`GIRLS WITH STICKS' TAKE SPOTLIGHT NEW EVENT: SORORITY OF WOMEN POLE VAULTERS IMPROVING MARKS RAPIDLY.Byline: Paul Oberjuerge Staff Writer SACRAMENTO - Trash talk trash talk n. Disparaging, often insulting or vulgar speech about another person or group. ? Oodles. Upsets, breakthroughs, clutch performances? Plenty of each. What the 2000 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials lacks as it enters its final three days is a world record, and it doesn't appear the sport's superstars are going to deliver. Enter the women's pole vaulters. If anyone is going to make this the 14th U.S. trials out of the past 17 with at least one world record, the practitioners of the newest Olympic track-and-field event are most likely to do it. ``I think 16 feet could happen,'' said Stacy Dragila Stacy Dragila (born Stacy Mikaelson on March 25 1971, Auburn, California) is an American pole vaulter. She was a standout pole vaulter for the Idaho State University women's track and field team in the mid-1990s. , holder of the two- month-old world women's vault record of 15 feet, 1 3/4 inches. ``I mean, on a good day I could pull it out. It wouldn't be that big a deal.'' Female vaulters are making such dramatic strides, a Beamonesque trashing of the record is not out of the realm of the possible. ``We've started out with this sport being nothing and we've had to bring it to something,'' said Kellie Suttle, who has a best vault of 14-10 1/4. Dragila is the Michael Johnson Michael Johnson or Mike Johnson may refer to:
She is additionally famous for roping goats as a young rodeo performer in her rural Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern home, and a bit infamous for posing nude in a for-charity calendar. Vaulting remains something of a novelty for women, and its top performers are pioneers as well as sort of sorority sorority: see fraternity. sisters. Said Suttle: ``I remember in the '95 nationals, people were going, `What the hell is going on here? Girls with sticks!' ``Well, now look at us. Our event's in the limelight and we have to do everything we can to keep it there.'' Women vaulters are known for showmanship, playing both to crowds and cameras. ``Let's not Let's Not is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in Boston University Graduate Journal in December 1954. It was written for no payment as a favour to the journal, and later appeared in the collection Buy Jupiter. just wave a hand at the crowd, or shake our legs around and look all mean and stuff,'' Suttle said. ``Let's get the crowd involved.'' The prospect of Olympics berths might begin to break up That Old Gang of Theirs, but for now the vaulters remain close. ``Almost too close,'' Dragila conceded. Vaulters are known to help each other with information about wind and the runway. Said Suttle: ``We've got this awesome thing in common.'' Dragila is the favorite to win gold at Sydney, but she is well aware that American-record holder Jeff Hartwig Jeff Hartwig (born 25 September 1967 in St. Louis) is an American pole vaulter. In 1998 he set two North American records with 6.00 and 6.01 metres. The latter was an improvement of 16 centimetres from his personal best of 5.85 m from 1997. didn't survive qualifying here last weekend; he no-heighted and went home. Qualifying in the women's vault is today; the finals are Sunday. Final qualifying in the men's javelin and steeplechase steeplechase Either of two distinct sporting events: (1) a horse race over a closed course with obstacles, including hedges and walls; or (2) a footrace of 3,000 m over hurdles and a water jump. was contested late Thursday. --Through four events, pre-meet favorite Chris Huffins led the decathlon decathlon (dĭkăth`lŏn), in modern Olympic games, a contest for men held over two days and composed of 10 track-and-field events. with 3,685 points, 100 more than rising star Tom Pappas. Defending Olympic gold medalist Dan O'Brien withdrew. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Chris Huffins puts the shot as part of the decathlon trails in Sacramento. The pre-meet favorite has a 100-point lead over Tom Pappas. Eric Risberg/Associated Press |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion