Isinbayeva Again! 5.05m World Pole Vault record in Beijing

 

 

Beijing - For the second straight Olympic Games, Yelena Isinbayeva set a new World record in the Pole Vault. Sending the capacity crowd at National Stadium into a frenzy, the Russian defended her title with a leap of 5.05m, adding a centimetre to her own 5.04m record set last month at the Herculis Super Grand Prix in Monaco.

“I was trying to do my best for the crowd,” said the 26-year-old after setting her 24th world mark. “I felt that I could not go without a world record because of the support the crowd gave me.”

Success came on her third attempt, although her second was reasonably close as well.

The majority of the half dozen other competitors who remained in the competition were already struggling when Isinbayeva opened at 4.70m, a massive clearance by some 30cm that clearly illustrated that a World record would be a possibility.

She had already clinched the gold with her second jump, a clean effort at 4.85m. Next came an assault on her four-year-old Olympic record of 4.91m, which she managed on her third try at 4.95m.

“I remembered my feelings from Athens and I wanted to feel that again.”

As has become the norm, Isinbayeva whiled away her time lying on the grass near the runway, a cap and towel covering her face, seemingly oblivious to the dramatic competition unfolding in the background. Here at Olympic Stadium, she even broke that routine to stand for four national anthems that accompanied the awards ceremonies for the men’s 10,000m, the women’s Discus Throw, men’s 3000m steeplechase, and women’s 800m.

Isinabayeva is now a dozen records shy of overtaking men’s Pole Vault legend World record haul of 35, and she reiterated that she’ll keeping going until she gets there.

“Yes, I will do it. I have just 12 more to go. Life would be boring without records to break.”

According to script, American record holder Jenn Stuczynski took the silver, topping out at 4.80m. Opening at 4.55m, she also cleared 4.70m on her first try, needed a second at 4.75m before going over 4.80m on her first to clinch the silver. At 4.90m, her first go was reasonably close, her second less so.

Isinbayeva was asked about the American’s comments earlier in the summer that she would beat her at the Olympic Games.

“You saw tonight what happened,” Isinbayeva said. “Sometimes people talk too much.”

4.75m was enough for silver four years ago; here it was needed to strike bronze. Athens silver medallist Svetlana Feofanova left herself in medal contention with a first attempt success while her Russian teammate Yuliya Golubchikova needed a pair of tries before going clear, adding two centimetres to her personal best. 4.80m though was well beyond the reach of each.

Monika Pyrek, who looked good in the early going, bowed out at that height, after a pair of misses and a run-through to eliminate herself from the medal chase.

Pre-meet medal favourite Fabiana Murer of Brazil, who upped her career best to 4.80m this summer, made an early exit, though the blame wasn’t apparently her own. After sailing over her 4.45m opener, she realized that the pole she needed for her next height, 4.55m, was missing. After a delay of several minutes, her search went in vain and she chose to skip the height, expending considerable energy in the process.

Also making an unexpected early departure was defending bronze medallist Anna Rogowska, who after clearing her opening 4.45m, found 4.55m too much to handle.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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Vili dominates

Valerie Vili of New Zealand has dominated the women's Shot Put since winning the event at last summer's World Championships in Osaka, and she reminded her competitors of that fact as quickly as possible in this evening's final. Vili's very first pitch was a 20.56m PB, and given her PB was already the Oceania AR, the mark was established for the others to toss at for the duration of the evening.

Vili eventually delivered five consecutive marks over 20m, including three good enough to win (the silver went to the only other putter over 20m, Natallia Mikhnevich of Belarus at 20.28m), but didn't improve on that awesome opener. Mikhnevich produced her silver-winning release in the second round, and the remaining medal movement came when her teammate Nadzeya Ostapchuk moved into third with a 19.86m toss in the fifth round. Vili declined to make a sixth attempt with the gold medal locked up.

Fountain's long jump upset is Dobrynska's gain

It was a long day for the Heptathlon leader-after-four-events Hyleas Fountain. Fountain entered the morning session ahead, but had a disappointing long jump (6.38, only the 7th-best in the field), and that was when Ukraine's Nataliia Dobrynska struck. Dobrynska's 6.63m leap bounded her into the lead, and she expanded it with a solid 48.60m Javelin Throw where Fountain could only manage 41.93m.

Arriving at the 800m, then, Dobrynska had a 145-point lead over Fountain, and Lyudmila Blonska, the silver medallist from Osaka, was a bare six points behind Fountain in third. The final heat of the 800m produced PBs for seven of the eight starters--the exception being Dobrynska, finishing eighth but, with 855 points, clinching her gold medal. Blonska, in 2:09.44, picked up 973 and closed 118 points of Dobrynska's lead; Fountain with 2:15.45 (886) only made up 31, and slid to third. The trio were awarded their medals by one of the most successful Ukranians in athletics history, World Pole Vault record holder Sergey Bubka, IAAF Senior Vice President.

Borchin couldn't believe its his gold

Even the Saturday morning session had a final, as the men's 20km Race Walk stepped off at 9:00. For 15km a large pack of walkers revolved around a narrow course in the midst of the Olympic Green, led largely by Italy's Ivano Brugnetti and Spain's Francisco Javier Fernandez. At 15km, however, World champion Jefferson Perez of Ecuador moved strongly to open up the race, and his move was covered only by Russia's Valeriy Borchin and Australia's Jared Tallent. Tallent, pursued doggedly by Brugnetti, couldn't handle the pace as Borchin took the lead with Perez on his shoulder, but those two leaders slugged it out until the closing kilometres.

It would be Borchin who finally made the conclusive break and entered the Bird's Nest tunnel first. Crossing the finish line in 1:19:01, Borchin appeared unsure that he had really finished, maintaining stride around the corner just in case, before the truth sunk in. Perez was just 14 seconds behind, then Tallent arrived in 1:19:42.

Tallent was pursued closely by Wang Hao of China, who celebrated his 19th birthday with a 1:19:47 PB; Brugnetti in 5th and Tallent's teammate Luke Adams were also under 1:20 and therefore within a minute of Borchin.

Qualifying

Saturday morning's qualifying rounds included the men's 3000m Steeplechase, where a full squad of Kenyans safely advanced to the final, and the women's Pole Vault, where eleven women cleared 4.50m before Yelena Isinbayeva wrapped everything up with a single successful jump at the automatic qualifying height, 4.60m. Isinbayeva had the highest clearance, but only tied for fewest jumps; Jen Stuczynski cleared 4.50m with a single attempt as well. The first round of the women's 400m was also run as well with no significant casualties.

The afternoon's qualifying included the women's 100m, where sixteen women advanced to the semi-final round (Sunday) but not France's Christine Arron.

The extraordinarily tough three-heat semifinal of the women's 800m saw a veritable slaughter of world-class two-lap women but qualified Maria Mutola for her fifth Olympic final as well as world season leader Pamela Jelimo and World champion Janeth Jepkosgei. Three Americans were among the eight advancing to the men's 400m Hurdles final, but for the first time in Olympic history the men's Long Jump final will not include a single competitor from the USA.

Parker Morse for the IAAF

**subject to usual ratification procedures