Jenn Suhr Sets the World Record, Ruins the Curve
Jenn Suhr Sets the World Record, Ruins the Curve
At the U.S. Indoor Championships, Jenn Suhr was perfect. The Olympic gold medalist came in at 15-3 (4.65m) and was had no misses through her world record vault of 16-5.5 (5.02m).
She then attempted to clear the highest outdoor vault of 16-7.5 (5.07m), but failed three times. Nevertheless, the indoor world record now belonged to Suhr.
When it comes to the pole vault, we’re more accustomed to Yelena Isinbayeva’s incremental world record marks. The “Queen of the Vault” has set the last nineteen outdoor world record marks and owns fourteen of the top twenty final marks indoors.
| Result | P.A. | Pos. | Athlete | Birth | Cnt. | Type | Pl. | Venue | Date | R.S. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.02 | 1. | 1. | Jennifer SUHR | 82 | USA | F | 1. | Albuquerque (USA) | 02.03.2013 | 1261 | WR, AR |
| 5.01 | 2. | 2. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Stockholm (SWE) | 23.02.2012 | 1258 | AR |
| 5.00 | - | 3. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 15.02.2009 | 1255 |
|
| 4.95 | - | 4. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 16.02.2008 | 1239 |
|
| 4.93 | - | 5. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 10.02.2007 | 1233 |
|
| 4.91 | - | 6. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 12.02.2006 | 1227 |
|
| 4.90 | - | 7. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Madrid (ESP) | 06.03.2005 | 1223 |
|
| 4.90 | - | 7. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Praha (CZE) | 26.02.2009 | 1223 |
|
| 4.89 | - | 9. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Liévin (FRA) | 26.02.2005 | 1220 |
|
| 4.88 | - | 10. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Birmingham (GBR) | 18.02.2005 | 1217 |
|
| 4.88 | - | 10. | Jennifer SUHR | 82 | USA | F | 1. | Boston (USA) | 04.02.2012 | 1217 |
|
| 4.87 | - | 12. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 12.02.2005 | 1214 |
|
| 4.87 | 3. | 12. | Holly BLEASDALE | 91 | GBR | F1 | 1. | Villeurbanne (FRA) | 20.01.2012 | 1214 |
|
| 4.86 | - | 14. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Budapest (HUN) | 06.03.2004 | 1211 |
|
| 4.86 | - | 14. | Jennifer SUHR | 82 | USA | F | 1. | Albuquerque (USA) | 27.02.2011 | 1211 |
|
| 4.85 | 4. | 16. | Svetlana FEOFANOVA | 80 | RUS | F | 1. | Peania (GRE) | 22.02.2004 | 1208 |
|
| 4.85 | - | 16. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Moskva (RUS) | 07.02.2010 | 1208 |
|
| 4.85 | - | 16. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 06.03.2010 | 1208 |
|
| 4.85 | - | 16. | Yelena ISINBAYEVA | 82 | RUS | F | 1. | Donetsk (UKR) | 12.02.2011 | 1208 |
|
| 4.85 | 4. | 16. | Anna ROGOWSKA | 81 | POL | F | 1. | Paris (FRA) | 06.03.2011 |
1208 |
Suhr has been incremental in her development as well. In the last three years, she’s set a personal best indoors for the vault (no mark in 2010).
2009 - 4.83m
2011 - 4.86m
2012 - 4.88m
2013 - 5.02m
The difference is that Suhr completely skipped over the 4.9x height and right into the five meter range. Even when she set a personal best last month in Boston, it was still 4.88m. How’d she make the jump?
"I was in a groove tonight," Suhr told reporters. You can say that.
This is also troubling for Isinbayeva. Not only has she not competed this indoor season, but she was denied a third consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer and had to settle for bronze.
The "Queen" may be on the decline and it comes at a very inopportune time. This summer’s World Championships will be in Moscow and the home crowd will surely be looking for Isinbayeva to return to her world record form.
Not if Suhr has anything to say about that.