Vlasic celebrates 2.02 NR in Bastad, Sweden (© Göran Lenz)
Weinheim, GermanyBlanka Vlasic of Croatia jumped 2.02 to set her second national indoor record of the past week, and Ivan Ukhov of Russia continued to compile an amazing indoor season with a 2.35 leap to highlight the Hochsprung Gala 2006 meeting in Weinheim, Germany, on Wednesday (8 February) evening.
Vlasic’s heroics appeared in “deus-ex-machina” fashion - though with a leap from below as opposed to a descent from above - thus saving the women’s competition from an ignominious finish at the end, as the reigning World indoor bronze medallist found herself alone as the winner at a mediocre height of 1.93.
Third 2m clearance of the season
The 22-year-old, visibly slimmer than in past seasons, then called for a meeting-record 1.98, which she cleared on her first attempt to maintain a perfect record for the night.
With a 2.01 performance in Arnstadt last Saturday standing as Vlasic’s PB and Croatian national record, there was little strategy involved in her selection of 2.02 as the next height. Her first jump clipped the bar ever so slightly, and the second attempt was somewhat farther off the mark. But her third try was perfect, and the competition’s first-ever two-metre jump elicited a loud and long standing ovation from the packed TSG-Halle with its 1500 spectators.
Vlasic then broke the unofficial code of vertical jumpers by continuing to jump after setting a record. With an outdoor PB of 2.03, she asked for a would-be absolute personal best of 2.04. Again, she was close on her first attempt, only slightly nudging the bar off. Her third and final try was almost as good, but again not successful.
“I didn’t feel that I was really jumping that well in Arnstadt,” she said in a post-competition analysis. “Tonight was much better, but I’m still not yet in top shape.” With the IAAF World Indoor Championships foremost in her plans, Vlasic explained that she was trying to build slowly for a peak in Moscow.
Tonight’s competition, with all of the other jumpers being eliminated by 1.93, was a perfect stage for her record, however. “I like to get to two metres quickly,” she admitted, however also regretting the long wait she had to endure between jumps at her opening 1.84 and 1.90, as she elected to pass 1.87.
“It was an advantage for me tonight to be jumping alone when I set the meeting record of 1.98. I got there rather quickly. It’s a lot harder when you have to wait around to do it.”
The “waiting game” is part and parcel of many High Jump competitions, Arnstadt and Weinheim included, in which men and women take turns in jumping at heights. “I suppose that it was good for me to have to wait a long time before some big jumps at these meets because I hope to be jumping high in Moscow, and that may also involve some waiting.”
Vlasic next appears in Valencia on Saturday and in Banska Bystrica the following Tuesday.
Finishing behind the Croatian was Iva Straková of the Czech Republic, who placed second ahead of Iryna Mykhalchenko of Ukraine on a countback at 1.90.
The women’s competition was robbed of a luminary when Anna Chicherova of Russia was forced to retire after clearing 1.87. The reigning European Indoor Champion has been suffering from a slight injury to her take-off foot in the past few competitions.
Ukhov’s fine form continues
The men’s side of the evening belonged to a pair of young Russian jumpers. Ivan Ukhov, the European junior champion from last year, showed no obvious signs of fatigue after his eighth competition this winter. The 19-year-old from Yekaterinburg leaped 2.35 on his second attempt to win the competition from Andrey Silnov at 2.33. It was the fifth time this winter that Ukhov has jumped more than 2.30.
The free-spirited Ukhov was a study in relaxation all evening. Clowning with the other jumpers and shouting encouragement to them as they concentrated on their attempts, he never showed the nerves that older, more experienced jumpers usually exhibit. When called to jump, he quickly emerged from a backstage area for the jumpers, found his start mark, and then rambled toward the bar without any lengthy ritual. Competing in rumpled tights and with his shirt untucked, Ukhov more resembled someone who had just stumbled out of bed in the morning. But style points play no role in this sport, and he was highly successful at his only goal of leaping over the crossbar.
The early part of the competition belonged to the more serious (but only marginally so) Silnov. The slender blond from Rostov-on-Don - who had suddenly found himself in the world elite after his 2.35 last Saturday in Arnstadt - opened with a first-attempt clearance at 2.15 and then marched onward without a miss through 2.28 to lead the others at that point, as Ukhov had needed two jumps at both 2.20 and 2.28.
But then the powerful Ukhov took charge with a second-attempt clearance of 2.31 as Silnov needed three. The pair matched each other at 2.33 with successful second-round jumps before Silnov exited at 2.35 to leave Ukhov with the win at that height, after which he took three unremarkable attempts at 2.41.
The two young Russians were remarkable in their contrasts. Silnov’s approaches were smooth and graceful, while the powerful Ukhov had a more uneven, galloping style. Formerly a promising discus thrower on the junior level, Ukhov had achieved most of his success until now using sprinting shoes for his jumping. In Weinheim he decided to switch to Triple Jump shoes. One can only wonder what he can do if he ever meets up with foot coverings expressly made for his event.
Just as in the women’s event, the men’s event produced a casualty. Athens bronze medal winner Jaroslav Bába of the Czech Republic, after equaling his season best of 2.28 on his third attempt, injured his left ankle while taking his first jump at 2.31 and was forced to retire in third place. The 21-year-old Bába had noticed a small pain earlier in the competition, presumably the cause of an awkward hesitation in his second approach at 2.28 before his successful third jump, which came under great pain. Taking a short heat treatment before his 2.31 attempt proved to be futile.
Jamie Nieto of the US took fourth ahead of Czech jumper Svatoslav Ton, as both had a 2.24 best before passing 2.28 and exiting at 2.31.
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
RESULTS:
MEN:
1. Ukhov (RUS) 2.35 [2.15 – 2.20/2 – 2.24 – 2.28/2 – 2.31/2 – 2.33/2 – 2.35/2 – 2.41/xxx)
2. Silnov (RUS) 2.33 [2.15 – 2.20 – 2.24 – 2.28 – 2.31/3 – 2.33/2 – 2.35/xxx)
3. Baba (CZE) 2.28 (retired after one attempt at 2.31 with foot injury)
4. Nieto (USA) 2.24
5. Ton (CZE) 2.24
6. Fricke (GER) 2.20
7. Häfner (GER) 2.15
8. Günther (GER) 2.15
WOMEN:
1. Vlasic (CRO) 2.02 NR [1.84 – 1.90 – 1.93 – 1.98 – 2.02/3 – 2.04/xxx]
2. Straková (CZE) 1.90
3. Mykhalchenko (UKR) 1.90
4. Dubnová (CZE) 1.87
5. Friedrich (GER) 1.87
6. Chicherova (RUS) 1.87
7. Jambor (GER) 1.84
8. Sagonas (GER) 1.80
9. Holinski (GER) 1.80
