Ekaterina Koneva in the triple jump at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot (© Getty Images)
Russia’s Yekaterina Koneva won a modest contest with the shortest winning mark since the event was formally introduced onto the competition programme at the 1993 World Indoor Championships.
The world silver medalist found the Midas touch with her second-round effort of 14.46m.
The women were clearly feeling their way into the competition in the first round, which was led by Ukraine’s 2011 world champion Olga Saladukha with 14.28m.
Saladukha, jumping sixth in the opening three rounds, then improved to 14.38m with her next effort but one jump later Koneva uncorked her winning effort of 14.46m.
With such a mark, Koneva could never relax. It was a distance that five of her seven rivals had beaten in their careers and several of them, like Saladukha, on a regular basis, but on this occasion none could go any further.
Saladukha – the joint 2014 world leader with Koneva, both women having reached 14.65m this year – nibbled at the lead and gave Koneva some nervous moments as her fourth-round effort was being measured, but 14.45m was eventually flashed on the scoreboard. Her fifth-round effort of 14.40m was also close but Koneva hung on to take the title by the smallest winning margin at the World Indoor Championships.
Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams held third place from the second round, when she jumped 14.34m, and although she improved to a season’s best 14.39m on her final attempt, she remained in the bronze medal slot.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
