Ivan Ukhov sails clear at 2.37m in his 2010 debut in Hustopece (© organisers)
European indoor High Jump champion Ivan Ukhov opened his 2010 season in style with a 2.37m clearance to highlight the first leg of the 6th Moravian High Jump Tour in Hustopece on Saturday (23).
It was a one-man show by the 23-year-old Russian. He opened his competition at 2.20m with a warm up jump, and continued with first attempt clearances at 2.28m, 2.30m, and 2.32m.
After removing his warm ups, he sailed clear at 2.37m also on his first try, an early season world-leading performance, a new meeting record and the best ever indoor leap in the Czech Republic.
Competing before a capacity crowd of nearly 1000, he went on with three solid efforts at a would-be national indoor record of 2.41m. His first try was very close.
Competing in his first indoor High Jump-only event, American Dusty Jonas cleared 2.30m on his third attempt to take second.
Italian Alessandro Talotti was third, local hero Jaroslav Baba fourth, and Briton Samson Oni was fifth, all at 2.28m.
Dmytro Demyanyuk of Ukraine, who opened at 2.24m and passed at 2.28m, produced three close attempts at 2.30, and finished sixth.
2003 World champion Jacques Freitag of South Africa returned to the European indoor scene after five years and was not unhappy with his 2.15m clearance.
Friedrich content with 1.95m opener
Germany’s European indoor champion Ariane Friedrich said before the competition that she hadn’t yet taken jumps over a bar in training yet this winter. So she opened conservatively at 1.89m and 1.92m, both first attempt clearances.
She needed a second try at 1.95m before sailing clear, enough for the victory. After passing at 1.98m, she had the bar raised to a meet record 2.01. Her three attempts were quite good, particularly her last.
“I didn’t know exactly what to expect from today’s competition,” Friedrich said. “It showed I can jump high in my next meetings.”
Russian Svetlana Shkolina and Czech Iva Strakova tied for second with 1.92m, and both had nice attempts at 1.95m. 2005 World medallist Chaunte Howard-Lowe of the USA was fourth at 1.92.
The series continues in the eastern Moravian city of Trinec, near Ostrava, on Tuesday. With the exception of Friedrich and Shkolina, the rest of the fields will both be continuing in the series. The women’s field will see the addition of World champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia who will be making her 2010 debut.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
Results:
1. Ivan Ukhov, RUS 2.37 MR, WL
2. Dusty Jonas, USA 2.30
3. Alessandro Talotti, ITA 2.28
4. Jaroslav Baba, CZE 2.28
5. Samson Oni, GBR 2.28
6. Dmytro Demyanyuk, UKR 2.24
7. Jamie Nieto, USA 2.24
8. Sergey Mudrov, RUS 2.20
9. Jacques Freitag, RSA 2.15
...
Women -
1. Ariane Friedrich, GER 1.95
=2. Svetlana Shkolina, RUS 1.92
=2. Iva Strakova, CZE 1.92
4. Chaunte Howard, USA 1.92
...
It was a one-man show by the 23-year-old Russian. He opened his competition at 2.20m with a warm up jump, and continued with first attempt clearances at 2.28m, 2.30m, and 2.32m.
After removing his warm ups, he sailed clear at 2.37m also on his first try, an early season world-leading performance, a new meeting record and the best ever indoor leap in the Czech Republic.
Competing before a capacity crowd of nearly 1000, he went on with three solid efforts at a would-be national indoor record of 2.41m. His first try was very close.
Competing in his first indoor High Jump-only event, American Dusty Jonas cleared 2.30m on his third attempt to take second.
Italian Alessandro Talotti was third, local hero Jaroslav Baba fourth, and Briton Samson Oni was fifth, all at 2.28m.
Dmytro Demyanyuk of Ukraine, who opened at 2.24m and passed at 2.28m, produced three close attempts at 2.30, and finished sixth.
2003 World champion Jacques Freitag of South Africa returned to the European indoor scene after five years and was not unhappy with his 2.15m clearance.
Friedrich content with 1.95m opener
Germany’s European indoor champion Ariane Friedrich said before the competition that she hadn’t yet taken jumps over a bar in training yet this winter. So she opened conservatively at 1.89m and 1.92m, both first attempt clearances.
She needed a second try at 1.95m before sailing clear, enough for the victory. After passing at 1.98m, she had the bar raised to a meet record 2.01. Her three attempts were quite good, particularly her last.
“I didn’t know exactly what to expect from today’s competition,” Friedrich said. “It showed I can jump high in my next meetings.”
Russian Svetlana Shkolina and Czech Iva Strakova tied for second with 1.92m, and both had nice attempts at 1.95m. 2005 World medallist Chaunte Howard-Lowe of the USA was fourth at 1.92.
The series continues in the eastern Moravian city of Trinec, near Ostrava, on Tuesday. With the exception of Friedrich and Shkolina, the rest of the fields will both be continuing in the series. The women’s field will see the addition of World champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia who will be making her 2010 debut.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
Results:
1. Ivan Ukhov, RUS 2.37 MR, WL
2. Dusty Jonas, USA 2.30
3. Alessandro Talotti, ITA 2.28
4. Jaroslav Baba, CZE 2.28
5. Samson Oni, GBR 2.28
6. Dmytro Demyanyuk, UKR 2.24
7. Jamie Nieto, USA 2.24
8. Sergey Mudrov, RUS 2.20
9. Jacques Freitag, RSA 2.15
...
Women -
1. Ariane Friedrich, GER 1.95
=2. Svetlana Shkolina, RUS 1.92
=2. Iva Strakova, CZE 1.92
4. Chaunte Howard, USA 1.92
...
