A certain edge may have been taken off the competition following the disappointing late withdrawal of Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva because of a sickness bug but that was of little concern for German Silke Spiegelburg who scooped the $30,000 first prize in her absence.

Understandably, given the cold and wet conditions inside a gloomy Mercedes-Benz Arena it took a while for the competition to warm up but thanks to the accomplishments of the 22-year-old Spiegelburg most of the 18,000 crowd went home happy after the home favourite edged a jump-off with Svetlana Feofanova.

Only three women, Spiegelburg, the Olympic bronze medallist Feofanova and 2005 World silver medallist Monika Pyrek cleared 4.60m and the trio all needed their third effort to negotiate 4.70m.

The 4.77m bar was beyond the trio however, and as Pyrek of Poland had needed two attempts to clear 4.60m, as opposed to her two rivals who needed just one vault at that height the competition was thrust into a jump-off to determine the outcome.

In the inclement weather it was little surprise that Feofanova and Speigelburg, the latter of which had equalled her PB to clear 4.70m, struggled to fire.

The duo were unsuccessful at both 4.77m and 4.72m but the crowd sensed the door was ajar for a home winner after the Russian missed out at 4.67, and Spiegelburg, the two-time European Junior champion, gloriously took her chance, wriggling clear to become the first non-Russian to take the title.

Feofanova had to settle for second with Pyrek third.

Speigelburg, who finished seventh in the Olympic final in Beijing, said: "It is unbelievable to have won today's competition. I have jumped (equalled) my personal best today. It's the first time I have won a meeting at such a high level."

Steve Landells for the IAAF