Stricke Breaks Vault Record

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30979, 8 February 1966, Page 18

Stricke Breaks Vault Record

The Canterbury pole vault champion, C. F. Stricke (Technical), broke the provincial record in his specialist event when he cleared 13ft 2in at Rugby Park on Saturday. Unfortunately, this fine performance went virtually unnoticed for it took place after the annual track and field i meeting between Canterbury’ and Wellington had been concluded. The jumping pit had been used almost constantly during the afternoon for the inter-provincial high jump events and the ordinary .interclub pole vault, scheduled to start at 4 p.m., did not get under way until long after 5 p.m. Under Handicap Stricke was severely handicapped by the sinking sun which made sighting the bar difficult. Had it not been for this he may have beaten his old record of 13ft o}in, set at the end of last season with an old-type metal pole, by an even greater margin. There is the likelihood that he will improve this performance further before the New Zealand championships in March, for it was only his

fourth competitive appareance with his new fibre-glass pole. He had in fact jumped 13ft with the pole in a practice vault at his home the night before.

However, hi s record-break-ing attempt was almost thwarted. He pulled a muscle i t his leg on one of his prcjl minary jumps but in spite i«if this continued on to win the competition. J. Chadder ton, a fellow Technical club member, was second with a yault of lift 3in.