Blanka Vlasic salutes her win at the 2000 Wortld Junior Champs (© Getty Images)
Croatia's Blanka Vlasic was the only high jumper over 1.91 and her first time clearance more than sufficed for gold.
Vlasic could feel that a world junior medal was on her way when she threw her arms in the air to celebrate her successful leap, at the second time of asking, at the previous height of 1.88 but she had no idea that it was going to be golden.
At that stage in the competition Russia's Marina Kuptsova, the 1998 world junior champion, was in the driving seat with first time clearances up to and including 1.88.
However at 1.91 the form that took Kuptsova over 1.96 - the world leading mark this year - failed her.
Kuptsova had two failures at 1.91 before making a last-ditch attempt at 1.93, however she brought down the bar with her final effort.
Vlasic had two failures at 1.93 but decided to retire with taking her third jump once she had secured the gold medal, indicating to her coach sitting in the stands that she had done enough for one day and that equalling her personal best was beyond her.
Only three women got over 1.88, Kuptsova got the silver medal by virtue of her flawless record up to that point while South Africa's Marizca Gertenbach got a surprise bronze when she added 2cm to her best with a second time clearance.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
