News09 Sep 2007


Silnov, Savchenko win Eberstadt titles

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Andrey Silnov's 2.36 leap for gold in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)

A combination of the cloudy, uninviting weather plaguing Germany this summer and the lingering fatigue still affecting Osaka participants conspired to keep the marks lower than usual at the ‘29th Internationales Hochsprung-meeting’ (8-9 September 2007), a yearly high jump fixture. 

WOMEN

The women’s competition, held on Sunday (9 September), benefited from better weather than did the men the day before, although gusty winds made it far from optimal. 

In a bit of an odds-making upset, Yekaterina Savchenko, the Osaka fifth placer, emerged as the winner over her Russian rival, Yelena Slesarenko - the reigning Olympic champion and fourth at the Worlds - as well as a most surprising outsider, Germany’s Ariane Friedrich, who slipped in between her two more experienced adversaries for second.

Nine of the eleven starters moved forward to 1.91, but only five survived that height.  At 1.94, the chess match began.  Savchenko cleared on her first attempt (she would have a clean record until she remained alone as the winner), after which Slesarenko missed and immediately passed to the next height.  Earlier, just before the Russians took their jumps, Friedrich had electrified the crowd with a first-attempt success at 1.94 for a new personal best and the top German mark of the season. 

Amy Acuff of the USA elected to pass 1.94, and after two failures, Czech jumper Iva Straková also passed to 1.97, where she exited without taking her third jump. 

The Savchenko juggernaut continued at 1.97, and when no other jumper found the right formula, the 30-year-old remained alone as the winner.  Three attempts at a would-be personal best of 2.01 were unsuccessful, although the final two jumps had merit. 

“It was my first time here, and I really like the quick surface,” said Savchenko.  “It would have been good to have someone else jumping with me at 2.01.  I had already won, so I relaxed and my technique suffered,” she continued.  “This would have been a good chance to jump a PB.” 

Savchenko almost didn’t get the chance to jump at all.  Coming to Zürich the middle of last week, she had only a visa for Switzerland and not one for Germany.  Only some skillful last-minute diplomacy with the German government solved the problem with a “fetch-and-go” visa waiting at one of the border crossings on Saturday. 

Friedrich, the silver medallist at the Universiade last month, understandably was proud of her accomplishment.  “I really can’t believe it.  I’ve been sick with a cold since about a week after returning from Bangkok,” said Friedrich.  “This, plus some personal problems and also my continuing duties with the Frankfurt Police Department [she is completing an education program there] made this result perhaps a bit surprising.” 

Berlin stands as the next competition on Friedrich’s schedule.  “I hope to move step-by-step, to 1.95 and higher.” 

The most decorated jumper in the field today, Olympic champion Slesarenko was noticeably displeased with the result.  “My jumping today was just a piece of bad luck,” she offered as a critique.  “I’m still having some acclimation problems, and I think I may still be tired from Zürich Friday night (she finished second there at 2.01).  But I hope to take some revenge here next year.” 

MEN

The men’s competition was held on Saturday (8 September) under cold, clammy (and sometimes windy) conditions.

Of the thirteen jumpers, Russia’s Andrey Silnov was the one who seemed to put all of this out of his mind the best.  The European champion from last year calmly bounced over all of the heights - from the opening 2.10 through 2.30 - with only a single failure at 2.24.  Though barely missing 2.33 on one of his attempts, the 22-year-old (now a 23-year-old after a birthday on Sunday) still was pleased to score an outdoor season best of 2.30 with his win. 

“I had an injury to my take-off foot earlier in the season,” said the blond jumper, “so my season is really beginning only now.  I was happy to get 2.29 in Osaka and make the final with my best performance of the year outdoors.  And today, I was pleased with the 2.30, although I really think I should have made 2.33.”

Placing second at the same 2.30 height was Tora Harris of the USA, a frequent visitor to Eberstadt.  It was the third time the 28-year-old has jumped 2.30 in this relaxing setting nestled among the German vineyards. 

Harris’ route to second place was a most unusual one.  In a third-attempt clearance at 2.20, he suffered a calf cramp and was forced to pass his jumps at 2.24 and 2.27 while the physiotherapists massaged the leg back to jumping condition.  Once back competing at 2.30 after a delay approaching one hour, Harris missed his first attempt and then scored a big clearance with four or five centimetres to spare.  Further jumps at 2.33 were not successful, however. 

“My fitness is good,” said Harris.  “A 2.33 jump was not impossible today.  It was cold, and I threw away a lot of jumps at the beginning.” 

Tomás Janku of the Czech Republic, like Silnov an Osaka finalist, struggled for most of the day but managed a first-attempt 2.27 which was good for third.  The European silver medallist was still up-beat.  “Sure I was tired.  Everyone is a little tired from such a long travel [from Osaka].  But my problems today were technical ones.” 

Crowd favourite Jamie Nieto of the USA also had a best of 2.27, but needed three jumps at that height and ended in fourth.  Also at 2.27, but losing in the countback with Nieto, was British jumper Martyn Bernard. 

Ed Gordon for the IAAF

RESULTS:

Men:  1. Silnov (RUS) 2.30 [2.10 – 2.15 – 2.20 – 2.24/2 – 2.27 – 2.30 – 2.33/xxx];  2. Harris (USA) 2.30 [2.15/2 – 2.20/3 – 2.30/2 – 2.33/xxx];  3. T Janku (CZE) 2.27;  4. Nieto (USA);  5. Bernard (GBR) 2.27;  6. Tereshin (RUS) and Moya (CUB) 2.24;  8.  Shustov (RUS) and Williams (USA) 2.20;  10. Kgosiemang (BOT) 2.20;  11. Onnen (GER) 2.20;  12. Bába (CZE) 2.15;  13. Laukner (GER) 2.10. 

Women:  1. Savchenko (RUS) 1.97 [1.80 – 1.84 – 1.88 – 1.91 – 1.94 – 1.97 – 2.00/xxx];  2. Friedrich (GER) 1.94 PB;  3. Slesarenko (RUS) 1.91;  4. Acuff (USA) 1.91;  5. Strakova (CZE) 1.91;  6. Lalaková (CZE) and Aitova (KAZ) 1.88;  8. Skotnik (FRA) 1.88;  9. Dubnová (CZE) 1.88;  10. Forrester (CAN) 1.84;  11. Kovalenko (UKR) 1.80.

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