Imogen Ayris

Imogen Ayris
Personal information
Born (2000-12-12) 12 December 2000 (age 24)
Auckland, New Zealand
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportAthletics
EventPole vault
ClubTakapuna Athletic and Harrier Club
Achievements and titles
National finalsPole vault champion (2018, 2020, 2021)
Personal best4.60 m
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  New Zealand
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Pole vault

Imogen Ayris (born 12 December 2000) is a New Zealand athlete who competes in the pole vault. She won the bronze medal in the pole vault representing her country at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Biography

Ayris was born in Auckland on 12 December 2000,[1][2] the daughter of Barny and Bridget Ayris.[3] She was educated at Takapuna Grammar School, and is now studying exercise science at the University of Auckland.[4]

Ayris began competing in athletics as a six-year-old at the Takapuna Athletic and Harrier Club, but also was a promising gymnast, representing New Zealand in an international event against Australia.[3] She took up the pole vault when she was 13 years old, coached by Jeremy McColl. She finished third in the pole vault at the national secondary schools championships six months later,[3] and won the national junior title at the 2015 national athletic championships.[5] In 2016, aged 15, she became the youngest female New Zealand athlete to clear four metres.[3] In 2018, Ayris won both the national under-20 and senior national pole vault titles,[5] and she subsequently won the national title again in 2020 and 2021.[6]

Ayris represented New Zealand in the pole vault at the 2018 IAAF World Under-20 Championships, finishing 19th, with a best height of 3.95 m.[7] The following year, she competed at the Athletics at the 2019 Summer Universiade, where she placed equal tenth in the pole vault, recording a height of 4.11 m.[8] At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Ayris cleared 4.45 m to win the bronze medal in the pole vault,[9] despite competing with a fractured bone in her foot.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Imogen Ayris". Birmingham 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  2. ^ Imogen Ayris at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
  3. ^ a b c d Landells, Steve (31 March 2021). "NZ pole vault champ defending title for late dad". Newsroom. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Student athlete Imogen Ayris: high hopes for Birmingham". University of Auckland. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b Hollings, Stephen (October 2019). "National champions 1887–2019" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Imogen Ayris". Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Pole vault women – qualification – summary" (PDF). IAAF. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Summer Universiade 2019: results" (PDF). 11 July 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  9. ^ Knuckey, Brodyn (3 August 2022). "Imogen Ayris soars to pole vault bronze for New Zealand". 1News. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Commonwealth Games: Imogen Ayris won pole vault bronze with a fractured foot". Stuff. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.