk that had taken place earlier on Friday as the longest event on the athletics program.
It was first to start on Friday's evening athletics program and the last to finish after a contest of more than three-and-a-half-hours.
--AFP
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=6092833
American Champion Tim Mack Wins Pole Vault Gold
Fri Aug 27, 2004 05:55 PM ET
By John Mehaffey
ATHENS (Reuters) - American champion Tim Mack won the Olympic pole vault title on Friday with a Games record 5.95 meters after an engrossing duel with teammate Toby Stevenson.
The pair were left in contention for the gold medal when Italian world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco failed for the third consecutive time with the bar at 5.85 meters.
Both Americans cleared 5.90 with their only attempt but Stevenson, jumping in his distinctive protective headgear, failed with three attempts at 5.95 after Mack had cleared with his second.
Mack, who first attracted international attention when he won the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, had already set a personal best.
He tried to extend the mark to six meters but failed with all three attempts.
"It's pretty unbelievable," Mack said. "I can't put it into words, it kind of seems like a storybook."
Mack said 2001 had represented a turning point.
"We were trying to figure out what it was that kept me from jumping higher than anybody else.
"Basically it took three years for all that to come together."
American Champion Tim Mack Wins Pole Vault Gold
Fri Aug 27, 2004 05:55 PM ET
By John Mehaffey
ATHENS (Reuters) - American champion Tim Mack won the Olympic pole vault title on Friday with a Games record 5.95 meters after an engrossing duel with teammate Toby Stevenson.
The pair were left in contention for the gold medal when Italian world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco failed for the third consecutive time with the bar at 5.85 meters.
Both Americans cleared 5.90 with their only attempt but Stevenson, jumping in his distinctive protective headgear, failed with three attempts at 5.95 after Mack had cleared with his second.
Mack, who first attracted international attention when he won the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, had already set a personal best.
He tried to extend the mark to six meters but failed with all three attempts.
"It's pretty unbelievable," Mack said. "I can't put it into words, it kind of seems like a storybook."
Mack said 2001 had represented a turning point.
"We were trying to figure out what it was that kept me from jumping higher than anybody else.
"Basically it took three years for all that to come together."
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/28/sport ... vault.html
With Verve, Two U.S. Men Go the Highest
By LIZ ROBBINS
Published: August 28, 2004
THENS, Aug. 27 - Timothy Mack had one attempt left to win a gold medal in the pole vault Friday, one attempt left to validate the e-mail address he has used the past four years - goldnathens.
That thought crossed Mack's mind on the runway. So did the more technical thoughts about his form - "swing," "keep your posture" and "hit with the arms."
As his teammate, Toby Stevenson, clapped along with the stadium crowd to encourage the final attempt of the night, Mack cleared the bar at 19 feet 6¼ inches for an Olympic record and a gold medal. It was his personal best by two inches.
Stevenson, who cleared 19-4¼, won silver, giving the United States its second consecutive 1-2 finish in the Olympics. Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy finished third, at 19-2½.
Mack said he was intent on the details of his attempt, not the outcome. "I was just focused so much on, one, not winning, and two, not losing," he said.
Mack, 31, went back to try to clear 19-8¼ but missed three times as the track and field competition closed for the evening.
The vaulters had watched as Marion Jones and Lauryn Williams mishandled the baton for the United States' 4x100-meter relay right in front of the pole-vault pit. They tried to remain focused on their event.
"I was pretty surprised so many people stayed," Mack said. "I realized we were the only event out there."
He made it a show with Stevenson, who had come in as the world's top vaulter.
"It was a lot of fun," said Mack, who was an N.C.A.A. champion at Tennessee. "We tried to stick to our game plan, and we just piggybacked off each other until the final bar."
Stevenson, 27, energized the crowd all night with his antics.
He is the only vaulter to wear a helmet - fulfilling a promise he made to his parents. And he celebrates each successful jump, sometimes by playing air guitar.
He felt comfortable with his lead when Mack twice failed to clear 19-4¼, but said he was thrilled when Mack bested it. Stevenson then failed to clear the winning height.
"I'm ecstatic with the silver," Stevenson, an N.C.A.A. champion at Stanford, said. "It's just a culmination of the last 15 years of my life, of the pain of taking the jokes of my helmet. This just helps legitimize my career."
Stevenson noted that all vaulters are trying to get to the heights that Sergei Bubka of Ukraine reached. He set world records of 20-2 indoors and 20-1¾ outdoors.
"Someday, somebody will break his record," Stevenson said.
With Verve, Two U.S. Men Go the Highest
By LIZ ROBBINS
Published: August 28, 2004
THENS, Aug. 27 - Timothy Mack had one attempt left to win a gold medal in the pole vault Friday, one attempt left to validate the e-mail address he has used the past four years - goldnathens.
That thought crossed Mack's mind on the runway. So did the more technical thoughts about his form - "swing," "keep your posture" and "hit with the arms."
As his teammate, Toby Stevenson, clapped along with the stadium crowd to encourage the final attempt of the night, Mack cleared the bar at 19 feet 6¼ inches for an Olympic record and a gold medal. It was his personal best by two inches.
Stevenson, who cleared 19-4¼, won silver, giving the United States its second consecutive 1-2 finish in the Olympics. Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy finished third, at 19-2½.
Mack said he was intent on the details of his attempt, not the outcome. "I was just focused so much on, one, not winning, and two, not losing," he said.
Mack, 31, went back to try to clear 19-8¼ but missed three times as the track and field competition closed for the evening.
The vaulters had watched as Marion Jones and Lauryn Williams mishandled the baton for the United States' 4x100-meter relay right in front of the pole-vault pit. They tried to remain focused on their event.
"I was pretty surprised so many people stayed," Mack said. "I realized we were the only event out there."
He made it a show with Stevenson, who had come in as the world's top vaulter.
"It was a lot of fun," said Mack, who was an N.C.A.A. champion at Tennessee. "We tried to stick to our game plan, and we just piggybacked off each other until the final bar."
Stevenson, 27, energized the crowd all night with his antics.
He is the only vaulter to wear a helmet - fulfilling a promise he made to his parents. And he celebrates each successful jump, sometimes by playing air guitar.
He felt comfortable with his lead when Mack twice failed to clear 19-4¼, but said he was thrilled when Mack bested it. Stevenson then failed to clear the winning height.
"I'm ecstatic with the silver," Stevenson, an N.C.A.A. champion at Stanford, said. "It's just a culmination of the last 15 years of my life, of the pain of taking the jokes of my helmet. This just helps legitimize my career."
Stevenson noted that all vaulters are trying to get to the heights that Sergei Bubka of Ukraine reached. He set world records of 20-2 indoors and 20-1¾ outdoors.
"Someday, somebody will break his record," Stevenson said.
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... ault_run_2
American Timothy Mack Wins Pole Vault
Fri Aug 27, 7:27 PM ET
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
ATHENS, Greece - Pole vaulters are an odd bunch â€â€
American Timothy Mack Wins Pole Vault
Fri Aug 27, 7:27 PM ET
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
ATHENS, Greece - Pole vaulters are an odd bunch â€â€
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2819.cfm?Id=22,34288
Miles Finishes Seventh In Pole Vault
ATHENS, GREECE -- Former South Dakota Coyote track and field star Derek Miles' dream of medaling at the 2004 Olympics Games fell a little short but Miles made the world take notice of him.
Miles, a 1996 South Dakota graduate, finished seventh with a vault of 5.75 meters or 18 feet 10 1 1/2 inches in the finals of the pole vault competition. He was the third American in the top seven of the competitition. While he may not have won, Miles advanced to the finals by making the qualifying height two days ago. Throughout the competition, he showed the zeal and resiliency that established this American team as one of the best in recent memory.
"Derek did his best and that is all we can ask," said Dave Gottsleben, the USD men's track and field coach who recruited Miles to South Dakota in the early 1990s. "He clearly showed that he has a big heart and a belief that he will continually get better," added Gottsleben, who followed Miles' vaulting over the internet. "We are very proud of what he has accomplished. To finish seventh is a very noteworthy achievement in an event that is one of the most competitive in track and field."
Timothy Mack, who won the U.S. Trials in the vault, won the Gold Medal with a vault of 5.95 meter. USA's Toby Stevenson won a Silver Medal with a second place finish. Stevenson went 5.90 meters. 2003 world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy won the Bronze Medal with a vault of 5.85. Igor Pavlov of Russia was fourth at 5.80 meters with Danny Ecker of Germany fifth at 5.75 meters and Lars Boergeling, sixth, at 5.75 meters.
USD Coyotes - Dan Genzler
Miles Finishes Seventh In Pole Vault
ATHENS, GREECE -- Former South Dakota Coyote track and field star Derek Miles' dream of medaling at the 2004 Olympics Games fell a little short but Miles made the world take notice of him.
Miles, a 1996 South Dakota graduate, finished seventh with a vault of 5.75 meters or 18 feet 10 1 1/2 inches in the finals of the pole vault competition. He was the third American in the top seven of the competitition. While he may not have won, Miles advanced to the finals by making the qualifying height two days ago. Throughout the competition, he showed the zeal and resiliency that established this American team as one of the best in recent memory.
"Derek did his best and that is all we can ask," said Dave Gottsleben, the USD men's track and field coach who recruited Miles to South Dakota in the early 1990s. "He clearly showed that he has a big heart and a belief that he will continually get better," added Gottsleben, who followed Miles' vaulting over the internet. "We are very proud of what he has accomplished. To finish seventh is a very noteworthy achievement in an event that is one of the most competitive in track and field."
Timothy Mack, who won the U.S. Trials in the vault, won the Gold Medal with a vault of 5.95 meter. USA's Toby Stevenson won a Silver Medal with a second place finish. Stevenson went 5.90 meters. 2003 world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy won the Bronze Medal with a vault of 5.85. Igor Pavlov of Russia was fourth at 5.80 meters with Danny Ecker of Germany fifth at 5.75 meters and Lars Boergeling, sixth, at 5.75 meters.
USD Coyotes - Dan Genzler
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.ktvu.com/slideshow/sports/36 ... s&p=sports
No Crashlanding For Stanford's Stevenson In Pole Vault
Former Stanford star Tody Stevenson loves getting the last laugh.
Stevenson is one of the few pole vaulters in the world to wear a helmet when he jumps -- a leftover from a high school concession made to ease his parents safety concerns.
And over the years, he's heard all the jokes.
On Friday, Stevenson got the last laugh again as he -- and his magic helmet -- won the silver medal in Athens.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic I won the silver," Stevenson said. "It is the culmination of the last 15 years of my life –- paying my dues, taking all the jokes about the helmet. It really legitimizes my life as an athlete."
No Crashlanding For Stanford's Stevenson In Pole Vault
Former Stanford star Tody Stevenson loves getting the last laugh.
Stevenson is one of the few pole vaulters in the world to wear a helmet when he jumps -- a leftover from a high school concession made to ease his parents safety concerns.
And over the years, he's heard all the jokes.
On Friday, Stevenson got the last laugh again as he -- and his magic helmet -- won the silver medal in Athens.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic I won the silver," Stevenson said. "It is the culmination of the last 15 years of my life –- paying my dues, taking all the jokes about the helmet. It really legitimizes my life as an athlete."
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.athens2004.com/en/LatestNews ... 130c0a____
Men's Pole Vault : Comments from the medallists
ATHENS, 27 August - Comments from Timothy MACK (USA), Toby STEVENSON (USA), Giuseppe GIBILISCO (ITA)
Timothy MACK (USA) - gold medallist
On what he is saying just before he jumps:
"I always do that. It's something like 'I can make this, I will make this'."
On his thoughts at his third attempt at 5.95m (Olympic record):
"I was trying not to focus on making it or missing it."
On the atmosphere at the stadium:
"I was into the competition, not paying any attention. But at one point I realised that pole vault was the only event running and that everybody was watching us. That was wonderful."
Toby STEVENSON (USA) - silver medallist
On if the two medals that USA won at pole vault will boost the event:
"There are a lot of kids behind us in USA, jumping high. We've opened the door for them to realise that it is really fun. Me and Tim spend a lot of time together."
On what he thought when MACK was making his third attempt at 5.95m:
"The jump he did never surprised me. The thought crossed my mind that if he failed I would take gold, but I had to refocus and rematch that jump."
Giuseppe GIBILISCO (ITA) - bronze medallist
On his thoughts when he was the first to pass 5.85m:
"I thought that I could win. Both of them had jumped higher this year and I had an injury in May and still now I feel pain in my leg. I had to do few jumps. So I'm happy to win a medal. For me it's not bronze, it's more than gold."
On what talents someone needs to become a pole vaulter:
"To be a little crazy. Every one of us is doing many things at training. And you really have to be mentally strong. Today the final lasted four hours, the qualification round 3.5 hours. You have to be a little strange, too."
Men's Pole Vault : Comments from the medallists
ATHENS, 27 August - Comments from Timothy MACK (USA), Toby STEVENSON (USA), Giuseppe GIBILISCO (ITA)
Timothy MACK (USA) - gold medallist
On what he is saying just before he jumps:
"I always do that. It's something like 'I can make this, I will make this'."
On his thoughts at his third attempt at 5.95m (Olympic record):
"I was trying not to focus on making it or missing it."
On the atmosphere at the stadium:
"I was into the competition, not paying any attention. But at one point I realised that pole vault was the only event running and that everybody was watching us. That was wonderful."
Toby STEVENSON (USA) - silver medallist
On if the two medals that USA won at pole vault will boost the event:
"There are a lot of kids behind us in USA, jumping high. We've opened the door for them to realise that it is really fun. Me and Tim spend a lot of time together."
On what he thought when MACK was making his third attempt at 5.95m:
"The jump he did never surprised me. The thought crossed my mind that if he failed I would take gold, but I had to refocus and rematch that jump."
Giuseppe GIBILISCO (ITA) - bronze medallist
On his thoughts when he was the first to pass 5.85m:
"I thought that I could win. Both of them had jumped higher this year and I had an injury in May and still now I feel pain in my leg. I had to do few jumps. So I'm happy to win a medal. For me it's not bronze, it's more than gold."
On what talents someone needs to become a pole vaulter:
"To be a little crazy. Every one of us is doing many things at training. And you really have to be mentally strong. Today the final lasted four hours, the qualification round 3.5 hours. You have to be a little strange, too."
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.usatf.org/news/view.asp?DUid ... 7_15_28_17
FRIDAY AUG. 27, 2004 QUOTES TEAM USA TRACK & FIELD QUOTES
MEN'S POLE VAULT FINAL
Tim Mack (Knoxville, Tenn.) gold medalist, setting Olympic record (5.95m/19-6.25): "I tell you what on that last jump the hardest thing is to focus on thinking there's everything to lose. The hardest thing is to focus on that I have step one, step to do and that I'm going to clear it no matter what. I had to tell myself that I had to work my arms really hard. Basically I said that a couple, hundred thousand times. I never thought about making it, but I didn't think about not making it. I wasn't surprised I cleared. I have a lot of things written down over the year in a notebook. That helps me trust my decisions. It took three years for all of these things to come together. It's not a one-year thing. There's a lot of sacrifice, a lot of decisions to make. It sounds like a storybook; there were so many people who got me here. I try not to think what the bar was.
On his email address: "I don't want to give away my whole email address, but it's goldinathens. I've had it for four years. I thought about that tonight on the runway."
Toby Stevenson (Chula Vista, Calif.), silver medallist (5.90m/19-4.25): "Everybody brought their A game tonight, and luckily for us, we got a gold and a silver. I'm disappointed that I lost, but am I disappointed that I got a silver? Hell, no. We've been here two weeks, saying to each other, 'let's get a gold and a silver,' half joking and half serious. And we did it!
"The crowd really inspired us. It was so noisy; I didn't even know the (rest of the) meet was over. You want to relish the atmosphere, but not get too caught up in it.
"Tim (Mack) is a great jumper; when he went 5.95, it inspired me. The jump Tim made at 5.95 in no way surprised me. He's been jumping well all year. Of course I realized that if he missed, I could win. But this is a competition, and I had to get out there and get ready to jump.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic I won the silver. It is the culmination of the last 15 years of my life - paying my dues, taking all the jokes about the helmet. It really legitimizes my life as an athlete.
"In pole vault, you always end on three misses. You learn to deal with that."
Derek Miles (Jonesboro, Ark.) tied for seventh (5.75m/18-10.25): "Mack jumped a personal record and took some good shots at six meters and Toby has been consistent at 5.90, 5.85, 6.00 meters, so it was just really exciting to watch those guys jump.
"I really feel like I had the ability to jump higher this meet, get a personal record, and jump 5.85 or 5.90. The last jump I had was actually the best jump of the night and I just didn't have it in the right spot and kicked it on the way up. That's been my thing through qualifying and finals get down to that third attempt and then live to fight another couple of attempts. So, I'm a little disappointed I hit it on the way up but I ended on the best jump of the night, so that's kind of a positive.
"I was in Paris last year (World Championships) and sat down after jumping and really watched a spectacular meet take place. I told myself after that competition that I was going to be in the thick of it next time. But I kind of ended up in a similar situation again this time."
FRIDAY AUG. 27, 2004 QUOTES TEAM USA TRACK & FIELD QUOTES
MEN'S POLE VAULT FINAL
Tim Mack (Knoxville, Tenn.) gold medalist, setting Olympic record (5.95m/19-6.25): "I tell you what on that last jump the hardest thing is to focus on thinking there's everything to lose. The hardest thing is to focus on that I have step one, step to do and that I'm going to clear it no matter what. I had to tell myself that I had to work my arms really hard. Basically I said that a couple, hundred thousand times. I never thought about making it, but I didn't think about not making it. I wasn't surprised I cleared. I have a lot of things written down over the year in a notebook. That helps me trust my decisions. It took three years for all of these things to come together. It's not a one-year thing. There's a lot of sacrifice, a lot of decisions to make. It sounds like a storybook; there were so many people who got me here. I try not to think what the bar was.
On his email address: "I don't want to give away my whole email address, but it's goldinathens. I've had it for four years. I thought about that tonight on the runway."
Toby Stevenson (Chula Vista, Calif.), silver medallist (5.90m/19-4.25): "Everybody brought their A game tonight, and luckily for us, we got a gold and a silver. I'm disappointed that I lost, but am I disappointed that I got a silver? Hell, no. We've been here two weeks, saying to each other, 'let's get a gold and a silver,' half joking and half serious. And we did it!
"The crowd really inspired us. It was so noisy; I didn't even know the (rest of the) meet was over. You want to relish the atmosphere, but not get too caught up in it.
"Tim (Mack) is a great jumper; when he went 5.95, it inspired me. The jump Tim made at 5.95 in no way surprised me. He's been jumping well all year. Of course I realized that if he missed, I could win. But this is a competition, and I had to get out there and get ready to jump.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic I won the silver. It is the culmination of the last 15 years of my life - paying my dues, taking all the jokes about the helmet. It really legitimizes my life as an athlete.
"In pole vault, you always end on three misses. You learn to deal with that."
Derek Miles (Jonesboro, Ark.) tied for seventh (5.75m/18-10.25): "Mack jumped a personal record and took some good shots at six meters and Toby has been consistent at 5.90, 5.85, 6.00 meters, so it was just really exciting to watch those guys jump.
"I really feel like I had the ability to jump higher this meet, get a personal record, and jump 5.85 or 5.90. The last jump I had was actually the best jump of the night and I just didn't have it in the right spot and kicked it on the way up. That's been my thing through qualifying and finals get down to that third attempt and then live to fight another couple of attempts. So, I'm a little disappointed I hit it on the way up but I ended on the best jump of the night, so that's kind of a positive.
"I was in Paris last year (World Championships) and sat down after jumping and really watched a spectacular meet take place. I told myself after that competition that I was going to be in the thick of it next time. But I kind of ended up in a similar situation again this time."
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20 ... 1799.shtml
American sets pole vault mark
Olympic record gives Mack gold
MIKE PRATER GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
The Olympian Online
ATHENS, Greece -- Timothy Mack is such a methodical pole-vaulter, he doesn't allow himself to enjoy the moment, even when it's the biggest one of his life.
That's probably why he's the new Olympic gold medalist and Olympic record-holder.
The former University of Tennessee vaulter spiced up his resume Friday night by outthinking, and outperforming, a world-class field inside Olympic Stadium. He was the only vaulter to clear 19 feet, 6 1/4 inches, breaking the Olympic record shared by three people from the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
When Mack crossed the bar for the final time, he simply pumped his fists.
He took a routine victory lap-and-a-half draped in an American flag.
He even smiled. A little bit.
"Yeah, I was thinking that maybe I should be enjoying this more," said Mack, 31. "Don't get me wrong, this is going to hit me, and I'm going to enjoy it just like everybody else does.
"Probably after a few moments on my own, it's going to come together and it's going to be awesome."
American teammate Toby Stevenson cleared 19-4 1/4 to capture silver as the Americans pulled a repeat from Sydney, where Nick Hysong and Lawrence Johnson finished 1-2.
Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy won bronze.
The final three vaulters survived a four-hour battle that wasn't decided until Mack's third attempt at the winning height. Until then, Stevenson was in position for gold.
And what was Mack thinking when he nailed the winning jump?
"I was just thinking six meters (19-8 1/4)," he said.
Mack said he fed off his U.S. teammates, including Derek Miles, who finished seventh after peaking at 18-10 1/4.
"I could tell that Tim Mack has had it for about a month," Miles said. "He came to our training facility in Arkansas two weeks before the (Olympic) trials and took some really good cracks at six meters and I thought, 'Wow, he's a whole new jumper.' "
And now he has the medal to prove it.
American sets pole vault mark
Olympic record gives Mack gold
MIKE PRATER GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
The Olympian Online
ATHENS, Greece -- Timothy Mack is such a methodical pole-vaulter, he doesn't allow himself to enjoy the moment, even when it's the biggest one of his life.
That's probably why he's the new Olympic gold medalist and Olympic record-holder.
The former University of Tennessee vaulter spiced up his resume Friday night by outthinking, and outperforming, a world-class field inside Olympic Stadium. He was the only vaulter to clear 19 feet, 6 1/4 inches, breaking the Olympic record shared by three people from the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
When Mack crossed the bar for the final time, he simply pumped his fists.
He took a routine victory lap-and-a-half draped in an American flag.
He even smiled. A little bit.
"Yeah, I was thinking that maybe I should be enjoying this more," said Mack, 31. "Don't get me wrong, this is going to hit me, and I'm going to enjoy it just like everybody else does.
"Probably after a few moments on my own, it's going to come together and it's going to be awesome."
American teammate Toby Stevenson cleared 19-4 1/4 to capture silver as the Americans pulled a repeat from Sydney, where Nick Hysong and Lawrence Johnson finished 1-2.
Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy won bronze.
The final three vaulters survived a four-hour battle that wasn't decided until Mack's third attempt at the winning height. Until then, Stevenson was in position for gold.
And what was Mack thinking when he nailed the winning jump?
"I was just thinking six meters (19-8 1/4)," he said.
Mack said he fed off his U.S. teammates, including Derek Miles, who finished seventh after peaking at 18-10 1/4.
"I could tell that Tim Mack has had it for about a month," Miles said. "He came to our training facility in Arkansas two weeks before the (Olympic) trials and took some really good cracks at six meters and I thought, 'Wow, he's a whole new jumper.' "
And now he has the medal to prove it.
-
rainbowgirl28
- I'm in Charge
- Posts: 30435
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
- Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
- Lifetime Best: 11'6"
- Gender: Female
- World Record Holder?: Renaud Lavillenie
- Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
- Location: A Temperate Island
- Contact:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/n ... albreaking
Pole vault good for U.S. guys
Tim Mack and Toby Stevenson went 1-2 to help increase the team's medal total.
By Philip Hersh | Olympics Bureau
Posted August 28, 2004
ATHENS -- Tim Mack wanted to be sure he ate enough to get through the long day that included his pole vault final.
Mack ate so much the day nearly was a lot shorter than he expected.
"It started a little rough," Mack said. "I was a little sluggish."
It ended near midnight Friday, after nearly four hours of competition, with Mack setting an Olympic record of 19 feet, 61/2 inches to win the gold medal.
Toby Stevenson took second at 19-41/4, giving the United States a 1-2 vault finish for the second consecutive Olympics.
Their two medals pushed the U.S. track and field team's total to 21, one more than it won four years ago in Sydney.
Mack, 32, cleared 18-61/2 on his second try, then 19-21/4 on his second try, then matched his personal best of 19-41/4 on the first. At that point, he still was behind Stevenson based on fewest misses. Mack cleared the winning height on his third try.
Pole vault good for U.S. guys
Tim Mack and Toby Stevenson went 1-2 to help increase the team's medal total.
By Philip Hersh | Olympics Bureau
Posted August 28, 2004
ATHENS -- Tim Mack wanted to be sure he ate enough to get through the long day that included his pole vault final.
Mack ate so much the day nearly was a lot shorter than he expected.
"It started a little rough," Mack said. "I was a little sluggish."
It ended near midnight Friday, after nearly four hours of competition, with Mack setting an Olympic record of 19 feet, 61/2 inches to win the gold medal.
Toby Stevenson took second at 19-41/4, giving the United States a 1-2 vault finish for the second consecutive Olympics.
Their two medals pushed the U.S. track and field team's total to 21, one more than it won four years ago in Sydney.
Mack, 32, cleared 18-61/2 on his second try, then 19-21/4 on his second try, then matched his personal best of 19-41/4 on the first. At that point, he still was behind Stevenson based on fewest misses. Mack cleared the winning height on his third try.
Return to “Pole Vault - USA Elite”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 80 guests