t-and-f: Top Olympic Hopefuls--Women's PV

[Roger Ruth]

In its August 2nd issue, Sports Illustrated offered its medal picks. For the
women's pole vault, they were:

Gold--Svetlana Feofanova, Russia
Silver--Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia
Bronze--Stacy Dragila, United States

This time, I can't take exception to their three medal nominees, although
the order of finish is up for grabs. Here, we have three athletes who all
are highly experienced in international competition. All of the three have
held the world record and each has won world championships. (Dragila is the
only-ever Olympic champion.) Each has improved the all-time outdoor mark in
the last two months. In head-to-head competitions over the past five years,
Dragila and Isinbayeva have each come out ahead ten times, Feofanova leads
Dragila 19 to 11, and Feofanova leads Isinbayeva 29 to 15.

As for their present readiness, I'll let you draw your own conclusions
about the prospects of the three favorites and the other top three
world-ranked Olympic entrants. Unlike the case of the men's vaulters, all
of the world top six are expected to be in the Olympic competition. Their
outdoor season marks follow. One thing I'm certain you'll notice is the
relatively abbreviated outdoor season of the Russians. Whether this is an
advantage remains to be seen.

If I've missed an athlete who's of special interest to you, it's easy to
check on them individually. Just go to Jalava's home page
 and about half-way down, you'll see a space to
enter a name for the bio and season's record of any athlete on the current
world list. Since the link is from the home page, it's not necessary to
enter the "members only" subscription section. If someone finds time, I'd
appreciate their posting similar summaries for some of the running events.

Cheers,
Roger

~

Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) age 22
2004 Outdoor Marks--#1 on Mirko's world list

 4.87  1 Norw Union  Gateshead  27 Jun
 4.65  2 Tsiklitiria  Iráklio  4 Jul
 4.89  1 3Nat  Birmingham  25 Jul
>4.90  1 Norw Union  London  30 Jul

in Major Championships:

 1999  4.05  5 EJ  Riga  8 Aug
 2000  4.05  7 EC  Gent  27 Feb
 2000  NH  qOG  Sydney  23 Sep
 2000  4.20  1 WJ  Santiago de Chile  18 Oct
 2001  4.25  7 WIC  Lisboa  9 Mar
 2001  4.40  1 EJ  Grosseto  21 Jul
 2002  4.55  2 EC  München  9 Aug
 2003  4.60  2 WIC  Birmingham  16 Mar
 2003  4.65  1 EJ  Bydgoszcz  19 Jul
 2003  4.65  3 WC  Saint-Denis  25 Aug
 2004  4.86  1 WIC  Budapest  6 Mar

~

Svetlana Feofanova (RUS) age 24
2004 Outdoor Marks--#2 on Mirko's world list


 4.60  1 ECCC-A  Moskva  29 May
 4.70  2 Norw Union  Gateshead  27 Jun
>4.88  1 Tsiklitiria  Iráklio  4 Jul
 4.80  1 Madrid 2004  Madrid  17 Jul
 4.69  2 3Nat  Birmingham  25 Jul
 4.80  2 Norw Union  London  30 Jul

in Major Championships:

 2000  4.35  1 ECp  Gateshead  15 Jul
 2000  NHq OG  Sydney  23 Sep
 2001  4.51  2= WIC  Lisboa  9 Mar
 2001  4.60  1 ECp  Bremen  23 Jun
 2001  4.75  2 WC  Edmonton  6 Aug
 2001  4.45  2 GWG  Brisbane  5 Sep
 2002  4.75  1 EC  Wien  3 Mar
 2002  4.70  1 ECp  Annecy  22 Jun
 2002  4.60  1 EC  München  9 Aug
 2002  4.40  2 WCp  Madrid  20 Sep
 2003  4.80  1 WIC  Birmingham  16 Mar
 2003  4.75  1 WC  Saint-Denis  25 Aug
 2004  4.70  3 WIC  Budapest  6 Mar

~

Stacy Dragila (USA) age 33
2004 Outdoor Marks--#3 on Mirko's world list


 4.70  1 Twilight  El Paso TX  1 May
 4.55  1c2 ModR  Modesto CA  8 May
 4.60  2 Sky Inv  Phoenix AZ  14 May
 4.70  1 US Open  Stanford CA  31 May
 4.50  1 GP  Sevilla  5 Jun
 >4.83  1 GSpike  Ostrava  8 Jun
 4.78  1 Askina11 Jun
 4.55  1 DLV  Erfurt  13 Jun
 4.70  1 Pre  Eugene OR  19 Jun
 4.75  1 OT  Sacramento CA  18 Jul
 4.57  3 3Nat  Birmingham  25 Jul
 4.60  4 Norw Union  London  30 Jul

in Major Championships:

 1997  4.40  1 WC  Paris  9 Mar
 1998  NH GWG  Uniondale NY  19 Jul
 1999  4.35 8 WIC  Maebashi  5 Mar
 1999  4.60  1 WC  Sevilla  21 Aug
 2000  4.60  1 OG  Sydney  25 Sep
 2001  4.51  4 WIC  Lisboa  9 Mar
 2001  4.75  1 WC  Edmonton  6 Aug
 2001  4.55  1 GWG  Brisbane  5 Sep
 2003  NHq  WIC  Birmingham  15 Mar
 2003  4.55  4= WC  Saint-Denis  25 Aug
 2004  4.81  2 WIC  Budapest  6 Mar

~

Anna Rogowska (POL) age 23
2004 Outdoor Marks--#4 on Mirko's world list


 4.50  1 Dunecki  Bydgoszcz  16 May
 4.40  1 Saulheim  29 May
 4.30  3 GP  Sevilla  5 Jun
 4.50  2 Kusoc  Warszawa  13 Jun
 4.40  1 Hof  19 Jun
 4.60  3 Norw Union  Gateshead  27 Jun
 4.45  2 NC  Bydgoszcz  2 Jul
 4.65  3 Tsiklitiria  Iráklio  4 Jul
 4.40  5 Madrid 2004  Madrid  17 Jul
>4.71 1 Thess 2004  Thessaloníki  19 Jul
 4.60  3 Norw Union  London  30 Jul

in Major Championships:

 Pole vault
 2002  4.20  12= EC  Wien  1 Mar
 2003  4.35  6= WIC  Birmingham  16 Mar
 2003  4.45  7 WC  Saint-Denis  25 Aug
 2004  4.40  7 WIC  Budapest  6 Mar

~

Kellie Suttle (USA) age 31
2004 Outdoor Marks--#5 on Mirko's world list

 4.35  3=c2 ModR  Modesto CA  8 May
 4.50  3 Sky Inv  Phoenix AZ  14 May
 4.00  5 Home Depot  Carson CA  22 May
 4.64  1 Jonesboro AR  27 May
 4.30  5= US Open  Stanford 

Re: t-and-f: Greek duo out of Games

[Martin J. Dixon]

They started the job that they tried to finish with that ridiculous hospital stunt. Now
out btw:

http://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/V4/L0/S6/E5761/sport_Lng0_Spo6_Evt5761_Sto627484.shtml

Patrick Palmer wrote:

> Paul Merca <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Which brings up the question of what they were doing in Chicago, of all places> ?
>
> >  PM
>
> Hey, what's wrong with Chicago?  It is not true that they were here to
> get last minute starting pointers from me.
>
> (Seriously, I was wondering the same thing.)
>
> Pat Palmer