Twotime World Indoor champion, Tatyana Kotova of Russia, made short work of the 6.55 needed to go through to the final. First up in group A, a crisp jump with 7.9cm to spare on the board and the automatic qualifier of 6.73.
“I usually add around 20cm to my qualification in the finals,” said Kotova. “So if that happens, it should be OK.”
She was followed in swift succession by the 2004 World Indoor Pentathlon champion, Naide Gomes of Portugal, also on 6.73,
Oksana Udmurtova, Russian indoor champion, 6.58, Concha Montaner, Spain, and Greece’s Stilianí Pilátou both right on 6.55.
Gomes’ mark represented a new Portuguese record for the former São Tomé and Principe islander.
The one glitch in the proceedings was World outdoor champion, Tianna Madison of the US, overstepping the mark in round one and needing a second jump of 6.60 to go through.
Doubling up as Triple Jump finalist, Yargelis Savigne of Cuba, was having difficulty with her run-up and struggled to 6.46 to scrape through as eighth woman in the final. The Cuban needed her full quota of three jumps after giving away over 30cm on her first leap and 26.2 on the second.
Non-qualifier Jackie Edwards of the Bahamas set a season’s best of 6.45.
MB
