Kabelo Kgosiemang of Botswana clears the bar in the men's high jump qualification (© Getty Images)
Like expected before the championships, the men’s High Jump final looks set to be a Russian party. Ivan Ukhov and Yaroslav Rybakov, the two favourites in the competition, topped the qualification easily making it to the final with both clearing 2.29m for a 1-2 in the competition. Ukhov seems to have a lot of energy left as his approach at the bar seemed quite slow and even a bit uninterested in this qualification which he of course topped in the end.
Like in other jumping events here, not a lot was needed to the top eight and the required automatic qualifying 2.31m was a far cry as a 2.26m clearance with third attempt and no other failures was enough for the top eight and the final. A few top names of the season went out of the final, but it wasn’t a big surprise as few of these were in the best condition this winter season and some others were new to the world’s top level.
British champion Samson Oni, a 2.34m jumper this season, the American champion Jesse Williams, who was sixth at the World Indoors 2008, were tied for third place both clearing 2.26m. The German champion Martin Günther jumped the same result 2.26m for fifth place and Berlin World Championships silver medalist from Cyprus, Kyriakos Ioannou was in an equal sixth place with 2.26m too.
In sixth place also were Dusty Jonas of USA and Kabelo Kgosiemang of Botswana who completed the eight finalists. The outdoor World champion from Helsinki 2005, Yuriy Krymarenko of Ukraine and Briton Tom Parsons also cleared 2.26m, but just didn’t make it to the final.
Furthermore 25-year-old Czech Jaroslav Bába, a 2.32m jumper this season, Finn Osku Torro cleared 2.23m and were not very close to get to the final. Torro seemed quite disappointed with his jumps which really looked quite low at 2.26m and the national indoor record holder who was in equal fourth spot on the world indoor list this season is out of the final.
It was hardly a shock but Donald Thomas of the Bahamas, the 2007 World champion from Osaka was 15th clearing only 2.18m, but he has been struggling ever since that breathtaking World title in 2007 when he cleared 2.35m for the gold medal.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
