Jenn Stuczynski

Jenn Stuczynski holds the American women's pole vault record. Though she only began vaulting in 2004, Stuczynski cleared a height of 16 feet and three quarter inches in May of 2008.¹

Stuczynski won an Olympic silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She successfully vaulted a height of 4.8 meters, or 15 feet and eight inches. Yelena Isinbayeva set a world record and won the gold medal with a height of 5.05 meters, or 16 feet and 6.8 inches.²

Fast Facts

1. Born: February 6, 1982³
2. Birthplace: Fredonia, New York³
3. College: Roberts Wesleyan College³
4. Began pole vaulting in 2004⁴
5. Broke the American women's record in May 2008 at 16'3/4"³

Track Highlights

Starting in 2005, Stuczynski has won the pole vaulting event at the NAIA National Indoor Championships each year. She also took third place at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2006 and second place at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2008.⁵

Rivalry

In the months leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics, Stuczynski's rivalry with current world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva was mentioned several times by the media. At the 2008 track and field trials, Stuczynski unsuccessfully tried three times to break Isinbayeva's world record. In a June 2008 interview, Stuczynski claimed that Isinbayeva was "beatable."⁶ After Isinbayeva defeated Stuczynski at the Summer Olympics, Isinbayeva responded to Stuczynski's claims by saying "I can stay quiet when they are right, but when they are wrong, why should I stay quiet? They said 'Wooooo' when she jumped 4.90, but I jumped this height four years ago. It is nothing special."⁷

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