Emma George (born 1 November 1974[1] in Beechworth, Victoria) is a former Australian pole vaulter. She held the world record from 30 November 1995 until 26 May 2000, setting a new record on twelve occasions, before being passed by Stacy Dragila. She was previously a trapeze artist in The Flying Fruit Fly Circus.[2][3] She was coached by Mark Stewart, who also led Steve Hooker to Olympic gold[citation needed].
George competed in and won the Gladiator Individual Sports Athletes Challenge in 1995.
George suffered a fall while training for the 1999 Seville Championships. She then underwent a number of operations on her back before finally announcing her retirement in 2003.[4]
World records
edit- 4.25 m - Melbourne, Australia 30 November 1995
- 4.28 m - Perth, Western Australia 17 December 1995
- 4.30 m - Perth, Western Australia 28 January 1996
- 4.41 m - Perth, Australia 28 January 1996
- 4.42 m - Reims, France 29 June 1996
- 4.45 m - Sapporo, Japan 14 July 1996
- 4.50 m - Melbourne, Western Australia 8 February 1997
- 4.55 m - Melbourne, Australia 20 February 1997
- 4.57 m - North Shore City, New Zealand 21 February 1998
- 4.58 m - South Melbourne, Australia 14 March 1998
- 4.59 m - Brisbane, Australia 21 March 1998
- 4.60 m - Sydney, Australia 20 February 1999
Achievements
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | World Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 2nd | 4.35 m |
| Universiade | Catania, Italy | 1st | 4.40 m | |
| 1998 | Goodwill Games | Uniondale, United States | 2nd | 4.30 m |
| Commonwealth Games | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1st | 4.20 m | |
| 1999 | World Indoor Championships | Maebashi, Japan | 6th | 4.35 m |
| World Championships | Seville, Spain | 14th | 4.15 m | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 15th (q) | 4.25 m |
References
edit- ^ "Emma GEORGE – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Turnbull, Simon (26 March 2023). "The year the women's pole vault took flight". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ "Sevilla 99 Preview: Emma versus all the Women's Pole Vault".
- ^ "Pole-vault pioneer George retires at 29". 2 December 2003.
External links
edit- Emma George at World Athletics
- Emma George at Australian Athletics Historical Results
- Emma George at Olympedia
- Emma George at the Australian Olympic Committee
- Emma George at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Profile at Athletics Australia
- Brief biography at her personal website
