Pole Vault Stars to Soar in City Mall

Media Release
18 January 2012 – for immediate release

Pole Vault Stars to Soar in City Mall
Olympic decathlete Brent Newdick will compete in an innovative new pole vault event against international competition, in the heart of Christchurch’s iconic ReStart Container Mall, in the lead-up to the upcoming International Track Meet.

Newdick, currently joint holder of the New Zealand pole vault title as well as finishing 12th in the decathlon at last year’s London Olympics, will headline a star studded lineup of international and local competitors in the event, to be held on Thursday the 31st of January.

American Jake Arnold boasts the highest mark among the international competitors with a personal best of 5.31m, and Australian Stephen Cain and Russian Max Mischchenko are also 5m+ jumpers. Fellow American Megan Jamerson is the best of the female pole vaulters having leapt over 4.36m, and the Australian duo of Jana Tankosic and Paris McCathrion have also cleared the international benchmark of 4m.

They will be surrounded by the cream of New Zealand talent in the pole vault, and the athletes will stay on to compete in the International Track Meet to be held at Christ’s College Upper Field two days later. ITM Event Director Paul Coughlan believes that the imagery created by this will be something special in the revitalisation of Christchurch’s central city. “You will have these phenomenal athletes leaping four and five metres in the air, with the Bridge of Remembrance at one end and the ReStart Mall at the other end – you probably couldn’t get two more iconic images of old Christchurch and new Christchurch in the same place like that”.

General admission to the event will be free and unrestricted, and there will also be a hosted area with complimentary drinks and nibbles served, seated at tables along either side of the 40m long vault runway, for just $20/head.

Newdick, who will also stage the first leg of the Summer Vault series at Mission Bay in Auckland the previous Saturday, said that the athletes were looking forward to being part of such an historic event. “We can’t wait to be down there, it should be a great atmosphere competing in the heart of the city with a good crowd and the hosted tables all around”.

Most of the athletes will then go on to compete in the Quadrathlon event, a new addition to the International Track Meet programme which will see the athletes complete a 100m sprint, long jump, shot put, and finally an 800m run, with the winner determined using the points system used for decathlon and heptathlon.

Further details are available on the International Track Meet website at internationaltrackmeet.co.nz/programme-2-2/summer-vaults. Space at the Summer Vault will be unrestricted standing room only, so the public should arrive early to get a good spot. Sales to the ticketed area will be as cash sales on the day, for group reservations contact Paul Coughlan through that webpage.

Tickets are now on sale for the International Track Meet, either online or via a number of ticket outlets, go to the website www.internationaltrackmeet.co.nz for details. Early bird tickets specials apply until Monday the 28th of January, and early purchasers will also enter a prize draw.

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