Irish Pole Vaulter Tori Pena retires from international athletics

Irish Pole Vaulter Tori Pena announced on Wednesday that she is retiring from international athletics. She has represented Ireland at 3 World Championships, 5 European Championships and 2 Olympic Games.

While she is native of California in the United States, she has dual US-Irish citizenship based on her maternal grandmother who came from Derry.

After declaring for Ireland in June of 2010, she set a new Irish record of 4.15m at the National Championships in July of that year. She would later go on to increase that  record to 4.60m in 2013.

The top 5 Irish heights for the Pole Vault are shown below. As you can see, she was some way ahead of the other Irish women and the only person that was capable of reaching the various qualifying standards for international competitions.

1 4.60 NR Tori Pena 6 Jun 2013
2 4.45 Zoë Brown 15 Jul 2014
3 3.95i Claire Wilkinson 7 Feb 2014
4 3.93 Erin Kinnear 24 Apr 2004
5 3.82i Bridget Pearson 19 Feb 2000

This is Tori Pena's statement...

Since 2010 I've had the pleasure and absolute honor of representing Ireland. This morning was my last time putting on my uniform and proudly giving it my all. I've competed at 3 World Championships, 5 European Championships and 2 Olympic Games. But so much more importantly, I've had the honor to compete with some amazing women. (Seriously, women's pole vault is on fire and I'm happy to say I've competed with these athletes) I've made friends with ladies from around the world who have shown me strength, courage, bravery, and joy. This journey has been painstaking and heart wrenching. It's been beautiful and profound. I've learned more about myself than I ever thought imaginable. Believe in yourself people, you'll be surprised what you can achieve.

I also can't even begin to name all the people who have helped me along the way. From high school coaches and school teachers. To my amazing training partners, coaches, and therapists. Friends and athletes who have picked me up from the airport at strange hours and given me a place to sleep or a ride to the next meet with my poles. The list goes on full of odd and obscure favors from people in the pole vault community and far beyond. I've loved every minute of it!

thank you, thank you, thank you

Laura Cussen of Old Abbey AC in Cork sets new U17 pole vault record

Laura Cussen from Old Abbey AC in Cork set a new national record of 2.86 metres in the Girls under-17 Pole Vault at the Juvenile Track and Field Championships in Tullamore, Co. Offaly on Sunday. Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE

Video from the perspecive of world record pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie

Renaud Lavillenie from France is the current world record holder for the pole vault. This shows the view from the athletes perspective....


Not a sport for those with a fear of heights! :o)

Renaud Lavillenie from France breaks 20 year old pole vault world record

It's not every day you get to see someone break a world record that has stood for 20 year.

At an athletics meeting in Donetsk, Ukraine, the Frech pole vaulter and Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie cleared a height of 6.16 metres. The previous record of 6.14 metres was held by Sergey Bubka back in 1993.


Lavillenie cleared the height on his first attempt.

Tori Pena sets new Irish Pole Vault record...

In a recent competition in Chula Vista, California, Tori Pena set a new Irish Pole Vault record when she cleared 4m 60cms in her first attempt. This is an improvement of 8 cms on her previous record of 4m 52 cms which was set in 2012. It also qualifies her for the World Championships in Moscow in August.

Tori Pena will be also be competing at the European Cup Team Championships First League in Santry on the 22nd and 23rd of June.

Tori Pena sets new Irish pole vault record...

At the San Diego Triton Invitational in California on Saturday, 28th of April 2012, Tori Pena set a new Irish Pole Vault record of 4.52m. This improves on her previous best of 4.50 set back in March when she qualified for the 2012 London Olympics. Her position in the competition this weekend was joint first.

Women Pole Vault Invitational
===============================
    Name                 Year School     Finals
===============================
  1 Hendry, Kelsie   Canada              4.52m  
  1 Pena, Tori          Unattached        4.52m
  3 Hintz, Kelsy       San Diego St.    4.22m 
  4 Vause, Leah        Unattached       4.12m
  5 Jamerson, Megan   Unattached    J4.12m 
  6 Maaten, Dayna     Univ. of Win      4.02m

Interview with Pole Vaulter Tori Pena on Newstalk Radio...

Last weekend, Tori Pena became the 14th person to qualify for the London Olympics when she cleared 4.50m at the Beach Track and Field Classic at Cerritos college in California. Pena who has dual Irish/US citizenship said after the event..."Lots of things are coming together with my vault, I’m very pleased and 4.60+ should be very doable this outdoor season.” On Tuesday evening, she was interviewed on the "Off the Ball" sports programme on Newstalk. Click on the link below....it starts at 24:50