Jan Janku over 2.32 to win in Ostrava (© meeting organisers)
Forced into a jumpoff against Cuba's rising star Victor Moya, Tomas Janku produced a thrilling 2.32m clearance to take top honours at the 'Ostravska latka', the second leg of the three-stop Moravian Daylong High Jump Tour in Ostrava on Tuesday (23).
With legendary World record holders Jan Zelezny and Javier Sotomayor on hand in the packed arena, a solid evening of jumping began with 11 men topping 2.20m, eight going over 2.24, and five still alive when the bar was raised to 2.27.
But the real drama started at 2.30. First Janku and then Moya cleared with their first attempts, setting a new meeting record. They were joined by Svatoslav Ton, who went over on his second try. And then the Poker game started. Behind on the count-back, Ton passed 2.32, opting to try for a career-best 2.34 instead. Janku also decided to pass the height, leaving Moya who after a pair of close attempts at 2.32, saved his last for 2.34.
The atmosphere in the hall was electric and the climax came with seven tries at 2.34, which would have resulted a new world season lead. Nobody managed but Janku was closest, leading to the jump-off. Each missing at 2.34, the bar was lowered to 2.32 with Janku sailing over before the Cuban's miss, ending the competition with another meet record and an indoor personal best.
"I felt great," said Janku, "It is still the start of the season so I am positively surprised. This indoor season is not a big goal for me, I just want compete and enjoy my jumping. Today I was able to put together my power with speed and technique."
Russian Andrey Tereshin, who won the first leg in Hustopece with a world-leading 2.33 leap, had near misses and 2.30 and eventually finished fifth with a 2.27 clearance.
Moya showed his great potential and looks to remain a major threat for the rest of the European meets he will contest. He leads the tour ranking after his 2.24 and 2.30 efforts.
Ton too was satisfied with his early-season progression. "After a long period of training, a 2.30 in the second meet is great and gives me big motivation for the whole indoor campaign," said Ton. "And it was far from ideal technically."
Reigning World champion Yuri Krimarenko from Ukraine competed for the first time since early last summer, producing a solid jump at 2.27 and close misses at 2.30. "I'm happy after such a long time with the result," he said. "The right feeling is still not there, but it will come."
Dubnova begins Czech double trouble
The evening began with another Czech triumph with Romana Dubnova's 1.92 victory in the women's event. She needed two tries at the winning height, one that proved too much for Russian Yekaterina Kuntsevich and Marina Aitova of Kazahkstan, who each topped out at 1.89.
"It was wonderful, the public was great, very good jumping," Dubnova said. "I think I will go higher in the next meetings." At the final leg in Trinec on Thursday, Dubnova will have to beat Kuntsevich by 4 centimetres for the overall tour win.
The third leg, the 15th edition fo the Beskydska latka in Trinec, lovated some 40 kilometres from Ostrava, will see two additional names added to the fields. Anna Chicherova from Russia and Grzegorz Sposob from Poland are expected, although organisers have expressed some worry about their arrival due to the latest weather difficulties at the airports and roads in central Europe.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
Results:
MEN -
1. Tomas Janku, CZE 2.32 MR (210/1, 220/1, 227/1, 230/1, 234/xxx – jump-off: 234/x, 232/1)
2. Victor Moya, CUB 2.30 (215/1, 220/1, 224/1, 227/1, 230/1, 232/xx, 234/x – jump-off: 234/x, 232/x)
3. Svatoslav Ton, CZE 2.30 (215/1, 220/1, 224/2, 227/1, 230/2, 234/xxx)
4. Yuri Krimarenko, UKR 2.27
5. Andrey Tereshin, RUS 2.27
=6. Aleksey Dmitrik, RUS 2.24
=6. Viktor Shapoval, UKR 2.24
=6. Peter Horak, SVK 2.24
9. Martijn Nuyens, HOL 2.20 eq PB
10. Kwaku Boateng, CAN 2.20
11. Alexandr Shustov, RUS 2.20
=12. Jaroslav Baba, CZE, 2.15
=12. Stanislav Malyarenko, RUS 2.15
14. Joel Spolen, SWE 2.15
DNS - Ben Challenger, GBR (sore hamstring)
Tour overall standings after two meets (only jumpers who are competing in all three meets):
1. Moya 454
2. T. Janku 452
3. Horak 451
4. Ton 450
=5. Dmitrik 448
=5. Shapoval 448
7. Shustov 444
=8. Nuyens
=8. Boateng 440
10. Malyarenko 435
11. Baba 430
WOMEN -
1. Romana Dubnova, CZE 1.92 (173/1, 177/1, 181/1, 185/1, 189/2 192/2, 195/xxx)
2. Marina Aitova, KZK 1.89
3. Yekaterina Kuntsevich, RUS 1.89
=4. Andrea Ispan, ROM,
=4. Emma Green, SWE 1.85
=6. Oana Pantelimon, ROM 1.85
=6. Maresa Cadienhead, CAN 1.85
8. Svetlana Shkolina, RUS 1.85
9. Nicole Forrester, CAN 1.85
10. Elena Brambilla, ITA 1.77
11. Carolina Dressler, GER 1.73
Tour overall standings after two meets (only jumpers who are competing in all three meets):
1. Kuntsevich 383
2. Aitova 381
3. Dubnova 379
4. Pantelimon 372
=5. Ispan, Cadienhead
=5. Shkolina 365
6. Brambilla 352
