News27 Apr 2009


Korea’s pole vaulting hope Lim sets national record and qualifies for Berlin

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LIM Eun-Ji (KOR) (© Korean Athletics Federation)

Amidst the cold and gusty conditions during the 13th Corporate Teams’ National Competitions in Andong, Korea on Wednesday 22 April, a rising star soared above the rest to rewrite the Korean National Outdoor Record for the Women’s Pole Vault.

20-year-old LIM Eun-Ji’s winning height of 4.35m smashed the previous national outdoor record of 4.16 set by CHOI Yun-Hee at the 2008 Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting last September.  It also equalled the “B” Entry Standard for the Women’s Pole Vault at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Berlin 2009.

Prior to her 4.35 outdoors Lim had already shown her fine form this year with a 4.24m vault indoors in Tsaotun, Chinese Taipei on 26 March to set what was then the absolute (indoor and out)  national record.  

“It was cold today with gusty winds, which tightened her muscles and joints,” said her coach LIM Sung-Woo speaking about Lim's 4.35m vault.  “Despite the difficult conditions, she showed great fighting spirit to break the National Record and qualify for the World Championships!”

Berlin will be Lim’s first-ever participation in the World Championships.

Lim first competed in the Pole Vault in December 2007 and could only muster a mere 3.50m at the same competition last year. In October 2008, however, she set her previous outdoor personal best of 4.10 which is the national junior record.

Lim’s meteoric rise in less than 18 months, coupled with her youth and dedication, bodes well for Korea’s aspirations at the 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be held in Daegu in 2011.

While Yelena Isinbayeva’s World record of 5.05m is a tall order for anyone to match, Lim will focus her attention on China’s Shuying Gao’s two-year-old Asian record of 4.64. Based on the progress that Lim has shown, the Women’s Pole Vault in the coming years could be interesting.

Lim also has personal bests at the 100m Hurdles of 14.52 sec (-2.2m/s), Triple Jump of 12.92m (2007), and Heptathlon of 4681pts (2006).

Daegu 2011 for the IAAF

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