Cuba's Yarisley Silva in the pole vault (© Getty Images)
Two German cities hosted vertical jumps competitions this weekend with Yarisley Silva producing a world-leading mark in the pole vault in Beckum and Derek Drouin winning a quality high jump competition in Eberstadt on Sunday (2).
At the International Volksbank Pole Vault Meeting in Beckum, Silva continued her recent run of good form to add six centimetres to the world-leading mark she set at the Pan American Games 10 days ago.
The Cuban needed two attempts to get over her opening height of 4.50m but soon found her groove and got over 4.60m and 4.70m at the first time of asking.
Germany’s Katharina Bauer, having already added 10 centimetres to her PB with clearances at 4.55m, 4.60m and 4.65m, finally bowed out of the competition with three failures at 4.70m.
Lisa Ryzih, having cleared 4.50m and 4.65m on her first attempts, was also still in the competition. With the bar set at 4.75m, Ryzih’s pole snapped on her first attempt. The German sustained a slight injury to the hand and so didn’t continue competing, but her participation at the IAAF World Championships is not in doubt.
After one failure at 4.75m, Silva then moved the bar up to 4.83m and got over it on her second try. The bar was then set to 4.91m and the world indoor champion successfully negotiated it on her third and final attempt.
It added one centimetre to her own Central American and Caribbean record, consolidating her third-place position on the world all-time list. The last time anyone went higher outdoors was when Yelena Isinbayeva set the world record of 5.06m in Zurich six years ago.
“I knew because of my training that I was capable of clearing that height,” said Silva after producing the highest vault ever on German soil. “But I’m still a bit surprised that I jumped so high at this time.”
Silva’s fellow Pan-American champion Derek Drouin was also victorious in Germany on Sunday.
Competing at the International High Jump Meeting in Eberstadt, the Canadian high jumper enjoyed a close battle with Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy.
Tamberi – sporting his trademark ‘half beard’ – was among the early leaders, clearing 2.27m at the first time of asking. Canada’s Michael Mason then took the lead with his first-time clearance at 2.30m. Drouin also got over that bar on his first try, as did Tamberi’s compatriot Marco Fassinotti, but Tamberi needed all three attempts to proceed.
Drouin and Tamberi both then needed just one attempt to clear 2.33m. Mason cleared it on his third try to equal his personal best, while 2007 world champion Donald Thomas also got over it.
While Mason and Thomas were unable to go higher, Drouin and Tamberi were nowhere near finished. Drouin enjoyed another first-time clearance at 2.35m while Tamberi hung on for dear life and got over it on his third try.
Holding the lead on count-back and with the bar now at 2.37m, Drouin once again needed just one attempt, equalling his season’s best in the process. Tamberi also got over it on his first try to break the Italian record.
Both men attempted 2.39m, and Drouin saved his final attempt for 2.41m, but neither were successful.
“I’m overjoyed with the win here in Eberstadt,” said Drouin, the world and Olympic bronze medallist who holds the Canadian record of 2.40m. “Now I want to jump a personal best in Beijing and win a medal.”
In the women’s competition, held two days earlier, Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch delighted the home crowd by winning with a season’s best of 1.96m. Croatia’s Ana Simic, world junior champion Morgan Lake and world indoor champion Mariya Kuchina all cleared 1.94m, but finished second, third and fourth respectively on count-back.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
