Roman Sebrle of Czech Republic during the Heptathlon Pole Vault (© Getty Images)
It was a very weird and exceptional Pole Vault competition in the men’s Heptathlon. At the start of the competition it seemed that American leader Bryan Clay was in big big trouble and in the end it was the defending champion who emerged with the best result from the competition.
Clay, who is looking to become the first athlete to defend a Heptathlon title at the World Indoor Championships, looked troubled with his first attempts at 4.70m, well below his usual level. The Californian Olympic champion just barely got over his opening height with his third try and then had similar problems at the next height, 4.80m. Again the champion cleared this height too with his last attempt and then his competition suddenly changed for the better. Still not looking perfectly convincing he did clear 4.90m with his first and a season’s best equaling 5.00m with his second attempt and continues to lead after six events having scored 5441 points.
With Clay in trouble it seemed fellow American, 2009 World champion from the Berlin Decathlon, Trey Hardee could capitalise in his strong event, but it wasn’t to happen. Hardee too, a 5.30m vaulter at his best, didn’t look good either during the competition. Maybe it was the long wait between jumps or something similar, but the 26-year-old in his first World Indoor Championships could only clear 5.00m and that leaves him a massive job before the last event, the 1000m.
Russian world leader Aleksey Drozdov, whose 6300 points will not be broken in this competition, had a disappointing morning too. A 5.20m vaulter in the world leading series earlier this indoor season the Russian lost points against the Americans when he was thought to be able to gain. The 26-year-old is now in third place with 5326 points and is a good 1000m runner, but will still have a hard job as Belarussian Andrei Krauchanka is not far behind and is even a better runner.
Krauchanka, the silver medalist behind Clay two years ago, looked the best of the field during the pole vault, but for some reason his energy stopped at a first time clearance at 5.00m too. He now has 5269 points for fourth place after six events. Roman Sebrle of Czech Republic is in fifth place with 5222p after a 4.80m pole vault and Ukrainian Oleksiy Kasyanov fell far behind the others as he only managed a lowly 4.40m result in the sixth event. Kasyanov has 5187p and Leonel Suárez of Cuba is in seventh place with 4946p.
The 1000m will be extremely exciting. Clay has the edge the final event, but is not safe by any means and the bronze medal fight seems to be very open during the final event. Of the first four athletes Krauchanka is the fastest having run 2:43.50 this season and has a lifetime best of 2:39.92. Drozdov is the second best with a 2:49.41 result this season and a personal best of 2:43.17 and Hardee has run 2:55.16 in 2006 with Clay clocking 2:59.06 this season. Hardee can probably run a bit faster and Clay surely can do better as he did 2:55.64 winning the title two years ago in Valencia.
Gaps to Bryan Clay and others in 1000m:
Trey Hardee: 4.5 seconds to Clay
Aleksey Drozdov: 11 seconds to Clay (6.5 seconds to Hardee)
Andrei Krauchanka: 16.1 seconds to Clay (5.1 seconds to Drozdov, 11.6 seconds to Hardee)
Roman Sebrle: 20.3 seconds to Clay (4.2 seconds to Krauchanka, 9.3 seconds to Drozdov)
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
