Andy Ashurst

{{Short description|British pole vaulter (born 1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Use British English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Andy Ashurst | image = | image_size =  | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|01|02|df=yes}} | birth_place = Manchester, England | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Athletics | event = Pole vault | height = 178 cm | weight = 69 kg | club = Sale Harriers | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalGold| 1986 Edinburgh | pole vault}} }}

'''Andrew John Ashurst''' (born 2 January 1965) is a British male former pole vaulter who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics.<ref name="sref">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/as/andy-ashurst-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418040820/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/as/andy-ashurst-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref>

== Biography == Ashurst attended Sale Boys' Grammar School and Birmingham University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Success for Birmingham athletes at the Olympic stadium |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/olympics/news/09-5-2012-Bucs-success-news-release.aspx |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=University of Birmingham |language=en}}</ref>

Ashurst represented England and won a gold medal in the pole vault, at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1986/athletes |title=1986 Athletes |website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3041/19/all |title=England team in 1986 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=3 October 2019 |archive-date=19 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419153600/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3041/19/all |url-status=dead}}</ref> Four years later he represented England, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand<ref>{{cite web |url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1990/athletes |title=1990 Athletes |website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3042/19/all |title=England team in 1990 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=3 October 2019 |archive-date=4 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404120931/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3042/19/all |url-status=dead}}</ref> and competed in a third Games when he represented England, at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/victoria-1994/athletes |title=1994 Athletes |website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3043/19/all |title=England team in 1994 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=3 October 2019 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507165937/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3043/19/all |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39476#athletes |title=Athletes and results: Andrew John Ashurst |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=3 October 2019 |archive-date=2 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102152725/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39476#athletes |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ashurst became the British pole vault champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1994 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=6 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=6 July 2025}}</ref>

His daughter Sophie is also a keen pole vaulter who is coached by her father as well as attending Loughborough University.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hillingdontimes.co.uk/news/21118644.ashurst-following-footsteps-prestigious-pole-vaulting-family/ |title=Ashurst following in the footsteps of prestigious pole vaulting family |website=Hillingdontimes.co.uk}}</ref>

== International competitions == {| {{AchievementTable}} |- !colspan="5"|Representing {{GBR2}} and {{ENG}} |- |1985 |Universiade |Kobe, Japan |9th |5.00 m |- |rowspan=2|1986 |Commonwealth Games |Edinburgh, United Kingdom |bgcolor=gold|1st |5.30 m |- |European Championships |Stuttgart, West Germany | – |NM |- |1988 |Olympic Games |Seoul, South Korea | – |NM |- |1989 |World Cup |Barcelona, Spain |7th |5.40 m |- |rowspan=2|1990 |European Indoor Championships |Glasgow, United Kingdom |10th |5.20 m |- |Commonwealth Games |Auckland, New Zealand | – |NM |- |1992 |European Indoor Championships |Genoa, Italy |12th |5.40 m |- |1994 |Commonwealth Games |Victoria, Canada |6th |5.20 m |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{World Athletics|name=Andrew Ashurst}} * {{Olympics.com|andrew-john-ashurst|Andrew John Ashurst}} * {{Team GB|2fkO6j5UaZdJYfy76Rz8kb|Andy Ashurst}} * {{Olympedia|name=Andy Ashurst}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashurst, Andy}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:British men pole vaulters Category:English men pole vaulters Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Category:Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes from Manchester Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics