Sophie Ashurst
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 26 April 2003 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Pole vault |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | Pole vault: 4.35m (2024) |
Sophie Ashurst (born 26 April 2003) is a British pole vaulter.[1]
Early and personal life
From Sale, Greater Manchester, she is the daughter of pole vaulter Andy Ashurst.[2][3] She first tried the pole vault with her father when she was eight years-old. She played numerous sports before focusing on athletics by the age of 16 years-old. She won the English schools senior girls pole vault title in July 2021 with a championship record clearance of 4.21m.[4][5][6] She later attended Loughborough University where she began to be coached by Kate Rooney.[7]
Career
She won the national under-20 pole vault title in 2021 with a 4.10m clearance and set a new English Schools Championship best performance of 4.21m. She placed fifth at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships and sixth in the senior 2021 British Athletics Championships.[6] She was troubled by a hip flexor injury in 2022 but later in the summer also finished sixth in the pole vault at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia with a clearance of 4.10 metres, and was given the honour of captaining the British squad at the championships.[8][9][10]
She was runner-up at the 2024 British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) indoor championships in Sheffield in February 2024.[11] She cleared 4.21 metres to place third at the 2024 British Athletics Championships.[12][13] That year, she set a new personal best with a clearance of 4.35 metres whilst competing in France.[14]
In November 2024, she was named by British Athletics on the Olympic Futures Programme for 2025.[15] She was runner-up at the 2025 British Indoor Athletics Championships, in Birmingham, on 22 February 2025, to Nemiah Munir.[16] She was runner-up to Munir again at the BUCS outdoor championships in May 2025.[17]
References
- ^ "Sophie Ashurst". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Second generation Sale pole vault star seeking to replicate father's success". Manchester Evening News. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Pole vault starlet eager for Olympic dream after Paris 2024". Gazette News. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ Balogun, Tum (7 September 2022). "Ashurst following in the footsteps of prestigious pole vaulting family". Hillingdontimes.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "English Schools class of 2021 show their talent". Athletics Weekly. Jul 15, 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ a b Heath, Georgie (22 Feb 2022). "Sophie Ashurst on the rise". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Pole vault star Ashurst hopes time with Britain's best powers her to glory". TNT Sports. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "World Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "OBAMAKINWA, ASHURST AND TUTTON AMONG THOSE TO REACH WORLD U20 FINALS". British Athletics. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Sophie Ashurst hopes spending time with pole vault elite pushes her to success". Yahoo Sports. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "UK Athletics Championships and Olympic Trials 2024: All results - complete list". Olympics.com. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "HINCHLIFFE SEALS FIRST UK TITLE AS ATHLETES BOOK SPOTS AT PARIS 2024". British Athletics. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Meeting EAP Annecy". World Athletics. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "2024-25 OLYMPIC FUTURES PROGRAMME ATHLETES ANNOUNCED". British Athletics. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "WILLIAMS AND AZU CLAIM 60M TITLES IN BIRMINGHAM". British Athletics. 22 Feb 2025. Retrieved 22 Feb 2025.
- ^ "BUCS Athletics: Outdoor Championships". World Athletics. 3 May 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.