Pena becomes first Irish pole vaulter to qualify for Olympics

Tori Pena has become the first Irish pole vaulter in athletics history to qualify for an Olympic Games.

Sun, 04 Mar, 2012 - 13:25

Tori Pena has become the first Irish pole vaulter in athletics history to qualify for an Olympic Games.

The Finn Valey AC athlete, a native Californian who declared for Ireland during this Olympic cycle, cleared the necessary Olympic A standard of 4.50 metres overnight at the Beach Track & Field Classic at Centros College.

Pena met the London standard in winning the pole vault at the Californian competition, with 20cm to spare from Kelsie Hendry, and becomes the second field athlete to qualify for the Olympics after World Championships sixth-placer Deirdre Ryan.

Fourteen Irish athletes have now secured the relevant A standard to compete in London this summer:

Paul Hession - men's 200m

Ciarán O'Lionaird - men's 1500m

Alistair Cragg - men's 5000m

Mark Kenneally - men's marathon

Robert Heffernan - men's 20k and 50k walk

Brendan Boyce - men's 50k walk

Derval O'Rourke - women's 100m hurdles

Deirdre Ryan - Women's high jump

Olive Loughnane - Women's 20k walk

Tori Pena - women's pole vault

Linda Byrne - women's marathon