Monday, November 5, 2007
TRACK AND FIELD
Prison and Pole-vaulting, together at last
Considering today is Guy Fawkes day, we couldn't let the day pass without a post involving prison, jail time, and the potential destruction of Britain. It seems there's a young offenders (18-21) prison in Dorset, England where inmates are learning how to vault over 13ft high bars. Naturally it's a big hit, even though Allison Stokke isn't teaching the class.
But it obviously raises a few questions. As one guy said, "It struck me as funny that prisoners are being taught to pole vault." Yes, yes it is.
I already know what you're thinking and the walls at the prison are 20ft high. So this is no big deal then, right? Um, maybe.
The warden who runs the place is hoping a future Olympic champion will emerge from the prison. Interestingly, the men's world record for pole-vaulting is just over 20ft. Seems like perfect motivation to me.
In my mind, about the only sport you could teach prisoners that's worse than pole-vaulting would probably be skeet shooting. Or shiv making.
And just to help you sleep at night, at a jail in New Mexico in 1987, seven men – including two murderers – pole-vaulted over a prison wall.
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