Brianne Theisen-Eaton in the heptathlon high jump at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 (© Getty Images)
World leader Brianne Theisen-Eaton lost a lot of valuable points in the high jump, the second event in the women’s heptathlon, by only clearing 1.80m today.
The Canadian had not jumped this low in the high jump since September 2013 and is now 105 points behind her world-leading score of 6808. She is currently in fifth place after two events with 2105 points.
The star of the high jump was Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who was extremely close to succeeding with her attempt at 1.92m. After her personal best in the 100m hurdles, her 1.89m clearance in this event is enough to put her into medal contention.
The 22-year-old is in second place with 2162 points after two events and is just 30 points off the leader Jessica Ennis-Hill. Her fellow Briton jumped 1.86m in the second event and has scored 2192 points after two events. Her high jump result matched her performance from the Gotzis meeting earlier this season, but at least a 1.89m clearance would have been needed to put her closer to the gold here.
Nadine Visser cleared a personal best of 1.80m and is in third place after two events with 2131 points. Following a great personal best in the opening event, the 100m hurdles, the 20-year-old Dutchwoman is within reaching distance of the medals.
Ukrainian Anastasiya Mokhnyuk is fourth with 2130 points after clearing a high jump PB of 1.83m. Behind Theisen-Eaton, in sixth place is USA’s Erica Bougard, who cleared 1.83m to bring her tally to 2099.
World indoor champion Nadine Broersen, the second Dutch athlete vying for a medal in Beijing, is currently in seventh place. The 25-year-old jumped a season’s best of 1.86m and has 2097 points after two events. She is, however, 82 points ahead of her Gotzis series when she scored 6531, so expect her to close in on the leaders as the competition progresses.
Broersen is the strongest of the top athletes in the shot put, the next event, having thrown 14.82m in her Gotzis series. While Theisen-Eaton and Ennis-Hill are capable of throwing beyond 14 metres, Johnson-Thompson will need to at least match or better her 12.49m PB to remain in medal contention.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
