Jenn Suhr facts for kids
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Suhr at the 2012 Olympics
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Jennifer Lynn Stuczynski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 5, 1982 Fredonia, New York, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Rick Suhr
(m. 2010) |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Pole vault | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World finals | 2008 Valencia,2016 Portland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National finals | 2005–2016 USA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals | 2008 Beijing, 2012 London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1st (2011) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | outdoor: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in) (2018) indoor: 5.03 m (16 ft 6 in) (2016, WR) |
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Medal record
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| Updated on September 2, 2024. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jennifer Lynn Suhr (born February 5, 1982), also known by her maiden name Stuczynski, is a retired American pole vaulter. A pole vaulter uses a long, flexible pole to jump over a high bar.
Jenn Suhr has achieved many great things in her career. She won gold at the London Olympics and a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. She also won a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in 2016.
She was ranked as the number one pole vaulter in the world in 2011. She holds the world indoor pole vault record for women, clearing an amazing 5.03 meters (about 16 feet, 6 inches). She also holds the American women's indoor pole vault record. Jenn Suhr won a total of 17 US National Championships during her career.
Contents
About Jenn Suhr
Early Life and Sports
Jenn Suhr was born in Fredonia, New York. Her parents, Mark and Sue Stuczynski, owned a grocery store. Jenn started playing sports at a very young age. She played softball when she was only six years old. By age nine, she was even competing in an adult golf league with her grandfather.
At Fredonia High School, Jenn was a multi-sport athlete. She played softball, basketball, and soccer. She also competed in track and field. In her senior year, she won the New York State pentathlon title in 2000. A pentathlon is a competition with five different events.
College Years
After high school, Jenn attended Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, New York. There, she continued to play basketball and compete in track and field. In the 2003–04 basketball season, she averaged 24.3 points per game. She led her team to the national championship game for the NCCAA. She finished her college basketball career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,819 points.
Personal Life
On January 3, 2010, Jenn married her coach, Rick Suhr, in Rochester.
Jenn Suhr's Pole Vaulting Career
Starting Pole Vaulting
Jenn Suhr began pole vaulting in 2004 with her coach, Rick Suhr. She quickly showed great talent.
First Big Wins (2005-2007)
In 2005, Jenn was an unknown athlete when she entered the USA Indoor Championships. She had only been training for 10 months but managed to win the US title! Later that year, she also won the national indoor title for college athletes.
In 2006, Jenn continued to improve. She set new personal bests in almost every competition. She became the second-best American pole vaulter ever at that time. She won her first USA Outdoor title in 2006.
By 2007, Jenn was breaking records. On May 20, she broke the American outdoor pole vault record. She jumped 4.84 meters (about 15 feet, 10 inches). Just two weeks later, she broke her own record again, clearing 4.88 meters (about 16 feet). This made her the second-highest vaulter in history, only behind Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva. She then tried to set a new world record but didn't succeed that day. She won her second national outdoor title in 2007.
Olympic Success (2008-2012)
In 2008, Jenn won the Indoor U.S. Nationals. This qualified her for the World Indoor Championships in Spain, where she won a silver medal. She broke her own American record again in May, jumping 4.90 meters (about 16 feet, 1 inch).
At the U.S. Olympic Trials in July 2008, Jenn set another American record by clearing 4.92 meters (about 16 feet, 1.75 inches). This win qualified her for the Olympics. At the Beijing Olympics, she won a silver medal, jumping 4.80 meters (about 15 feet, 9 inches).
In 2009, Jenn set new American indoor records twice. She won her seventh US Indoor title. She also won another American outdoor title. However, she had to miss the 2009 World Championships due to an injury.
In 2010, Jenn won her fifth straight US outdoor title. Her jump of 4.89 meters (about 16 feet) was the best in the world that year.
In 2011, Jenn won her tenth national title overall. She jumped 4.91 meters (about 16 feet, 1 inch), which was the highest vault of the year. Track & Field News magazine named her the number one women's pole vaulter in the world for 2011.
The year 2012 was a big one for Jenn. She set another American indoor record. She won the USATF Indoor Championships and the Olympic Trials. On August 6, 2012, Jenn Suhr won the gold medal at the London Olympics. She tied with another athlete but won because she had fewer missed attempts.
World Record and Retirement (2013-2022)
On March 2, 2013, Jenn Suhr broke the world indoor record! She jumped 5.02 meters (about 16 feet, 5.5 inches) at the USA Indoor Championships. This made her only the second woman in history to jump over 5 meters. She also won the 2013 USA Outdoor Championships and earned a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships.
In 2014, Jenn won the USA Outdoor Championships again. She also earned a silver medal at the USA Indoor Championships.
She continued her success in 2015, winning the USA Outdoor Championships.
In 2016, Jenn broke her own women's indoor pole vault world record. She jumped an incredible 5.03 meters (about 16 feet, 6 inches). She also won a gold medal at the 2016 World Indoor Championships. Jenn won the 2016 USA Olympic Trials and competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. However, she became very ill before the competition and finished in seventh place.
Jenn Suhr announced her retirement from pole vaulting in June 2022. During her amazing career, she won 17 USA National Championships. This included 7 indoor titles and 10 outdoor titles. She won almost every outdoor national championship from 2006 to 2016.
Sponsorships and Recognition
In 2006, Jenn Suhr signed a four-year sponsorship deal with Adidas. She also became a spokesperson for Nutrilite, a brand of vitamins and supplements, in 2007.
Track & Field News named Jenn Suhr the American Female Athlete of the Year for 2008. This is a very special award, and she was only the second female pole vaulter to receive it.
See also
In Spanish: Jennifer Suhr para niños
