Jeff Hartwig Talks Pole Vaulting

via TrackandFieldNews:

Jeff Hartwig’s pole vault career started out rather modestly, but before he was done he had climbed all the way to the top of the T&FN World Rankings.
The Missouri native began vaulting in ’82 at age 14, reaching all of 9-6 (2.89), but by his senior season at Arkansas State in ’90, he had improved to 17-8½ (5.70).
Still, he didn’t earn his first U.S. Ranking position until ’95, at the relatively advanced age of 27 and it took another three years before he cracked the world’s top 10.
But as the following chart shows, he then rated every season until he retired after the ’08 campaign. During his 14-year stay in the U.S. Rankings, he spent half of them in the World Top 10 as well, rating No. 1 globally in ’02. 
Read More from Jeff:
Part 2: Hartwig assesses Olympic and world champion Steve Hooker.
Part 2: Hartwig on the "Isinbaeva X Factor.""

P.S.: Peeps Jeff's Progression from 28-40 Years old

  Jeff Hartwig’s Career Progression

Year Age Height World/U.S. Rank 1982 14 2.89 | 9-6 x, x 1983 15 3.36 | 11-0 x, x 1984 16 3.81 | 12-6 x, x 1975 17 4.42 | 14-6 x, x 1986 18 4.57 | 15-0 x, x 1987 19 4.90 | 16-1 x, x 1988 20 5.10 | 16-9 x, x 1989 21 5.34 | 17-6¼ x, x 1990 22 5.40 | 17-8½ x, x 1991 23 5.35 | 17-6½ x, x 1992 24 5.50 | 18-½ x, x 1993 25 5.35 | 17-6½ x, x 1994 26 5.63 | 18-5½ x, x 1995 27 5.72 | 18-9¼ x, 8 1996 28 5.80 | 19-¼ x, 4 1997 29 5.85 | 19-2¼ x, 5 1998 30 6.01 | 19-8½ 2, 1 1999 31 6.02 | 19-9 2, 1 2000 32 6.03 | 19-9¼ 3, 2 2001 33 5.90 | 19-4¼ 2, 1 2002 34 6.00 | 19-8¼ 1, 1 2003 35 5.80 | 19-¼ 9, 2 2004 36 5.88 | 19-3½ 10, 4 2005 37 5.65 | 18-10¾ x, 6 2006 38 5.85 | 19-2¼ x, 4 2007 39 5.85 | 19-2¼ x, 2 2008 40 5.71 | 18-8¾ x, 3