The listed world indoor record for the W40 vault is 3.60 (11-9 3/4) shared by Italy’s Carla Forcinelli and Holland’s Larissa Lowe. But the British masters site has posted this tie-breaking news: “Irie Hill has broken the W40 pole vault record, clearing 3.65m indoors in Sindelfingen on 29 January, the same venue where Carla Forcellini of Italy set the previous 3.60m mark at the first World Masters Indoor Championships in March 2004.” The new record is a quarter-inch under 12 feet. Of course, Irie (who lives in Australia and turned 41 in mid-January) set outdoor records last year (topped by 3.71), as chronicled on Becca’s message board.

Irie skies over the bar outdoors in recent meet. (Photo by Tom Phillips)

Alastair Aitken profiled Irie last year:

IRIE HILL, who set a new W40 Pole Vault record with 3.65 on March 22nd in Melbourne and, was bronze medallist in the Commonwealth Games of 2002 in Manchester, won the pole vault at the British Masters Track and Field Championships on the 5th of July in a Championship best performance of  3:40. Her husband Warren Hill, who coaches her but very short on  training popped over the bar to win the M40 with 2.80 writes Alastair Aitken

Irie Hill also came second in the high jump the day before with 1.45. She explained about her basic problem when she vaulted in the event in Alexander Stadium ” I got a migraine and should not have vaulted. I was here and the weather was so nice but I won’ t do that again with a migraine because it is difficult then to judge your run up’

However she pointed out that the ESSX Pole she used felt very good. Hill was really impressive to watch as she is tall, with long blond hair and her preparation and execution was so good in the event.

What did she feel were her most satisfying performances over the years then ” Lots of things. Obviously a new World record  was fantastic, Commonwealth Games was fantastic. Even just jumping in a nice environment with the people you know is great.”

Irie Hall was born near Munich and her Father Pfiler was a high jumper before he had a family accident. She has been living in Melbourne, Australia for the last ten years and there is a good vaulting set up for 13 to 60 plus at the University where her husband Warren coaches.
Regarding her training she points out ” I do a lot of different things, speed, gymnastics, upper body strength. If I can not do a handstand then I would have trouble supporting myself! That is what keeps it interesting really.”

As a young woman she was working very hard in America before starting pole vaulting late at 27 but in her first five years of doing the event coaches were not very interested in helping women vault and, she had to learn a lot before it became an acceptable event for women to do and things then really took off.

Irie Hill takes up the storey further ” I was in the Stock Exchange, before pole vaulting, as a Commodity Trading Adviser but I got overworked there, which is easy to do in that market. You make a lot of money, its’ very exciting when everybody is doing well.

Then I came back to Europe and I started to develop asthma. Because I was still young I thought, as I have not done sports since I was 14 at school, I would start jogging to alleviate the asthma problem. I thought that was a bit boring and I  thought, as I always wanted to try the pole vault I would then start doing that at the age of 27.