Jax Thoirs
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Scottish) |
| Born | 7 April 1993 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Pole vault |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Pole vault: 5.65 m (Los Angeles, 2015) |
Jax Thoirs (born 7 April 1993) is a Scottish pole vaulter. He placed fourth at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and won the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, and after a career break from athletics, was runner-up at the 2026 British Indoor Championships.[1]
Career
From Glasgow, Thoirs set a new Scottish pole vault record of 5.60 metres competing in Seattle in 2014.[2] Thoirs placed fourth representing Scotland in the pole vault at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He made his British team at the 2015 European Athletics Team Championships in Russia.[3]
In 2015, he set a new Scottish record when he cleared 5.65m at the PAC-12 Champs in Los Angeles as he retained his title that he also won in 2014.[4][5] Thoirs won the pole vault at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships competing for the University of Washington.[6] He was runner-up at the 2017 British Athletics Championships in Birmingham after a jump-off at 5.45m with Englishman Luke Cutts.[7]
In 2018, Thoirs had to overcome suffering a blood clot in his arm and was unable to compete despite being initially selected to represent Scotland on the Gold Coast at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[8]
Thoirs had a career break from athletics after losing motivation to train during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] After returning to action, he cleared 5.32m in Scotland at the 2026 4J National Open in January 2026 to meet the qualifying standard for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.[10] On 14 February, was runner-up at the 2026 British Indoor Championships to Owen Heard, with 5.45 metres.[11]
References
- ^ "Jax Thoirs". World Athletics. Retrieved 14 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Thoirs sets a new Scottish pole vault record". Scottish Athletics. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Jax Thoirs convinced it's only matter of time before he hits UK pole vault record". Herald Scotland. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Round-up 16/17 May: Jax; BMC; Hills; Masters; Women's 10k". Scottish Athletics. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 14 Feb 2026.
- ^ "UW pole vaulter Jax Thoirs looks to make history at Pac-12 track and field championships". Seattle Times. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Jax Thoirs back home and enjoying thrill of competing". The National. 16 Dec 2017. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Thoirs aiming high once again". Scottish Athletics. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 14 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Pole vaulter Jax Thoirs soaring again after the blood clot which almost grounded him for good". Herald Scotland. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Grangemouth rescue in focus and Jax return is a top comeback tale, too". Scottish Athletics. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 14 Feb 2026.
- ^ "4J National Open: Jax soars to Glasgow 2026 height, Nikki Native Record". World Athletics. 12 Jan 2026. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Rejuvenated Jax raises the bar in Birmingham and Rebecca lands silver, too". World Athletics. 14 Feb 2026. Retrieved 15 Feb 2026.