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Dont worry he is ok and will be just fine, but you have got to see this video.

http://www.visualizeone.com/blog/85.html

Not good , but the bar bounced and stayed up. I saw this happen at a high school meet once.

This isn't as funny as you think it is. It could have ended much worse. A friend of mine (Jack Ernst) had a near miss like this too - it just ripped his shorts off on one side, which was more embarassing than dangerous.

A safety product idea I have is to tape a piece of foam - shaped like a "pool noodle" (but narrower) to the end of the pole. Depending on the height you're attempting, the noodle should made short enough to pass under the bar without knocking it off. Then, instead of hitting the HARD top of the pole with private parts that can be painful, you'll hit the soft noodle, and the pole will deflect safely away from your body as you put more weight on it. I can't imagine that the extra length that this adds to the pole would affect the vault in any negative way. It should only make it safer - against accidents like this. What do you think?

Anyone that wants to make these is free to go ahead and build some. You could use the black foam that's used to cover pipes - which you can find in any hardware or home improvement store. Maybe Frawley's interested!

Kirk

Hey guys, I'm doing just fine. I got a couple stitches and a really really sore crotch, but I'm jumping at Texas this weekend. Thanks for your concern...and now that you know I'm ok, feel free to laugh...as hard as you'd like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eexod_8EerA

along the lines that kirk was saying.... put a pole tip on the top of each pole. the factory caps dont get the job done. but a rounded plug not only protects from the sharp edge of the pole top, but can help deflect the pole in some cases.

haha ... sometimes ... i just think that we need to enjoy things for what they are guys lol. u cant go safety proofing everything in the pole vault. the sports dangerous. and honestly stuff like this is a reality. we wouldnt be crazy pole vaulters if it wasnt dangerous. and no.... this is definitely hilarious! great jump to.
i know theres a bunch of crazy stuff that goes on that id like to catch on film sometimes.

LHSVaulterJJR wrote: ... u cant go safety proofing everything in the pole vault. the sports dangerous. and honestly stuff like this is a reality. we wouldn't be crazy pole vaulters if it wasn't dangerous. ...

It's not that I don't have a sense of humor. It's just that we should make our sport as safe as we possibly can. Why risk injury when it's easily preventable?

On the other hand, you're throwing caution to the wind. Strongly disagree.

I'm not speaking specifically of this safety hazard. I'm speaking in general ... like keeping poles and bars 5 feet away from the sides of the pit ... like keeping hurdles away from the back of the pit ... you name it.

Here's an idea ... when you're up next on the runway, why not put a bed of nails ... or shards of glass ... on each side of the pit ... sharp side up of course ... just to add a little more craziness to your jumps! You can't safety-proof everything, so why even try?

Kirk

I haven't been able to get the video to load, but based on the conversation, I can tell what was in the video.

There are quite a few vaulters to have torn their scrotum from the pole hitting it. I can't personally relate, but Lukas says that doesn't sound like fun.

This is a good reminder that any vaulter who is getting close to vaulting over the top of their pole should start putting plugs on top of their poles as well as the bottom. Like Brian said, pole tips (butt plugs) work the best. Like only being kicked in the balls instead of knifed I guess.