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So do you pick

A) Raw speed

B) Speed and coordination

C) A speedy jump combination

D) The most awesome acrobat youtube has to offer

I can't answer this. It would depend on their training regimen, and how long they trained. It would also be highly dependent on their discipline and their attitude. Not to mention their health.

You might say "Well, assume that all these things are equal ... for all 4 of them". The problem is that the variations in these training, psychological, and health factors is just as diverse ... if not more ... as the 4 types of "athlecticism" that you're trying to zoom in on.

Kirk

I was kind of going off of all things are equal... My vote would be that Walters would catch on the fastest and could probably go the highest in the first year. I think Dwight Phillips in my mind has the best pre-requisite with knowing the run and turn over, the problem is can he do the top half of the vault. Robles might kind of be like a Renaud and has good coordination for hurdles, you see a lot of good pole vaulters are good hurdlers but then some good hurdlers that can't pole vault that great (Jangy Addy). Then bolt is kind of the wild card, we know he is fast, but is he just fast or does he have any other athletic characteristics. But if you could hold the top of the pole and hit 12(m/s) down the runway and plant the pole there is really no telling how high you would go if you could remotely swing up on the pole.

I would NOT vote for Bolt. He chose the 100 over the longer sprints becuz it was less training. He would NOT have the dedication to withstand the rigor of PV training ... no matter what his runway speed ... or his general athleticism.

PV is more than just sprinting down the runway at top speed, planting the pole, and hanging on!

Kirk

I'm not sure if I would call doubling in the 100 and 200 with a 9.59 and 19.19 taking the easy way out. I mean the guy pretty much broke the world record on one of his first few tries at the 100 professionally, and since it is the highest paying event, why not stay with it? But at the last world championships he had to run the 100 meter dash 5 times, and the 200 meter dash 4 times. I think that takes some hard work and dedication to be in good enough shape to be able to make it through all of those heats! The guy is putting in some work

plus, him and his coach have mentioned going after the 400m world record by 2012

Point taken VP, but I'm going by a direct quote from Bolt. I don't remember where I read or heard that, but that's what he said ... about ORIGINALLY choosing the 100 over anything longer.

Kirk

KirkB wrote:Point taken VP, but I'm going by a direct quote from Bolt. I don't remember where I read or heard that, but that's what he said ... about ORIGINALLY choosing the 100 over anything longer.

Kirk

He used to be more of a 200/400 guy when he was younger, it's only in the past few years that he started focusing on the 100/200.

I think the acrobat would vault the highest in the short term.

I only know who one of these people are but based on your description with all things being equal I would say c. However I think they would all be pretty close.

---Kasey

There are a lot of good pole vaulters with different heights, strengths, and body weights, but one thing they all have in common is that they are NOT slow, all of them except Bob Shank.

C

VaultPurple wrote:So do you pick

A) Raw speed

B) Speed and coordination

C) A speedy jump combination

D) The most awesome acrobat youtube has to offer

E) Chuck Norris

Looks like I'm going to have to change my vote. (For fear of being round house kicked to the face.)

I recall, that when seeing Damien Walters for the first time on Youtube, my first though was: WOW, if he would just take up pole vaulting instead.

No doubt in my mind, that from a physical perspective, Damien Walters has what it takes to be a really good vaulter.
If he could adapt to the sometimes rigorous grinding of drills, and focus on PV (and as a former trampoline athlete he should be), then perhaps.

Otherwise, would my vote goes to Dwight Phillips.