Daniela Bartova of the Czech Republic has taken
back -at least for the time being - the world indoor record for
the pole vault.
During an athletics meeting in Berlin on 6 March, the 23-year old
former gymnast cleared 4.46m: one centimetre more than the mark
set by the Ukraine's Anzhela Balakhonova during the European
Indoor Championships in Valencia.
This was the third world record mark set by Bartova indoors this year. She had previously cleared 4.41 in Erfurt (GER) on 24 January, but this mark was subsequently beaten by Vala Flosadóttir (ISL) on 28 January; on 15 February, Bartova raised the stakes again with a mark of 4.43 in the early afternoon in Prague, only to see it wiped from the slate by the Icelander just a few hours later with her mark of 4.44 in a meeting in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
The next record attempt is likely to come from Australia's Emma George, current holder of the world outdoor record for the discipline, with her mark of 4.57.