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London • Russian pole vaulter Elena Isinbaeva has been one of the most dominant athletes in track and field — a two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion who has broken the world record 28 times. Jenn Suhr has been trying to beat her for five years.
Suhr, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist, finally did it here Monday night, claiming the first gold medal in the event for the U.S. since Stacy Dragila in 2000.
Looking like the best vaulter throughout the competition, Suhr won with a height of 4.8 meters. Cuba's Yarisley Silva vaulted the same height but took the silver medal by virtue of having more misses. Isinbaeva, known for her diva-like efforts to attract camera attention, claimed bronze at 4.7 meters.
"When Elena's in the field, you know the bar is risen, literally and figuratively," Suhr said. "She's that great of a competitor, and you know you have to be on your game. You have to compete, and you have to execute. I knew that anything's possible when she's in there.
"It's an honor, it's an honor to be on top. There's just a lot of respect there."
Suhr, 30, played basketball at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y., and thought her competitive athletic career was over after she graduated. But one day, the pole vault coach, Rick Suhr — who is now her husband — noticed her playing pickup basketball with men, rebounding over them and ripping the ball out of their hands. He talked her into trying pole vault.
That was 2004. Three years later, she had vaulted to No. 2 in the world — behind Isinbaeva.
"Pole vault did come late in life," Suhr said. "I think what it is, the coach and the husband that I have, he's just the best coach and taught me from Day One the technique he wanted me to do. I was able to progress year after year with that. It's just hard work, dedication and coaching."
When the weather is bad, Suhr trains in a Quonset hut her husband imported from Canada in pieces so he could help train high school kids. It has two propane heaters and a 100-foot runway.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears that happen there," Suhr said. "I wouldn't trade it. It's not the best of conditions, but it's home."
Suhr gave the U.S. its second gold medal of the Games in track, after Sanya Richards-Ross won the 400 meters Sunday. The U.S. has the most medals in track with nine — Russia is second with six — but Great Britain leads in gold medals with three.