Kay Glynn snags W55 world record in vault, but was it wind-aided?

Kay Glynn at 2010 Sacto nationals.

Check out yesterday’s 200-meter results from the National Senior Olympics down in Texas. Everyone fought a gale. The worst headwind I saw was 5.9 meters per second, or about 13 mph. Oscar Peyton won the M55 deuce in 24.92. So one has to marvel at Kay Glynn vaulting 3.08 meters (10-1 1/4) to win the W55 vault by three feet! That shatters the listed world record of 3.05 (10-0) by Phil Raschker in 2002. And guess who won the W60 vault down in Humble? Phil, of course, going 2.60 (8-6 1/4). Of course, Kay had to deal with either a monster headwind, a noxious crosswind or a step-upsetting tailwind. Kay needs to go a bit higher, though, to claim bragging rights for best female vaulter over 55. That title belongs to Nadine O’Connor, whose W60 and W65 WRs are 3.12 (10-2 3/4) and 3.19 (10-5 1/2), respectively. The technical term is ohmygodwhatanoutlier! But good for Kay! She’s worked hard for this up in Iowa.

Print Friendly

June 21, 2011

15 Responses

  1. peter taylor - June 21, 2011

    In 2008, Kay vaulted 3.08 meters (in the W55 age group) at the USATF Pacific Association Championships. In an absolute travesty of justice, her record was rejected by USATF Masters.

    How can you break a record at a USATF association championship, have it certified by the officials and the referee, and not have it accepted by USATF?

    As I recall, Kay asked for a hearing on that gross miscarriage of justice and was denied. Wonderful that she can still vault 3.08 meters at age 58.

  2. Bubba Sparks - June 21, 2011

    We had a decent tail wind when the wind blew hard. When the wind was lower it was a cross wind. Kay looked great but doesn’t she always!?

  3. Bubba Sparks - June 21, 2011

    I think it is worth noting that Phil is jumping as well or better as I have seen her in years but she always stops well short of what she could do because she has so many other events. I know in Sydney she could have gone 2′ higher but chose to stop and save herself.

  4. Mary Harada - June 21, 2011

    It will be interesting to see if Kay’s WR from Houston is accepted – after all – she had to do it despite the wind – cross wind. head wind, step altering tail wind – so perhaps it does not count that she did it DESPITE that. It is not as if the wind picked her up and tossed her over the bar.
    Congratulations Kay – hope you fly even higher in SAC.

  5. Rita Hanscom - June 21, 2011

    Wow KAY! You’re making it harder and harder for me to catch up! Congrats on a beautiful achievement, especially after several days of multiple events. You’re amazing. See you in Sacramento.

  6. nadine O'Connor - June 21, 2011

    Congrats Kay! You will soar higher and higher.

    And congratulations to Phil and all my other senior sisters crazy enough to pick up a stick, run with it, aim it in a box and throw ourselves into the air and hope we come up again in one piece!

    Nadine, who is currently “out lying” in the shade

  7. John Altendorf - June 21, 2011

    Congratulations Kay. Yet another feather in your cap or ribbon in your hair or …. whatever.

    I keep thinking that to get some attention from the photographers, I need to find and wear a long, blond wig and let it blow in the breeze! Wow… what a scary thought.

    (Yes Chris, I really do appreciate you were there at Sacto last year.)

  8. Susan Wiemer - June 22, 2011

    Awesome! Way to go Kay!! I hope THIS record gets accepted.

  9. Kay Glynn - June 22, 2011

    Hey, thanks people! I’m not used to pole vaulting AFTER doing 9 events so it was kinda ugly, but I guess over the bar counts! And Rita, one time I was actually facing the bar on my way down!! Just have to figure out how I did that! I put my 4 vaults on youtube (8’6″,9’3″,9’9″,10 1 1/4) Search Kay Glynn on youtube if this link doesn’t work…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI2N3dM2AjM

  10. peter taylor - June 23, 2011

    You are indeed awesome, Kay. What a performer you have been, and to do what you did in the pole vault after 9 events is amazing. All the best in Sacramento.

  11. Kay Glynn - June 23, 2011

    Thanks, Peter. And now that you mention Sacramento, I recently heard that you will not be the announcer at Worlds. Is that true? If so, many athletes are going to miss hearing your voice! You’ve always been there for us. All the athletes’ ears are just tuned in to hear your voice…”early leader”…”down the lonely backstretch”…”coming on in the turn”…”at the finish line”…and, when there is no one to help with the field events and you are trying to be everywhere at once, we hear an occasional shout out…”and the bar is currently set at ? with ? still jumping at this height”. And who’s going to be able to add all the “stories” and “details” of the US athletes as they line up?
    I haven’t heard who is going to be the announcer, but they have some mighty big shoes to fill!

  12. peter taylor - June 23, 2011

    Thank you very much, Kay. Yes, I was apparently up against some tough competition in the announcing department, and I did not make the cut for Sacramento. No, I did not even make “secondary announcer” or whatever they call someone who is not primary.

    The irony is that at Buffalo Worlds (1995) I was one of the announcers even though at that point I had never announced a masters nationals. That assignment put me on the radar a bit and I eventually announced 15 indoor and 10 outdoor masters nationals. Oh, well, as noted I did not make it this time — these things happen.

  13. Susan Wiemer - June 24, 2011

    @Peter Taylor,
    I’m sorry that you will not be announcing at Worlds. You know we will all miss you!

  14. peter taylor - June 24, 2011

    Thank you, Susan. I have appreciated your support over the years. I do have something to e-mail you about; if you want to send me an e-mail I will respond on a subject that concerns me (about masters T&F).

    petertaylor2@verizon.net

  15. Jerry Smartt - June 25, 2011

    John, a long, blonde wig won’t cut it. Have you looked at Kay’s figure? “Gee, Tex, what a dumb question, haven’t we all? Smartty

Leave a Reply