The 32-year-old, who won gold at London 2012 to go with silver earned in Beijing four years previously, was involved in the accident during practice in Riga. A link to a YouTube video was posted by Suhr’s coach and husband Rick, via the athlete’s official Twitter account. The footage shows Suhr’s pole snapping mid vault, with the athlete landing awkwardly on the padding underneath the bar and clutching her left wrist in pain. “It was hard to watch as a coach,” Rick Suhr told the Democrat Chronicle. “And even harder to watch as a husband. “I don’t know if these things will linger. “It could be three weeks or three months. When you get into soft tissue injuries, you just never know. “This is going to cost us time and money, but it’s all about Rio. “I’ve seen some really good people shatter poles and walk away [from the sport]. You have to get back on the horse.” The Associated Press
RIGA, N.Y. — Olympic pole vault champion Jenn Suhr has injured her hand, torso and neck after her pole snapped during a practice session at her western New York training facility.
The 32-year-old Suhr was working out Wednesday at her home in Riga, outside Rochester, when her pole shattered halfway into her ascent while attempting to clear 15 feet. She slammed into the protective padding and injured her left wrist and hand, ribs, neck and left shoulder. X-rays revealed no broken bones.
Suhr won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and plans to defend her title at the Rio Summer Games in 2016.
Rick Suhr, her husband and coach, tells the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester (http://on.rocne.ws/1ooxjKu) that the injuries will keep her from competing later this month in London and Switzerland, and Morocco in early September.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/08/4278735/jenn-suhr-injured-when-pole-breaks.html#storylink=cpy
