2.38m world leader for Ivan Ukhov in Banska Bystrica (© Ratislav Hrbacek)
Banska Bystrica, SlovakiaIvan Ukhov leaped a world-leading 2.38m, and Blanka Vlasic posted a 2.04m in the 17th Europa Shopping Center competition in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia on Thursday (4). It was the final competition for both as they head to Doha and the IAAF World Indoor Championships at the end of next week.
Berlin World champion Vlasic virtually owns this competition at the moment after her fourth win in five consecutive appearances in the central Slovakia city. She ended the evening with three unsuccessful tries at a would-be world record of 2.09m.
Emma Green of Sweden jumped a season-best 1.95m to take second, as Russia’s Viktoriya Klyugina placed third on misses ahead of Kamila Stepaniuk of Poland at 1.92m. That mark equalled Stepaniuk’s indoor career best.
With only Vlasic and Green clearing 1.95m, the Croatian then passed 1.98m as the Swede exited at that height. Already the winner as the bar went to 2.00m, Vlasic opened with a miss before executing well on her second effort to send the bar to 2.04m. Again, a failure preceded her successful jump on try number two, and although she jolted the bar quite noticeably, she nonetheless escaped with a white flag.
Afterwards, Vlasic analyzed each of her three tries at 2.09m. “My first attempt was too fast. On my second, I started running fast too late. Finally, things began to come together on my third attempt. I wish that one had been the first one!” she critiqued.
Still, the evening was a confidence builder as she continues her quest for the elusive World record. “A 2.09 doesn’t seem so impossible any more,” she admitted. “This season has given me three opportunities at it, and it’s the first time in my career I’ve tried a World record at two consecutive competitions [in Split ten days ago and tonight].”
“It was a strange evening tonight,” she continued. “I could never find my ‘tunnel’, my little space of protection.”
On Friday, Vlasic and her entourage depart for Doha to begin preparation for her World indoor title defence.
First visit a memorable one for Ukhov
Ukhov, unlike frequent visitor Vlasic, had never before laid eyes on the Stiavnicky Sports Hall. But the free-spirited Russian made his first trip a successful and memorable one with a world-leading 2.38m winning jump. It was also a meeting record, surpassing the 2.37m by Stefan Holm three years ago.
Ukhov took his usual minimalist approach during the early stages, with widely-spaced jumps at 2.21m and 2.28m before finally shedding his warmups at 2.33m for the leap which secured victory. He then took one wildly unsuccessful attempt at an indoor personal best 2.41m before retiring, later explaining that “I felt the surface move a little bit during my jump, and I also felt something in my foot. So, I decided not to risk anything by continuing.”
But the current European indoor champion was ‘thumbs up’ about the venue. “It’s an extraordinary hall, and the atmosphere with the packed crowd is great.” Was the competition a good preparation for Doha? “I can’t really say. This kind of meeting is quite different from a championship setting. But I’d really like to return next year and get another 2.40 jump, or more.”
Britain’s Samson Oni started the evening ignominiously with a miss at the opening 2.11m. But he recovered immediately, and using an unusually short run he cleared the next six bars consecutively for a PB 2.31m before going out at 2.33m and ending in second. Viktor Shapoval of Ukraine saw his season-best 2.28m take third ahead of Russia’s Sergey Mudrov on a countback. The reigning European champion, 19-year-old Mudrov was the workhorse of the night. On three occasions he went to a third attempt and successfully extended his jumping evening.
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
Results -
Men: 1. Ukhov (RUS) 2.38 WL [2.21 – 2.28 – 2.33 – 2.38/3 – 2.41/xp]; 2. Oni (GBR) 2.31 PB [2.11/2 – 2.16 – 2.21 – 2.25 – 2.28 – 2.31 – 2.33/xxx]; 3. Shapoval (UKR) 2.28 SB; 4. Mudrov (RUS) 2.28; 5. Horak (SVK) and Torro (FIN) 2.25; 7. Diarra (FRA) 2.25 SB; 8. Bubenik (SVK) 2.21 PB; 9. N Ciotti (ITA) [SB=] and G Ciotti (ITA) 2,21; 11. Kabelka (SVK) 2.16; 12. Sayevych (UKR) 2.16. No height: Ninov (BUL) [2.16].
Women: 1. Vlasic (CRO) 2.04 [1.85 – 1.92 – 1.95 – 2.00/2 – 2.04/2 – 2.09/xxx]; 2. Green (SWE) 1.95 SB; 3. Klyugina (RUS) 1.92; 4. Stepaniuk (POL) 1.92 PB=; 5. Kufaas (NOR) 1.85 ; 6. Lalakova (CZE) 1.85; 7. Szabó (HUN) 1.81; 8. Blazej (POL) 1.81; 9. Dunajska (SVK) 1.76.
Berlin World champion Vlasic virtually owns this competition at the moment after her fourth win in five consecutive appearances in the central Slovakia city. She ended the evening with three unsuccessful tries at a would-be world record of 2.09m.
Emma Green of Sweden jumped a season-best 1.95m to take second, as Russia’s Viktoriya Klyugina placed third on misses ahead of Kamila Stepaniuk of Poland at 1.92m. That mark equalled Stepaniuk’s indoor career best.
With only Vlasic and Green clearing 1.95m, the Croatian then passed 1.98m as the Swede exited at that height. Already the winner as the bar went to 2.00m, Vlasic opened with a miss before executing well on her second effort to send the bar to 2.04m. Again, a failure preceded her successful jump on try number two, and although she jolted the bar quite noticeably, she nonetheless escaped with a white flag.
Afterwards, Vlasic analyzed each of her three tries at 2.09m. “My first attempt was too fast. On my second, I started running fast too late. Finally, things began to come together on my third attempt. I wish that one had been the first one!” she critiqued.
Still, the evening was a confidence builder as she continues her quest for the elusive World record. “A 2.09 doesn’t seem so impossible any more,” she admitted. “This season has given me three opportunities at it, and it’s the first time in my career I’ve tried a World record at two consecutive competitions [in Split ten days ago and tonight].”
“It was a strange evening tonight,” she continued. “I could never find my ‘tunnel’, my little space of protection.”
On Friday, Vlasic and her entourage depart for Doha to begin preparation for her World indoor title defence.
First visit a memorable one for Ukhov
Ukhov, unlike frequent visitor Vlasic, had never before laid eyes on the Stiavnicky Sports Hall. But the free-spirited Russian made his first trip a successful and memorable one with a world-leading 2.38m winning jump. It was also a meeting record, surpassing the 2.37m by Stefan Holm three years ago.
Ukhov took his usual minimalist approach during the early stages, with widely-spaced jumps at 2.21m and 2.28m before finally shedding his warmups at 2.33m for the leap which secured victory. He then took one wildly unsuccessful attempt at an indoor personal best 2.41m before retiring, later explaining that “I felt the surface move a little bit during my jump, and I also felt something in my foot. So, I decided not to risk anything by continuing.”
But the current European indoor champion was ‘thumbs up’ about the venue. “It’s an extraordinary hall, and the atmosphere with the packed crowd is great.” Was the competition a good preparation for Doha? “I can’t really say. This kind of meeting is quite different from a championship setting. But I’d really like to return next year and get another 2.40 jump, or more.”
Britain’s Samson Oni started the evening ignominiously with a miss at the opening 2.11m. But he recovered immediately, and using an unusually short run he cleared the next six bars consecutively for a PB 2.31m before going out at 2.33m and ending in second. Viktor Shapoval of Ukraine saw his season-best 2.28m take third ahead of Russia’s Sergey Mudrov on a countback. The reigning European champion, 19-year-old Mudrov was the workhorse of the night. On three occasions he went to a third attempt and successfully extended his jumping evening.
Ed Gordon for the IAAF
Results -
Men: 1. Ukhov (RUS) 2.38 WL [2.21 – 2.28 – 2.33 – 2.38/3 – 2.41/xp]; 2. Oni (GBR) 2.31 PB [2.11/2 – 2.16 – 2.21 – 2.25 – 2.28 – 2.31 – 2.33/xxx]; 3. Shapoval (UKR) 2.28 SB; 4. Mudrov (RUS) 2.28; 5. Horak (SVK) and Torro (FIN) 2.25; 7. Diarra (FRA) 2.25 SB; 8. Bubenik (SVK) 2.21 PB; 9. N Ciotti (ITA) [SB=] and G Ciotti (ITA) 2,21; 11. Kabelka (SVK) 2.16; 12. Sayevych (UKR) 2.16. No height: Ninov (BUL) [2.16].
Women: 1. Vlasic (CRO) 2.04 [1.85 – 1.92 – 1.95 – 2.00/2 – 2.04/2 – 2.09/xxx]; 2. Green (SWE) 1.95 SB; 3. Klyugina (RUS) 1.92; 4. Stepaniuk (POL) 1.92 PB=; 5. Kufaas (NOR) 1.85 ; 6. Lalakova (CZE) 1.85; 7. Szabó (HUN) 1.81; 8. Blazej (POL) 1.81; 9. Dunajska (SVK) 1.76.
