Bjorn Otto of Germany (© Getty Images)
Dessau, GermanyGerman pole vaulter Björn Otto and Kyrgystan high jumper Tatyana Efimenko were the winners at the Indoor Meeting in Dessau on Saturday (21) which featured these two disciplines in front of a crowd of about 1500 spectators.
Taking into account the early stage of the season the two winners achieved respectable results with 5.70m and 1.94m clearances respectively. Efimenko’s height was a season’s world indoor lead and a meeting record, while Otto missed a possible 2006 world lead when trying 5.76m.
5.60 spelt trouble for most
For some time the Pole Vault looked as if it could become a real high class affair. Seven athletes out of eleven had cleared 5.50m, most of them in convincing style, leaving plenty of space between themselves and the bar. Eight jumpers were still in contention since last year’s winner Ruslan Yeremenko (Ukraine) had left out this height.
But when it came to 5.60m things suddenly began to look different. For four jumpers this proved to be too much: Vladislav Revenko and Denys Yurchenko (both Ukraine) as well as Fabian Schulze and Lars Börgeling (Germany) missed 5.60m three times each.
“I think this happened because most of us are still doing hard training sessions at this early stage of the season. So 5.50 metres is no problem, but when it gets higher it looks different,” commented former World Indoor champion Tim Lobinger, who after a very good second attempt, in which he was unlucky, just managed to clear 5.60m on his third jump. His third jump at 5.70m also looked good. It was only when he came down that he was a bit too close to the bar and pulled it down. “I would have liked to jump 5.70 metres today and win the event. So I am not quite satisfied," Lobinger said. In the end he was fourth with 5.60m.
Fellow German jumper Tobias Scherbarth, whose competition had ended at 5.30m, had helped Lobinger by serving him a cup of coffee from the cafeteria – but the wake-up coffee did not last long enough. “It was after I had cleared 5.50m when he brought me the coffee because I felt tired. That was because I had flown back from South Africa just a couple of days ago. I had been there for training”, Lobinger explained.
Poland’s Przemyslaw Czerwinski and Ruslan Yeremenko both missed out at 5.70m as well and so shared second place with 5.60m. They both had cleared that height on their second attempts. So even if Björn Otto had not succeeded at 5.70 m, which he cleared on his last attempt, he would have still won the competition. He was the only one to have jumped 5.60m on the first attempt.
“This is my first competition of the new season – so that was a perfect start for me. Last year I had begun with 5.60m and then went on to jump 5.80m indoors. So I am looking forward to a good season and hopefully will qualify for the World Indoors,” confirmed Otto, who here managed part one of the qualification process for the championships, as with 5.70m he beat the qualifying standard. Now he has to finish within the top two of the German Championships to make sure he gets his ticket to Moscow. “This will not be easy”, the 28-year-old said. But he has every reason to be optimistic since his performance was really convincing. He had cleared 5.30m, 5.50m and 5.60m on his first attempts.
Great vaulting depth of talent
German potential in the men’s Pole Vault became obvious once more. It was not just about Björn Otto and Tim Lobinger. Fabian Schulze jumped very well when he cleared 5.40m with plenty of space above the bar. His second attempt at 5.50m was almost as good as well. But he was among four out of eight jumpers who missed 5.60m. A year ago Schulze had caused a major surprise at the German Indoors when he broke into the national elite finishing third. At the European Indoors in Madrid he then finished fifth (one place behind Otto and two behind Lobinger).
Another one for the future might be Alexander Straub. The German Junior champion from 2005 equalled his personal indoor best in Dessau with 5.40m, looking very promising when he cleared this height. But then Straub, who has a very powerful approach, missed 5.50m.
Meeting record and world lead
It was only the third time that the women’s High Jump was included into the Dessau indoor event, and the field had never before been as strong as this year. And that paid off fine for meeting organiser Ralph Hirsch, for the old meeting record of 1.87m was quickly broken, as three out of eight jumpers cleared 1.88m. Among them was a German surprise: Julia Hartmann who achieved a personal best, but then clearly missed 1.90m three times. “I am very happy. And perhaps I have a chance to break the qualifying standard for Moscow of 1.93 m”, said the 19-year-old.
It was then down to two athletes. Italy’s Antoinetta di Martino seemed to be in for a win when she cleared 1.90m with her second jump but Tatyana Efimenko responded quickly, also clearing that height with her second attempt. Then she went on and jumped 1.92m first time. Di Martino took that height with her third jump. But it was only Efimenko who cleared 1.94m on her second attempt to establish a new season world indoor lead. There is more to come from her this season since her three attempts at 1.96m looked promising.
“I am very happy with my competition since I have qualified for Moscow today,” said di Martino. Measuring only 1.69m, she has a personal best of 1.98m from 2001 (outdoors). A year ago she had won the national championships but was then unlucky in the summer since she had to have an operation on her left foot due to a damaged ligament.
“This was my first proper competition of the new season. So I am happy with it”, said Efimenko. She is also already qualified for the World Indoors. “My aim is to finish within the top five in Moscow – and the big goal is to jump two metres.”
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
Results Dessau:
Men's Pole Vault:
1. Björn Otto GER 5.70
2. Przemyslaw Czerwinski POL 5.60
and Ruslan Yeremenko UKR
4. Tim Lobinger GER 5.60
5. Lars Börgeling GER 5.50
and Denis Yurchenko UKR
7. Fabian Schulze GER 5.40
8. Vladislav Revenko UKR 5.40
Women's High Jump:
1. Tatyana Efimenko KGZ 1.94
2. Antoinetta di Martino ITA 1.92
3. Julia Hartmann GER 1.88
4. Romana Dubnova CZE 1.85
5. Nicole Forrester CAN 1.85
