Written by Susan
Jim Day Memorial Pole Vault Competition
25thSeptember 2016
It was an early, chilly, soggy, early start on Sunday morning as we strapped the poles to the car and made our way to the 10th anniversary Jim Day Memorial Pole Vault Competition.
It was a busy event with an impressive start list of over 100 vaulters(I know, you didn’t realise that there were that many pole vaultersin the UK) divided into 6 pools based on starting heights & SB’s and PB’s.
Alfie Westley competed in his 3rd pole vault competition with a much improved run up and technique –with his legs together –to jump a new PB of 2.13m placing him 8th on Power of 10. Newbie Flora Anghileri-Jaman leapt 2.23m –a great start to her PV career and Zoe Shephard achieved 2.33m, having been out of competition and training for much of the season.
Next to perform was Jack Westley. He’s had a mixed year starting well with jumps of 3.30m and English Schools selection, but he experienced confidence issues in his run up and on occasions found that he couldn’t even take off. To help him regain his confidence he adopted a new sliding in technique. Most of the other athletes had long hard run-ins to help them gain maximum height, whereas Jack’s rather relaxed style was reminiscent of a 6 stridedleisurely Sunday afternoon stroll, with the pole resting on his shoulder. However, he managed a dramatic bend in the pole and impressed many of the spectators with his graceful style as he flew over the bar, achieving 3.13m winning pool 3. This will give him a much needed boost and the motivation to work on his run up during the winter.
Mark Roberts jumped 3.53m in the M45 age group. Hopefully he will have more time to practise now, so that he can complete his vault in one smooth movement in time with the unbending of the pole –great tip Maurice!
Last K&P competitor of the day was Will Gwynne in Pool 6. He has been training hard throughout the summer and had his sights firmly set on a new club record. Nerves were running high with Will failing his first two attempts at his opening height at 3.80m, possibly made worse by the fact that the current holder, Gordon Lester, was watching. Despite this Will kept his cool and jumped a massive 4.43m –missing out on a new club record by just 4cms. Next time you’ll do it Will!
The next pole vault completion is in January, so look out for more details on their progress then.
