The Hindu : Isinbayeva vaults to a new high

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2003

Sport

Sport - Athletics

Isinbayeva vaults to a new high

Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, who broke the women's pole vault world record, poses with the cheque for $50,000 at the Norwich Union Super League athletics meeting in Gateshead on Sunday.

GATESHEAD July 14. Russian Yelena Isinbayeva set a world record in the pole vault on Sunday, jumping 4.82 metres outdoors to add a centimetre to the mark set by Olympic champion Stacy Dragila two years ago.

Isinbayeva's record came on her second attempt at the Norwich Union Super League meeting. The bar shuddered but held and Isinbayeva put her hands to her face in shock and relief.

"It wasn't unexpected because I've jumped in training on occasions 4.80 regularly and my best result in training is 4.90," said Isinbayeva.

"So I was just waiting for the moment in competition. Before the jump I was just telling myself `This is just like a training height and a usual jump.' But even so, of course I'm delighted."

Isinbayeva's vault was the highest ever for a female. Svetlana Feofanova, who finished second set the indoor world record of 4.80 metres at the Worlds in Birmingham in March.

Isinbayeva had already won the competition with 4.74 metres at the Gateshead International Stadium. Isinbayeva won $50,000, but less than 1,000 spectators saw the record, which was set about 30 minutes after the meeting ended.

European champion Dwain Chambers won the 100 metres in a race rerun only seven minutes after three athletes had sprinted the entire distance.

Kim Collins and Americans Bernard Williams and John Capel didn't hear the recall gun and raced to the line.

The five other athletes pulled up, some at the start and others, including Chambers, at the halfway mark.

Chambers won the second race in 10.27 seconds with Williams, Capel and Collins well back.

"The gun has got to be sorted out, because that was a top class field and to have it spoiled by something as simple as the starting gun, well it's just not good enough," said Capel, who won the 100 metres ahead of Williams at the Rome Golden Gala meeting Friday.

Commonwealth Games champion Collins said he wasn't offered a 20-minute break between races.

"I just put so much into that, there is no way I would have heard the recall gun," he said. "That was one for the books."

Chambers was happy to claim the win. He stopped after the second shot of the recall gun. "That mishap gave me an opportunity to get another win, which I needed," he said.

It was a good day for U.S. athletes in the hot, sunny conditions.

Allen Johnson won the 110 metres hurdles in 13.37 seconds and was confident of winning his fourth World championship in Paris in August.

"I felt great over those hurdles, they even seemed lower today," Johnson said. "Everything is going so well for me and I am in the best form of my life."

Torri Edwards won the women's 100 metres in 11.46 seconds. "That was OK considering I am coming off the back of two personal records during the last week," Edwards said. She clocked a season's best of 11.10 on June 20 and was runner-up in the 100 at the U.S. championships three days later.

Melissa Morrison won the 100 metres hurdles in 12.80 seconds and Demetria Washington won the 400 metres in a season's best 51.29.

British Olympic 400 meter bronze medallist Katherine Merry finished fifth in 52.35 seconds in her first individual even since 2001, her post-Sydney form hit by a series of injuries.

Hicham El Guerrouj won the 1,500 metres in 3:33.41, followed by Kenyan Paul Korir and a season best from American David Krummenacker.

"It was a little windy but the race was not hard," El Guerrouj said.

The men's 3,000 metres was taken by Abraham Chebii of Kenya in 7:45.93. Chebii, who won the 5,000 metres in Rome Friday, surged ahead of countryman Leonard Mucheru on the final bend.

Olympic and world 800 meter champion Maria Mutola surged to beat Slovene rival Jolanda Ceplak. Mutola won in 1:58.80, with Ceplak at 1:59.96.

"The only thing that was disappointing was the time," Mutola said.

In other results, Steve Backley won the javelin in 85.69 metres, Michael Blackwood took the 400 metres in 44.85 seconds, Moroccan Zahra El Kamchem won the 3,000 metres in 8:35.24. Christian Olsson of Sweden won the triple jump with 17.92 metres, with Olympic champion and World record holder Jonathan Edwards jumping 17.61.

The results (winners only):

Men: 100m: Dwain Chambers (GBR) 10.27s; 200m: Christian Malcolm (GBR) 20.73s; 400m: Michael Blackwood (Jam) 44.85s; 1,500m: Hicham El Guerrouj (Mar) 3:33.41s; 3,000m: Abraham Chebii (Ken) 7:45.93s; 110m hurdles: Allen Johnson (U.S.) 13.37s; Long jump: Aleksey Lukashevich (Ukr) 8.19 m; High jump: Stefan Holm (Swe) 2.30 m; Triple jump: Christian Olsson (Swe) 17.92 m; Javelin: Steve Backley (GBR) 85.69 m;

Women: 100m: Torri Edwards (U.S.) 11.46s; 200m: Beverley McDonald (Jam) 23.09s; 400m: Demetria Washington (U.S.) 51.29s; 800m: Maria Mutola (Moz) 1:58.80s; 3,000m: Zahra El Kamche (Mar) 8:35.24s; 100m hurdles: Melissa Morrison (U.S.) 12.80s; Pole vault: Yelena Isinbayeva (Rus) 4.82 m (WR).