1) We don't even know if AC was at fault (or another airline and they were just the ticketing carrier). Doesn't really tell us where this happened.

2) I didn't say it's ok for the airline to take less care. I said get insurance. Businesses and others carry this stuff to cover mission critical circumstances.

3) I'm happy to criticize when I know the individual in question could have done more. See below with my own anecdotal comparisons.

4) Remember - everyone wants 15 minutes of fame. Wouldn't shock me here with her.

You're a quasi-professional pole vaulter competing all around and you don't have a backup set of poles? Wow, your redundancy in case of failure is just like AC's IT systems.... the fact she has to rely on trying to get replacements shipped to her or borrowed elsewhere tells me she has no backup plan and puts all her eggs in one basket.

AC sounds like they are sorting her out. But she's still whining and complaining, and getting attention. In the meantime she could have... you know... planned for a just in case circumstance like this and maybe I'd have a bit more compassion.

I used to travel with pricey musical instruments on AC quite regularly. I carried extra insurance both personally and professionally to cover in case of loss, and on some trips when the instruments went below declared the value to AC and paid the premium (back in the 90's). Funny how I never had an issue ever, but I was covered if I did.

I once had an instrument stolen in a smash and grab --- and then recovered a week later. In the interim my insurance covered replacements (we're talking 8-10K + value instruments, similar in price to the vaulter) so I wasn't missing a beat (no pun intended).